14 things that people who have lived in Hong Kong will definitely know

1. Chinese to English translations make for some entertaining reading.

(mapurbanlinguisticlandscape/Flickr)

2. The warning signs are equally entertaining.

(Amie Filcher)

3. Bamboo scaffolding is the norm.

(Ioan Sameli/Flickr)

4. You will never complain about a little rain again after experiencing black rain.

via GIPHY

This is literally a wall of rain. People are advised to stay indoors as it causes landslides and even collapsed the roof of an MTR station (a Tube station) in 2014.

5. People eat chicken feet.

(Cormac Lawler/Flickr)

Stop making a face. You may find it weird or gross but it is a popular dish in HK/China.

6. Chinese people have weird English names.

via GIPHY

We’re talking Yoyo, Circle and Kiwi. Translation is funny.

7. People use umbrellas when it’s sunny.

(Filipe Fortes/Flickr)

What’s this about? Many people in Hong Kong don’t like to tan as they believe darker skin means you are poor which is why people are reaching for their brolly when the sun is out.

8. People use whitening cream.

(Nick Gray/Flickr)

This is a cream which is sold to makes your skin paler, used for the same reason mentioned above. Think of it like the fake tan obsession but the opposite.

9. There are escalators that go up the hill in Mid levels because it’s so steep.

(Yeowatzup/Flickr)

10. Octopus cards can be used to pay for everything.

(Andrew Currie/Flickr)

They can be used to pay for so many things, on mini buses, in supermarkets, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, car parks, service stations and vending machines. This is something the Oyster card could learn from.

11. Most of Hong Kong is wild.

(Picksomethingsimple/Flickr)

Despite being thought of as a city of skyscrapers and human congestion, HK is actually home to several natural parks and marine parks. It also boasts an impressive number of hiking routes, with the longest being the MacLeHose trail which runs across much of the New Territories.

12. You can camp in teepees on the beach.

(Julia Sumangil/Flickr)

Teepees can be hired to camp on Lantau Island. However, there are certain times of year you might want to avoid going, such as typhoon season, as you wouldn’t want to be caught out in a storm.

13. Jackie Chan’s face is on everything.

(sanfamedia.com/Flickr)

Hong Kong is obessed wih Jackie Chan and you will find his cheery face on well, just about anything really.

14. There is a natural infinity pool.

(Amie Filcher)

You have to hike to get to the pool, so comfortable shoes would be advisable but it’s definitely worth it. You may also find yourself swimming with a few unknown creatures as you can’t really see them, but then it wouldn’t be natural without some wildlife. Enjoy!