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The City of Vancouver is also known as\u00a0\u201cHongcouver\u201d<\/em>\u00a0to some people due to its significant Chinese population as well as its cultural and economic similarities to Hong Kong, but is it really?<\/p>\n We\u2019ve all heard it before, \u201cVancouver is turning (has turned) into an Asian city.\u201d More specifically, Hong Kong. In this in-depth Vancity Buzz feature, Kenneth and Sharon boil down the similarities and differences between these two amazing and beautiful cities that are interwoven into each others\u2019 history.<\/span><\/p>\n Vancouver has a whole suburb (a.k.a. Richmond) mainly serving food that is quite influenced by Hong Kong. There are also entire streets in Vancouver that exclusively serve and sell Chinese food and groceries. And then, there\u2019s T & T Supermarket \u2013 your one stop location for all your \u201cexotic\u201d Chinese food and groceries. It opened its first location in Metropolis at Metrotown exactly 20 years ago, and it has since sprouted with 22 locations across the Vancouver region, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto.<\/span><\/p>\n These are just one of the indicators of an integrated Chinese population in every neighbourhood of the region \u2013 the days of Vancouver\u2019s Chinatown role as the \u201cto go\u201d place for Chinese food, groceries, and merchandise long belong to a bygone era. Chinatown\u2019s sharp decline is ironically interlinked with the wave of Hong Kong immigrants during the 1990s who built and opened Chinese restaurants, shops, and large malls in the suburbs, namely Richmond. In effect, a modern version of Chinatown appeared overnight.<\/span><\/p>\n When it comes to restaurant food, there are some who have vocally quelled on the thought that Vancouver\u2019s dim sum is better than Hong Kong\u2019s. It doesn\u2019t end there though, there are even some who think our Chinese food is the best in the world! They say it has to do with our supply of fresh ingredients, particularly seafood \u2013 a Chinese staple.<\/span><\/p>\n I don\u2019t beg to differ though since tasting some dim sum in Vancouver (especially in Richmond), for instance, does make me feel as if I\u2019m back home in Hong Kong. Both of these cities offer a huge selection of cuisines ranging at different prices. Simply put, this is what I love about Vancouver \u2013 you have a fusion of cuisines not just from Hong Kong but also Taiwan, Shanghai and various places in Mainland China, and even Singapore. These influences congregated in Hong Kong, and were also shed onto Vancouver; many of the very best chefs in Hong Kong were part of the immigration wave of the 1990s.<\/span><\/p>\n Hong Kongese (also referred to as \u201cHong Kong Chinese\u201d) also eat out a lot more than Vancouverites. First of all, in Hong Kong it\u2019s relatively cheap to eat out \u2013 the range of pricing options is much wider than Vancouver\u2019s with its variety street food, small business restaurants, chain restaurants, and the upper class restaurants.<\/span><\/p>\n Secondly, there\u2019s availability and proximity. Business hours run longer into the night in Hong Kong, and food carts\/restaurants are everywhere in this concrete jungle. It is also safe to eat at any time in Hong Kong and it has become a habit for Hong Kong people to eat in the middle of the night on the streets. The streets are literally lined with restaurants from left to right. It\u2019s foodie heaven. While in Vancouver, while we do have it good for North American standards, food options are few in comparison and require long-distance trips.<\/span><\/p>\n And finally, time is money. The average weekly work hours for a\u00a0full-time employee in Hong Kong is 49.6 hours<\/a>. Many, if not most, Hong Kongese work from 8 am\/9 am to 7 pm\/8 pm. In contrast, the average in Canada is a\u00a0much more balanced and healthy 36.4 hours<\/a>\u00a0that is just five days a week with workdays ending between 4 pm to 5 pm.<\/span><\/p>\n Life is stressful in Hong Kong, and it leaves very little time to do other things like cooking your own meals. That\u2019s why grocery stores and supermarkets are small and few in number while street food and restaurants are aplenty everywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n As for shopping, Hong Kong\u2019s city streets are lined with a vibrant mosaic variety of shops, restaurants, and businesses. There are even some quirks here and there, including entire streets that exclusively sell a single type of product such as cell phones, electronics, running shoes\/sneakers, herbs, etc.. There are rarely any closed doors to these street-front businesses, they are wide open to welcome shoppers and would-be purchasers. A constant powerful stream of air also funnels down along the width of entrances to keep air conditioned air in and bugs out.