Land of opportunity

• Source: The Global Times
• [19:52 May 17 2009]
• Comments

By Lin Jiasi

People walk by Central, the financial center of Hong Kong, where Bank of China, Cheung Kong Center, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank are located. Photo: CFP

Australian expat Andy Turner was sitting in a bar on Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong when in walked Hollywood movie star Jackie Chan. It was not the first time Turner had seen the actor there, so he offered to buy him a drink and the pair chatted for a while.

“This place is like the Hollywood of China,” Turner told the Global Times. “People who live on the mainland don’t enjoy the same privileges as we do.”

A wine salesman who used to live in Beijing, Turner said he sometimes misses the capital, with its ancient architecture, traditional Chinese values and places to explore. But overall, Hong Kong, as a recognized center of international trade, has more to offer.

“The market is mature and developed, which gives me a platform on which to build my business network,” he said.

“Also, the fierce competition here means consumers and marketers spend more on services, which is good for my business. That’s what I like about Hong Kong’s capitalism.”

Hong Kong is a mixture of commerce and culture, and has long been recognized as a crossroads between East and West. Turner said the drumbeat sounds of commerce and the bustling traffic remind him of his hometown Sydney, Australia.

“Although at home I seldom eat dim sum for Sunday lunch,” he said.

But Hong Kong is not all about business, American expat Jo Sera said.

Beyond the glittering skyscrapers, the island is a haven of natural beauty with countless islands and beaches, he said.

“There’s no beach in either Beijing or Shanghai, and you always have to drive hundreds of miles out of the city to enjoy nature,” he said.

“In Hong Kong everything is interconnected. I used to be able to stroll to the beach from my apartment.”

Another American, Mandy White, said she too loves the combination of a fast-paced city life and the beautiful countryside that Hong Kong offers.

A fan of surfing and hiking, White said she often rides the tram to the top of Victoria Peak then walks or jogs back down again.

As well as Hong Kong’s natural attractions, the city is also home to a well-supported horse racing industry, which attracts foreigners and locals alike. White said she is “obsessed with horses and gambling,” and loves her trips to the Happy Valley track, with its beer tents and hot-dog stands catering to tens of thousands of punters every week.

Twelve years after its return to China, Hong Kong remains redolent of British colonialism. Even the Hong Kong Jockey Club, a holdover from colonial days, boasts a large expat membership for whom it is one of the highlights of living in China.

“Chinese and expats can mingle more easily at sporting events,” White said.

“Hong Kong people are more open and less uptight with foreigners, which is not the same as on the mainland. The foreign influence here is a lot stronger,” she said.

Another advantage is that because about 5 percent of the people living in Hong Kong are foreigners, English is widely spoken, White said.

“Foreigners don’t have to learn Chinese because every one in the service industry, including taxi drivers, speaks English,” she said.

“That make the transition to living here a lot easier.”

Hong Kong is also a very convenient place in which to live, Sera said.

“There’s a 7-Eleven or convenience store on every street corner and almost everyone has a mobile phone,” he said.

People in Hong Kong are also much better at customer service than their peers on the mainland, he said.

“They understand English and tend to be more polite toward tourists.”

Also, the availability of low-cost airlines means expats can easily travel to nearby Southeast Asian countries, Turner said.

“Hong Kong is a world-class financial center that allows expats and business people to travel freely to anywhere in the world,” he said.

The city is also great for shopping.

“Hong Kong is great for luxury goods and fashion,” Kirsteen Thain, a foreigner living in Hong Kong, said.

High-end consumers are not only brand conscious but also keen to embrace new fashion concepts and look for new exclusive brands, she said.

Tim Gringrich, an American expat living in Beijing said he goes to Hong Kong to shop because the sales tax in Beijing is “way too high.”

“A bottle of perfume, for example, costs about 400 yuan ($58) in Beijing, but I can get it for HK$200 ($26) in Hong Kong,” he said.