Do as the locals do in Hong Kong

Why isn't there a McDonald’s outlet on Macdonnell Road?
The post went viral at Little Red Book, or Xiaohongshu, over the golden weekend when young mainland visitors were eager to share their unique travel experience.
They went the extra mile to buy a McDonald set before they hit the luxurious road that has the same pronunciation in Chinese as the world’s largest fast-food chain.
By the same token, one can find a lot of fun with the unique street names in the former British colony such as bringing a bottle of Hennessy’s Very Superior Old Pale (VSOP) at the Hennessy Road in Wan Chai to make a point.
As with eating, it is always camera first for youngsters who like to show off their daily encounters on social media such as Instagram or Tik Tok. Sorry, Facebook is probably for the middle-aged group.
Forget Disneyland and Ocean Park, they are still popular with tourists but perhaps not so popular among millennials. For a unique experience – and one that will be wowed by friends, the young generation often relies on travel tips provided by key opinion leaders to create their own itinerary.
Think Palace Museum at the West Kowloon Cultural District is a must-see destination? Think again.
Among the top of the wish list, the young chaps would visit Yau Ma Tei Police Station, the famous Grade II historic building, the Tai Nam Street, the old fabric-turned-hip coffee get-together place, and Ap Liu Street, a famous second-hand antique venue in Shum Shui Po.
Interestingly, youngsters now have turned to the traditional film camera for the experience that we used to have despite most people could take pictures with their mobile phones.
While some tourists are interested to know more about how the super-rich lives in Hong Kong, others are more into the lives of the ordinary by visiting the photogenic and nostalgic architecture such as the “Rainbow” Choi Hung Estate and the Nan Shan Estate.
In this light, perhaps “This This Rice”, a popular two-dishes known for its affordability and efficiency during the pandemic, should be added to the classic list of Hong Kong delicacies such as fish ball, egg waffle, pineapple bun and wonton noodle.
All these remind us of the travel axiom of doing as the locals do because this is the whole point of travel – finding good cheap food and discovering the place where the locals like to hang out for a real cultural experience.
That says a lot about why Hong Kong is a place to be missed.
-- Contact us at [email protected]
-
What is there to love about Hong Kong Brian YS Wong
These days, it’s trendy to talk down Hong Kong. After all, who doesn’t enjoy trashing a city that has seen, in the span of four to five years, unprecedented political turmoil, a pandemic that has
-
Can Hong Kong tap the opportunities in autonomous driving? Dr. Winnie Tang
An essential driver for autonomous driving (AD) development is precision of maps. There are two very different approaches for AD, the so-called Waymo model and the Tesla version, according to Wang
-
Salute! To the unsung heroes Brian YS Wong
Last Friday saw Hong Kong hit by one of the worst, if not downright the worst, rainstorms it has endured in recorded history. 158.1mm of rain was recorded at the Observatory headquarters between 11pm
-
Colour blind Neville Sarony
I often travel past a small noodle shop on Bonham Road which found itself the centre of much unwanted attention recently. For many years, the shop has been a favourite haunt of construction workers
-
The straw that could hurt Camel Paint Building Ben Kwok
Where in Hong Kong can one find this secret shopping paradise? According to Hong Kong Tourism Board, it is “a huge multi-block outlet shopping complex where people flock to find the latest cosmetics