<\/span><\/p>\n Then, there are the street markets. The two most popular and largest street markets are located along Temple Street and Tung Choi Street (a.k.a. \u201cLadies\u201d Night Market). While the very concept of Vancouver and Richmond\u2019s Chinese Night Markets originate in Hong Kong, they are quite different. Hong Kong\u2019s markets run from early-afternoon into the very late-evening, and compared to our own generic and \u201ccontrolled\u201d local night markets they are organic, chaotic, and unorganized. And really, that\u2019s where the fun and cultural experience comes from (tourists seldom go there for actual shopping).<\/span><\/p>\n Crowded, noisy, and colourful\u2026 Hong Kong\u2019s city streets can be best described as organized chaos (not to mention that the markets are never short on supply with ultra cheap knock-offs, which is an understatement). And when the sun sets, the city\u2019s vibrancy is maintained and crowds in the street are even larger. City streets and storefronts are lit up with bright lights (neon signage are everywhere you look) like an urban festival (there is even a nightly light and laser show emitting from the entire Hong Kong skyline!).<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s nothing like Vancouver\u2019s dark streets, which could arguably use a bit more light at night to animate and liven up: in comparison it\u2019s severely depressing here, especially when the cold winter months and short dark days roll in.<\/span><\/p>\n What about indoor shopping malls? If you thought Metropolis at Metrotown was big, and it is, then try to imagine numerous similar sized (but more compact for additional shops) malls scattered across Hong Kong and with a lot more people in them. They house virtually all of the world\u2019s brands. Whether it be on the street or in a mall, Hong Kong has everything for your fashion needs.<\/span><\/p>\n Shopping malls are also your place of refuge from the humid heat outside. But be weary as you could also catch a cold from the super cool air conditioned air! Not kidding, here.<\/span><\/p>\n Street food at Temple Street Market.<\/em> Image:\u00a0philek9.<\/a><\/p>\n Shopping at Causeway Bay.<\/em> Neon lights at Halphong Street in Kowloon.<\/em> Mainland Chinese<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n They\u2019re increasingly becoming a larger proportion of the populations in both Vancouver and Hong Kong. Most of the Mainland Chinese newcomers are usually more well off and have a greater financial capacity than the average citizen from both cities. Some might also think that there is no difference between China and Hong Kong \u2013 because we\u2019re all Chinese \u2013 but let us explain.<\/span><\/p>\n The Mainland Chinese are individuals who live in the area deemed as Mainland China, a large geopolitical area ruled directly by the Communist Party of thePeople\u2019s Republic of China (PRC)<\/strong>. It excludes the\u00a0PRC\u2019s Special Administrative Regions<\/strong>\u00a0of Hong Kong and Macau.<\/span><\/p>\n Many Hong Kong citizens do not label themselves as someone from the mainland of China but instead a \u201cHong Kongese\u201d due to reasons such as differing etiquettes, languages, and cultures between a Hong Kongese and a Mainland Chinese. More importantly, 156 years of British colonialism (ending in 1997) have created a highly different culture and unique sense of identity among the Hong Kongese.<\/span><\/p>\n In the past decade or so, there has been a growing outflow of Mainland Chinese from China (specifically, the exploding middle and upper classes) into the world\u2019s cosmopolitan cities. This includes both Hong Kong and, of course, Vancouver.<\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s no doubt that Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese arrivals like to stay in groups in Vancouver, which might be the reason why you see more of a larger cluster in Richmond than in other areas. Not that there is anything new to the idea of immigrants choosing to live in clusters, it has been a common occurrence around the world throughout history with the Irish, Italians, Jews, Dutch, Germans, Swedes, Ukrainians, Japanese, Indians, Muslims, etc. It\u2019s only natural for new immigrants who are unfamiliar with their new home to have a desire to live in a place where language and culture is familiar before assimilating into their new society.<\/span><\/p>\n Richmond\u2019s allure for the Chinese has led to the statistic\u00a0where 50% of its populace now identify themselves as Chinese<\/a>.\u00a0In contrast,\u00a0the Chinese account for 30% of the City of Vancouver and Burnaby\u2019s population<\/a>. Across the board for the entire Metro Vancouver region,\u00a0close to 400,000 or more than 18% of the population are Chinese<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n While the Hong Kongese fled in droves to cities like Vancouver, Toronto, San Francisco, London, and New York prior to the 1997 British handover of the colony to the PRC, currently that\u2019s no longer the case. Fears were fever high over the strong possibility of communist crackdowns and the implementation of draconian policies that would severely impede on Hong Kong\u2019s free market society and financial systems.