Hong Kong offers a cultural euphoria even though it has by and large a prominently well-developed urban society. The place and its people have so much to offer in spite of being modern to the core. That in itself makes Hong Kong a distinguished cultural treat for any visitor and more so for all of those who love to roam around exploring unique cultural entities. There is a delicate touch of diversity in an overall cultural amalgam that the city possesses. So much intricate that this mixture of various cultures often results into a new cultural identity of its own making particularly due to the fact that both of the composite cultures inherently influence each other yielding into a dualistic point of views adopted by each. Imagine the same phenomenon involving several cultures and not just two as mentioned and that’s hong kong for you.
While most people often come here with an expectation of witnessing the urban chaos, scorching beaches and ecstatic landscapes etc, they are often left amazed to find out Hong Kong as a culture more than just an urban entity as it is widely known for. So if I would say people and their cultural orientations of Hong Kong are distinct and unlike anything that you have ever seen before. So read on to know more about the people, lifestyle, cultural festivities, food, language and everything else that forms together to form the composite society of Hong Kong. And by the way, if you have not visited Hong Kong yet but you want to, here are few jaw-dropping deals that you can avail through these Expedia Promo Code and Klook Voucher Code to plan your trip within a modest budget.
Table of Contents
Elementary Cultural Background and Social Demographics
Even though a part of Chinese land, Hong Kong has been able to incarnate its own unique identity which is very rare when compared to any other Chinese cities. The conceptual reason behind this is the fact that Hong Kong has been governed as a separate British Colony for 156 years. The city was inhabited by a majority of Cantonese people along with a small section of Hakka, Shanghainese, Teochew, Hoklo people too. These groups together form the native cultural background of this city which is evident and obvious. But being the British Colony, Hong Kong was heavily influenced by English culture and incorporated various prospects into itself. The Macau region was under the occupation of Portuguese and therefore a few influences can be observed coming from Portugal.
People
Hong Kong as we see it now has taken inspiration from various sources and it comes from not just the nearby region but also from people of the different parts of the world. The people of this don’t identify themselves as belonging to any one cultural group although most of the population comprises of Chinese ethnicity groups. They are philosophically inclined to their own native beliefs but they have nevertheless adopted aspects from various western ways of living. The people from all over the world have migrated to Hong Kong, more so after it started gaining a hefty economic growth and got popular as it developed into a rising financial giant. The city is well known for its very hybrid diaspora and it assimilates everyone with any disparity. People of Hong Kong are driven by traditional values that are essentially derived from Confucian concepts like family unity, respect for the elders, courtesy, politeness, pride and prestige etc and people give it utmost importance.Language
The city has a very large number of Cantonese people and this reflects as the most widely used language of the city is Cantonese. Until the British left the place in 1997, English was largely emphasized and focused upon under the British rule for obvious reasons. But once they left, the government laid a very divergent approach to Language as both English and Mandarin were officially acknowledged by the Government. This laid the foundation of a bilingual and trilingual language policy. Although, the Cantonese dialect was acknowledged as the official dialect of the Mandarin that was spoken by the people. There are few other languages that are spoken in the region but they are confined to a small number of people from particular communities between themselves.Food
Like with many other things, food has also shown a very versatile and variational approach to cooking. The region has a very ubiquitous fusion of east and west in its cuisines and there is an infinite number of varieties available here. The city is widely regarded as the World’s Fair of Food’ for a reason. The complex intermixing of different cooking styles and formulation of a complex combination of cuisines is something which is practised by various eateries and food stalls. Did I mention the street food stalls? Hong Kong is a very openly eating society and does not mind eating from street vendors and food stalls unlike most of the western societies which consider street food unhygienic and contaminated. The city is also known as Gourmet Paradise for the various expert gourmet recipes that came out of this city, thanks to all those cooking experiments.Dress
The dressing of the people varies to a large extent depending upon their own individual choices. Although, it shall not be mistaken as unlikeness towards the traditional dresses. In fact, traditional dresses are really popular amongst women who love wearing the Pien-fu, the Shen-I, the Chang Pao etc. People of Hong Kong are very specific about the colours of their dress and most of their colour preferences are relative to the seasons. For instance, most people would prefer wearing green during the spring, white during the autumn, black when it’s cold and red when the sun shines red ht in summer. Western clothes have had the influence in the Hong Kong ever since the British occupied the territory. Most of the people from younger generations are usually seen in western dresses such as jeans, skirts, shirts and other western style clothes.Martial Arts
If you believe that martial arts are just about fighting and combats, then you are also one of those innumerable people who assume the stereotype projected by movies is a correct presentation of this art although it is not the actual reality. In Chinese traditions, martial art is conferred to as an intuitive form of exercising in order to develop physical abilities and fitness of a person. The predominantly practised style of Martial Arts prevalent in Hong Kong is Tai Chi. If you visit any Park in the city during the early mornings, you will find a good number of people practising this unique art. There are many types of Martial Arts practised by people of different regions of China and it is mostly passed on from one generation to the next in form of an elementary practice which these people do all their life as a morning exercise to stay healthy, fit and agile. Leisure
Hong Kong is very near to the most renowned place for gambling ie Macau and many local people of middle ages are seen trying their luck at it. The most popular game which is played by people for relaxation is Mahjong. There are many shops and parlours that organize Mahjong thereby making this game more accessible to anybody who wants to play a game or two. The game often indulges people to play for a plenty of real money at stake. Other than this, Hong Kong has a very high number of video game lovers which is evident from the fact that there are most updated versions of arcade games available in this city some of which are available nowhere else but Japan. There are hundreds of other options for leisure such as Horse riding, Dirt Bike Racing, Hiking, Surfing, Shopping and Casual Arts. Hong Kong has two of the most famous theme parks of the world ie Disneyland and Ocean’s Park. Although, locals don’t prefer going to Disneyland that often as it is very expensive but Ocean’s park is undoubtedly a place they like to rejoice at.Beliefs
Most of the Hong Kong locals are deeply follow the Chinese Belief system as the belief is a very integral and inseparable part of their cultural roots. Most people can be observed reciting prayers and making offerings at hundreds of temples and monasteries spread across the region. One of the most revered belief can be seen in form of Feng Shui, a renowned pseudoscience belief system is very much respected even by most of the well-educated people too. Most of the businesses that are about to make an investment in the construction projects don’t take a decision before consulting a Feng Shui consultant. This consultancy can go on to make or break even the heftiest deals of the businesses. People of this place are also believers of evil spirits and keep a traditional Bagua Mirror to shield themselves and their families from the possession of an evil spirit. Most of the local population is also superstitious about the cult beliefs such as not using the scissors during new years, avoiding the number 4 considering it as unlucky.Festivals
People of Hong Kong follow many traditional festivals and celebrate them with joy and ecstasy.
Chinese New Year – Hong Kong’s most celebrated festival is the Chinese new year and the entire city celebrates it for 3 days. Most of the shops and eateries are closed ranging from 3 to 8 days. The people follow the custom of wearing new clothes to mark the importance of the New Year in their life. Red is the colour of the New Year Celebration and people use it for decorations all around the city. Although the traditional activities are widely variable depending upon a place to place.
Chao Ming Festival – This is a festival dedicated in remembrance of the Ancestors. People visit the cemeteries to clean the places where their loved ones were buried. Families pray to their ancestors and for the peace of their spirits. The traditional willow is hung on the gates as it is marked as the symbol of light and enemy of darkness.
Dragon Boat Festival – One of the most popular events that entice people from all over the world to participate in this fun racing event. Many people from the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia visit the event in order to participate in it or to cheer for their favourite racing teams.
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