Everyday practical information for Hong Kong

The basics

• Plugs are the British three-pin type G, 220 V. If you have a UK charger, you need nothing. Everyone else needs an adapter, and hotels will lend one but may run out.
• English is an official language. Every sign, ticket machine, announcement and menu that matters is in English. Cantonese is the spoken language; Mandarin is understood but is not the local tongue and using it is not neutral.
• The time zone is UTC+8 year round, with no daylight saving.
• Air conditioning is set brutally cold indoors. A long-sleeved layer in August is not a joke.

Small conventions

• Queue properly. Hong Kong queues for everything, and jumping one is noticed.
• Stand right on escalators. People walk on the left.
• Eating and drinking on the MTR is prohibited and carries a fine, water included.
• Do not tip in cash on top of the 10% service charge; round taxi fares up to the dollar.
• Both hands when passing a business card or receiving change from someone older.
• Octopus, not coins. Almost nothing needs exact change any more.

Shops and hours

• Shops open late - 11:00 to 22:00 is normal for malls, and convenience stores run 24 hours.
• Sunday is the busiest day in the parks and public spaces of Central, where the city's domestic workers spend their day off. It is a Hong Kong institution and not something to be surprised by.
• Public holidays cluster around Lunar New Year, when a great deal closes for several days - the one period worth checking against your dates.