<\/span><\/p>\n Hong Kongese were particularly fearful following the events of the Tiananmen Massacre of 1989, but these fears were proven to be unfounded shortly after the relatively smooth transition and the fulfillment of China\u2019s promises to Britain regarding how it would treat its former subjects. In the process, these events have forever changed the demographics of cities like Vancouver.<\/span><\/p>\n With the communist scare long over, immigration numbers from Hong Kong have been falling sharply for more than a decade. Not only has the number of immigrant numbers from Hong Kong been dropping, but more importantly\u00a0the number of Hong Kong immigrants actually present in the city has been free falling.<\/a>\u00a0There is no net gain in Hong Kongese arrivals. But there is, however, a surge in new arrivals of Mainland Chinese.<\/span><\/p>\n In fact, \u201cMainland Chinese arrivals in Vancouver outstripped those from Hong Kong by 7,872 to 286 in 2012.\u201d That\u2019s a 27-1 disparity, and it doesn\u2019t even include all those Hong Kongese that have returned to their home city. In the decade ending in 2006, 18,890 immigrants arrived from Hong Kong but nearly 30,000 also left Vancouver during the same period. There are now an estimated\u00a0300,000 Canadians living in Hong Kong<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n The communist scare played the single most important factor in the original mass Hong Kong migration to Vancouver, and China\u2019s subsequent relatively lenient policies with Hong Kong is also the main reason for their departure and return. But there are other reasons too, including lifestyle and cultural differences, strangely complex and high Canadian taxation policies, and much fewer opportunities for wealth generation compared to the global business city that is Hong Kong \u2013\u00a0the freest economy on Earth<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n These would all be unusual for those who originate from and are used to the idea of a fast-paced, highly urbanized, red tapeless and business-driven society. The economies of Hong Kong and China have traditionally seen (and continue to see) booming growth that far outpaces the rate of Canadian economic growth. Moreover, systemic racism in Canadian society still exists and hinders the ability for high advancement.<\/span><\/p>\n With the Hong Kong immigrants who have chosen to remain in Vancouver, their reasons include their preference for a much cleaner and more spacious environment, better education opportunities for their children, and the idea of retiring in a comfortable and mild climate setting. Of course, there\u2019s also the reason of not wanting to ditch the new life they have already built up in Vancouver.<\/span><\/p>\n High levels of immigration from Mainland China are expected to continue for the foreseeable future. While there\u2019s no doubt that the Hong Kongese played a major part in our society, and they will continue to do so, the future of Vancouver\u2019s Chinese influence lies not with the Hong Kong Chinese (nor the Taiwan Chinese) but with the Mainland Chinese.<\/span><\/p>\n For that matter,\u00a0Hong Kong\u2019s future also largely lies with the Mainland Chinese<\/a>. While July 1 is an important date for Canadians, it also marks the anniversary of the \u201cnew Hong Kong\u201d under Chinese rule.<\/span><\/p>\n The old Kai Tak Airport landing strip is seen on the upper left. Believe it or not, this was the site of Hong Kong International Airport until the construction of a new world-class airport in the 1990s out at sea by flattening one of Hong Kong\u2019s mountains. Until its closure, Kai Tak was one of the world\u2019s most dangerous airports as tall skyscrapers are built right next to its runway flight paths.<\/em> Neon night lights and crowds in Hong Kong\u2019s pedestrianized streets.<\/em> Pollution and weather<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n You cannot compare the pollution and weather between these two cities. Your lungs will be much healthier in Vancouver than in Hong Kong.<\/span><\/p>\n The air is incredibly stuffy and polluted in Hong Kong with temperatures averaging 24 to 28 degrees Celcius in addition to the humidity factor. While much of the city\u2019s air pollution is locally created and is trapped by the city\u2019s skyscrapers, exhaust from new factories in the nearby Chinese province of Guangdong have recently greatly contributed to Hong Kong\u2019s increasingly high pollution index readings. Growth in emissions from marine traffic that serve the Port of Hong Kong, one of the world\u2019s busiest ports, is also to blame.<\/span><\/p>\n According to a University of Hong Kong study, in 2012\u00a0more than 3,000 died prematurely from air pollution-related illnesses<\/a>. More than\u00a0150,000 were also hospitalized and it caused a loss in HK$39.4 billion<\/a>\u00a0(CAD$5.2 billion) through decreased productivity and medical bills.<\/span><\/p>\n With that kind of weather and air quality, outdoor activities aren\u2019t so fun in Hong Kong so everyone stays inside the city\u2019s many massive air conditioned malls. This is particularly the case during the summer months whereas during the winter months, clear skies and Vancouver-like late-spring and summer temperatures are a common occurrence (if you plan on traveling to Hong Kong, December and January are great months to do so).<\/span><\/p>\n Temperatures during these two months can also reach as \u201clow\u201d as 14 degrees Celsius, and when this happens \u201ccold\u201d weather advisories are implemented. Hong Kongese take out their thick wool scarves, turtle necks, winter coats, fleeces, mittens, and toques whenever the thermometer dips into the mid teens. Wearing my t-shirt and shorts in 18 degrees\u00a0Celsius\u00a0weather, I was frequently asked if I was cold and\/or crazy for wearing \u201cso little\u201d out.<\/span><\/p>\n In Vancouver, when it isn\u2019t raining for extended periods (as in continuous weeks or even months), the sun and the clean breeze are perfect combinations to an outdoor activity day. Fortunately, unlike Hong Kong, we aren\u2019t frequently hit by typhoons during our summer months.<\/span><\/p>\n While Hong Kong is best known for its canyons of skyscrapers, vibrant urban life, shopping, food, and big city attractions, it isn\u2019t renowned for its\u00a0nature and outdoor activities.<\/strong>\u00a0Contrary to the knowledge of many, natural and outdoor attractions do exist in quite an abundance.<\/span><\/p>\n But how does one of the densest cities on the planet still possess such a large natural backyard? Well, most of Hong Kong\u2019s geographical area is mountainous and therefore unsuitable for development. Like Vancouver\u2019s North Shore Mountains, these forested Hong Kong mountains provide the city with both an natural air filter and its drinking water supply through reservoirs. Mountain hiking and even clean coarse sand beaches with clear water for ocean swimming are types of outdoor activities that Hong Kongese can enjoy.<\/span><\/p>\n Apart from the sharks that swim in Hong Kong\u2019s waters, does this all sound a little familiar to Vancouver?<\/span><\/p>\n 70% of Hong Kong\u2019s land area can be more aptly described as mountainous \u201cnature.\u201d That\u2019s the reason why the remaining 30%, where there are concrete jungles, is so crowded.<\/em> Two views of the Hong Kong skyline taken at the same viewpoint in Tsim Sha Tsui at Kowloon District.<\/em> Space and affordability<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n A Big City on a Small Island<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n It is beyond cramped in Hong Kong, especially with 7.1 million people squeezed into that tiny 1,100 square kilometre city.<\/span><\/p>\n Well actually, it\u2019s much worst than that. Only a fraction of this space is urbanized as Hong Kong is largely mountain covered which means the city is much denser than these numbers would indicate;\u00a0about 30% of its land area is developed and the remaining 70% is protected as a natural preserve, which explains why Hong Kong is so crowded<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n In contrast, Metro Vancouver has 2.5 million people spaced out over an area of 2,877 square kilometres. However, to be fair and like Hong Kong, much of the Vancouver region\u2019s area is covered by protected watersheds, mountains, forests, and even a large swath of farm lands. These are specially protected areas that are not urbanized nor can they be urbanized.<\/span><\/p>\n Taking all this into consideration, according to Terry Hoff at Metro Vancouver\u2019s Planning, Policy, and Environmental Development,\u00a0just 840 square kilometres of the Vancouver region is developable for urban uses.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n While larger than Hong Kong, Metro Vancouver is generally a small geographical area \u2013 much smaller than most major cities in North America and around the world. Like Hong Kong, the future for geographically challenged Metro Vancouver is \u201cup.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n There are certainly some geographical similarities with Hong Kong, but it\u2019s obviously much more spacious here in Vancouver \u2013 the density is nowhere close to Hong Kong\u2019s. In Hong Kong, highrises are everywhere with as many as eight apartments or more on one small floor. Privacy is rare in Hong Kong but much more easier to find in Vancouver.<\/span><\/p>\n Some Vancouverites like to complain about the city\u2019s growing density, that we\u2019re becoming\u00a0\u201cHongcouver.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0While dense for North American standards, even our densest neighbourhoods in downtown Vancouver are anything but like Hong Kong\u2019s archaic concrete jungle density. The comparison is just absurd.<\/span><\/p>\n And it\u2019s not like we\u2019ve decided to fill in Coal Harbour and the rest of False Creek to make way for more condo towers. Well, at least not yet (although\u00a0the vast majority of False Creek, including east of Science World up to Clark Street, was reclaimed<\/a>\u00a0for the resource industry and factory space needed for World War I).<\/span><\/p>\n For Hong Kong, on a serious note, it won\u2019t be too long before the focus on terraforming for new housing and economic development turns from ocean reclamation to flattening the city\u2019s mountainous terrain within its natural reserves. It\u2019s not a far fetched idea nor is it unique with the Mainland Chinese Gobi Desert city of Lanzhou\u2019s\u00a0plan to flatten 700 mountains<\/a>\u00a0to make way for a new super city centre.<\/span><\/p>\n A map showing reclamation of Hong Kong\u2019s Victoria Harbour over time for development on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.<\/em> The \u201creclamation\u201d of land (a.k.a. filling in the ocean) from the sea\u00a0has been common practice in mountainous Hong Kong to ameliorate the limited supply of developable land. This map shows reclamation as of 2006.<\/em> Hong Kong\u2019s Housing Crisis<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n With land scarcity comes another issue both cities have in common: affordability (or the lack thereof). It\u2019s a common problem that both Vancouver and Hong Kong share, and it\u2019s particularly a troublesome crisis for the Chinese city. In Hong Kong,\u00a0$1.5 million buys you just 500 square feet<\/a>\u00a0(a similar sized apartment within the City of Vancouver would cost approximately $250,000). It is the world\u2019s most expensive place to buy a home, and historically high housing and living costs have also forced the Hong Kong Government to play a key role in providing basic housing to many of its citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n Currently,\u00a0about one-third<\/a>\u00a0of the city\u2019s 7.1 million people live in public rental housing flats.<\/strong>\u00a0These citizens have a roof over their heads because of the local government\u2019s mass affordable housing program for low-income residents. Without government assistance, Hong Kong would be a highly despotic place to live.<\/span><\/p>\n With that said, public housing blocks are not ideal places to make a home. They are amongst the most cramped residential units in the city, with recent building complexes containing as many as 40 storeys of small compact units. It\u2019s not uncommon for an entire family of three or even four people (parents and young children) to sleep in one bedroom.<\/span><\/p>\n The 2003-built Kin Ming Estate consists of approximately 10 closely clustered apartment blocks housing\u00a0more than 22,000 people<\/a>. This is just one of many public housing blocks in Hong Kong.<\/span><\/p>\n In contrast, Concord Pacific Place (the Expo \u201986 site) in False Creek\u00a0houses 20,000 people<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a010,000\u00a0residential\u00a0units inside 50 buildings<\/a>\u00a0over an spacious area of 200 acres that is dispersed with large parks, community amenities, and daycares. Ironically, Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka Shing was responsible for Vancouver\u2019s Concord Pacific Place development. It was the single development that ignited Vancouver\u2019s love affair with residential development and urban density.<\/span><\/p>\n Canyons of public housing skyscrapers in Hong Kong on reclaimed land from the sea houses tens of thousands of people in small, tall clusters.<\/em> Currently, there are\u00a0210,000 people<\/a>\u00a0in Hong Kong on the waiting list for affordable government housing. Those who are on the waiting list are literally living in caged homes with other people. Families living in spaces as small as 50 square feet are even an occurrence. This past year,\u00a0the story of a 67-year old former butcher paying HK$1,300 (CAD$167) a month to live in wire mesh cage<\/a>\u00a0resembling a rabbit hutch sparked much public outcry over the worsening housing climate.<\/span><\/p>\n There is also\u00a0growing discontent in Hong Kong with the growing wealth gap, PRC Communist Party-influenced education policies, and chronic housing shortages causing flaring tensions<\/a>\u00a0between the Hong Kong public and the PRC Communist Party-controlled Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The \u201cone country, two systems\u201d model of governance under Chinese rule, as agreed upon prior to Britain\u2019s departure, is quickly being eroded; the political lines between Central Hong Kong\u2019s Government House and Beijing\u2019s Great Hall are being blurred.<\/span><\/p>\n Public concerns over the increasing cultural and economic influence of the Mainland Chinese are also at issue, with blame being put on the Mainland Chinese for driving up prices, using city taxpayer healthcare services (which are higher in standard to Mainland Chinese medical facilities), and straining the ability of the city\u2019s transportation infrastructure to cope. In 2011,\u00a0more than 28 million Mainland Chinese alone visited Hong Kong<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 this figure doesn\u2019t even include visitors from around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n In response to the housing crisis, Hong Kong\u2019s newly PRC-appointed Chief Executive Leung Chun Ying recently announced plans to build\u00a0142,000 units (75,000 rental flats and 67,000 private homes)<\/a>\u00a0over the next five years. In addition,\u00a017,000 subsidized flats<\/a>\u00a0for sale will be built and ready by 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n According to a\u00a0recent survey, of the 337 major global cities analyzed<\/a>, Hong Kong remained as the least affordable housing market. Vancouver wasn\u2019t too far behind as the second least affordable in the survey\u2019s findings. With these global findings, it shouldn\u2019t be a surprise that\u00a0Vancouver also remains as the least affordable housing market in Canada<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Surely, to Vancouverites, all of this must sound familiar with the memory of harsh local attitudes to the overnight surge in Hong Kong Chinese residents during the 1990s and with the recent major increase in arrivals of Mainland Chinese. During the mid-1980s and especially during the 1990s, there were also complaints over out-of-place \u201cmonster\u201d homes being built by the Hong Kongese in traditionally caucasian-dominated neighbourhoods. These days, the complaints lie mainly with the city\u2019s need for densification.<\/span><\/p>\n And who could forget UBC, the \u201cUniversity of a Billion Chinese\u201d? The University of British Columbia\u2019s student make-up changed almost overnight to the outcry of locals as it led to much tougher competition for their entry into the institution. On the other hand, UBC has since embraced this international student aspect as part of its strategic plan to become one of the world\u2019s greatest global universities.<\/span><\/p>\n Etiquette<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Saying \u201cthank you\u201d to the bus driver while getting off the bus is something I really respect about Vancouver. I picked up the habit and brought it back to Hong Kong, but the bus driver told me to get off the bus because I was wasting his time.<\/span><\/p>\n If you take too long to get on or off the bus or if you ask the driver too many questions, you also put yourself at the risk of getting yelled at.<\/span><\/p>\n This is particularly the case with the Light Public Bus and taxi drivers (LPB\u2019s and taxis are further explained below). They are fast drivers so that they can get to their next fare; the drivers are intensely competitive, and when it comes to the public bus drivers they barely stop to let you get on.<\/span><\/p>\n Most Vancouverites are very well-mannered and respectful to people. On the other hand, if you tried to pick up a conversation with someone on the train in Hong Kong, expect to be ignored, judged and avoided.<\/span><\/p>\n There are also little things like holding doors open for strangers, which Vancouverites are generally great at doing. But when it comes to etiquette on public transit, not a chance \u2013 Hong Kong trumps Vancouver. This includes general practices of not eating and drinking aboard transit (which causes many sticky spills) or not bringing smelly packaged foods onboard, talking softly and quietly, turning down the music emitting from your earphones, letting passengers exit a train or bus first before trying to embark the vehicle yourself, one seat per person, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and bathing and washing your clothes regularly (the absence of smelly transit riders).<\/span><\/p>\n A Hong Kong tram and a double decker bus, side by side.<\/em> Transportation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The MTR, the core of Hong Kong\u2019s world-class transit system<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n There is no doubt that Hong Kong\u2019s transportation is world-class with buses coming no longer than every 10 minutes and trains coming in every 3 minutes. The transportation system is highly efficient, reliable, comprehensive, and multi-layered. For such a small and dense city that is one of the world\u2019s largest economic players, efficiency is a must.<\/span><\/p>\n Moreover, what the road system is to Vancouver is what the public transit system is to Hong Kong: with\u00a090% of all daily transportation trips<\/a>\u00a0are made on rail, trams, buses, and ferries, Hong Kong\u2019s social and economic vitality depends on a highly functional\u00a0public transit system. In contrast,\u00a025% of the City of Vancouver\u2019s daily trips<\/a>\u00a0are made on public transit (13% across Metro Vancouver as a whole<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n Hong Kong\u2019s public transit\u00a0system is not just one of the world\u2019s best public transit systems, it\u2019s also a trend setting system and a role model for many other cities. With its\u00a0impeccable operations, the\u00a0MTR Corporation<\/strong>\u00a0(the company that runs Hong Kong\u2019s comprehensive MTR subway and commuter rail lines) has won contracts to operate rapid transit systems around the world, including systems in Beijing, Hangzhou, London, Melbourne, Shenzhen, and Stockholm. The MTR Corporation was also among the partners of a failed bid to build and operate Vancouver\u2019s SkyTrain Canada Line.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s also an extremely clean system with workers frequently cleaning stations and vehicles. No sticky messes, no garbage, and no strange and putrid smells. No urine, either.<\/span><\/p>\n There is also a zero tolerance for eating and drinking on the public transit system: strict laws on maintaining environmental hygiene exist especially after the 2003 outbreak of SARS when fear gripped the city, the normally crowded streets were emptied, and the economy came to a stalling halt.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s not the world\u2019s longest system, but it easily covers every neighbourhood of the city given the relatively small size of urbanized Hong Kong.<\/em> A \u201cno food and drink\u201d advertisement aboard an MTR train. Maybe this should also be a TransLink policy.<\/em>Food and shopping<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0Phil Wiffen.<\/a><\/h6>\n
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<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0laszio-photo.<\/a><\/h6>\n
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<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0sean_in_hk.<\/a><\/h6>\n
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<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0HanelleC.<\/a><\/h6>\n
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<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0Michael Hansen\u2019s Hikes.<\/a><\/h6>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/7603521262_78765cc14d_b-640x426.jpg?f91710\")
<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0Bridget Coila.<\/a><\/h6>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/5832270178_3384fafc51_b-640x425.jpg?f91710\")
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/5831719151_653d67bae9_b-640x425.jpg?f91710\")
<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0sean_in_hk.<\/a><\/h6>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/8139561440_93e0437079_b-640x426.jpg?f91710\")
<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0Anthony Gurr.<\/a><\/h6>\n
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/3825768329_9803f92254_o-640x438.jpg?f91710\")
<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0Jason Wun<\/a>.<\/h6>\n
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Hong-Kong-reclamation-640x520.jpg?f91710\")
<\/p>\nImage: Government of Hong Kong.<\/h6>\n
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Hong_Kong_reclamation-640x480.png?f91710\")
<\/p>\nImage: New School Atlas of Hong Kong<\/h6>\n
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/3600483594_0f41e89040_o-640x480.jpg?f91710\")
<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0wirralwater<\/a>.<\/h6>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/4814952164_4758970c6f_b-640x480.jpg?f91710\")
<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0David Woo.<\/a><\/h6>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/8427327409_5a6a91f545_b-640x426.jpg?f91710\")
<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0Teddy Kwok.<\/a><\/h6>\n
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Screen-shot-2013-06-13-at-12.35.06-AM-640x479.png?f91710\")
<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0Carlton Holls.<\/a><\/h6>\n
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Screen-shot-2013-06-13-at-12.44.30-AM-640x465.png?f91710\")
<\/p>\nImage: MTR Corporation.<\/h6>\n
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/assets.vancitybuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/IMG_0614-640x480.jpg?f91710\")
<\/p>\nImage:\u00a0One Day In The Life of Drew<\/a>.<\/h6>\n