New rules start May 1st, 2025

Under the new rate, employees are entitled to the minimum hourly wage whether they are employed full-time, part-time, casually, monthly, daily, hourly or by piece. The increase applies regardless of whether the employment is permanent or temporary.

However, the minimum wage does not apply to live-in domestic workers, student interns, work experience students, and persons not covered under Hong Kong’s employment laws.

Employees with disabilities are also covered. They may opt for a productivity assessment to determine whether their wages should be based on the statutory minimum wage or on a rate that matches their productivity.

Also, Employers are now required to record the total number of hours worked by employees earning less than HK$17,200 per month, an increase from the previous HK$16,300 threshold.

Hong Kong remains one of the World’s most expensive cities

Hong Kong continues to rank among the world’s most expensive cities, as confirmed by multiple studies in recent years. In 2023, it was named the second most expensive city globally, just behind New York, reflecting the high costs faced by residents and visitors. The city has also retained its reputation as the priciest destination for expats, holding the top spot in Mercer’s 2024 global rankings.

Recent, research further shows Hong Kong remains one of the most expensive places to live, adding to the financial pressures already well-known to those living and working in the city. In a global inflationary context, the Consumer Council also highlighted cases of shrinkflation last year, revealing that shrinkflation in Hong Kong is real, with 90% of supermarket products shrinking in volume or weight by up to 30%.

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Here is the top 10 cities with the most millionaires worldwide:

The top 10 includes four cities from the United States, three from Asia, two in Europe, and Sydney representing Australia. Hong Kong ranks 8th worldwide with 154,900 millionaires, according to consultancy firm. Despite its global financial status, growth in millionaire numbers has been slow, rising just 3 percent in the past decade.

Looking at growth over the past ten years, The Bay Area saw a 98% rise in millionaires, Singapore grew by 62%, and New York by 45%. Hong Kong, with a 3% increase, one of the lowest among major cities. London dropped by 12%, while Tokyo and Paris both grew modestly at 4 and 5%.

At the same time, Hong Kong is now the third most expensive city to live in across Asia, according to a recent survey. This ranking, which looks at daily expenses like food, transport, and dining, puts Hong Kong ahead of Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen, even without counting rent.

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Yuen Long, North District and Sha Tin Rank As Best Districts To Live

The survey considered several criteria that influence daily life to assess which district in Hong Kong is the most desirable. Factors like population density, real estate prices, crime rates, the number of parks, playgrounds, and schools, public transport options like trains and buses, the quality of air and water, and noise levels all came into play to determine the final ranking. 

Yuen Long took the top spot because it has the most outdoor recreation spaces (188 parks and playgrounds) and the third-highest number of schools (288) in the city, as well as relatively affordable housing (HK$9,476 per square foot) and the most bus stops in the territory, making it the best connected district in Hong Kong.

North District came in at No. 2 as it’s the safest part of town with only 586 crimes reported to the police between January and October 2024. It’s also the second-cheapest area real estate-wise (HK$9,319 per square foot) and the second least crowded neighbourhood (2,269 people per square kilometre). Sha Tin is the third-most liveable district because of its abundance of schools (293) and parks and playgrounds (131), as well as its comparatively low population concentration (10,082 people per square kilometre) and fifth-highest number of shopping malls and supermarkets (193) in the SAR.

Wong Tai Sin, Sham Shui Po, and Wan Chai are the least liveable localities in Hong Kong. Wong Tai Sin took the bottom spot as it has the fewest bus stops, is the fourth-most densely populated area (43,730 residents per square kilometre), and has the second-lowest number of restaurants and bars (1,170). Sham Shui Po’s status as the second-most crowded part of Hong Kong (46,067 people per square kilometre) and Wan Chai’s lack of schools (the lowest at 114) and costly housing (HK$17,269 per square foot) saw them figure at the lower end of the list.

Hong Kong’s Most Dangerous and Safest Districts

In a packed city like Hong Kong, safety is a key factor when it comes to evaluating liveability. Yau Tsim Mong is the most dangerous district in the city, with the police reporting 8,883 crimes here in the first 10 months of last year. This is hardly surprising as the area covers Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Mong Kok, which are popular among locals and tourists for shopping and late-night entertainment. 

Kwun Tong is the second-least safe part of town (7,608 cases), which could be linked to the fact that it’s also the most crowded (59,704 people per square kilometre). Sha Tin rounds out the top three in this category, with 6,519 cases. North District’s 586 reported cases make it the safest locality, followed by Islands District (2,208 cases) and Wan Chai (2,523 cases). 

In addition, the survey revealed that Tuen Mun is the cheapest place to buy a home in the SAR, as the district commands the lowest property prices at HK$9,204 per square foot, which is extremely reasonable compared to the sky-high rates of HK$21,181 per square foot in Central and Western District. Findings also showed that Yau Tsim Mong boasts the most bars and restaurants in town (6,243), while Southern District as the fewest (777).

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Why Hongkongers Are Choosing Not to Have Children

Media reports say the HKWDA survey revealed that only 28% of Hong Kong residents want to have children. The study also found that young people are less willing to become parents — only 23% aged 19-29 and 33% in the 30-39 age group. The main reason cited was financial pressures, followed by the desire to have personal freedom, and housing shortage concerns. Respondents also said that a lack of childcare options and their busy work schedules prevented them from starting a family. 

The survey was conducted from mid-January to mid-February 12 this year, when 1,320 Hongkongers under 50 years old and 960 others over that age were polled. The association also said that the number of people wanting children over the past three years hit a record low.

Fewer Children, More Kindergarten Closures

This disinclination toward parenthood among Hongkongers is likely directly responsible for the territory’s falling live-birth numbers. Fewer than 50,000 babies have been born in Hong Kong every year since 2020, which has led to a spate of kindergarten closures in the city over the past couple of years. 

A report by the Education Bureau stated that there were 1,009 preschools for children aged 3-6 years old in 2023, but according to estimates in the 2024-2025 budget, that number has fallen to 980. The run-up to the current academic year therefore saw 29 kindergartens shut — the most in more than a decade. However, primary and secondary schools do not appear have been hit so hard as yet, with figures for both at 10-year highs. 

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What is Space Oil?

According to ACAN Chairman Dr Donald Li, the term “space oil” is a name coined by drug dealers to describe “a kind of liquid with harmful substances added illegally”. There’s no set formula for space oil, but it usually contains an anaesthetic called etomidate, which can only be prescribed by a doctor. It can also be mixed with other drugs, such as cannabis, methamphetamine (commonly known as Ice), and ketamine. Li has also said that using space oil can result in “addiction, memory loss, seizure, unconsciousness, and even death”.

Space oil is popular for its fast-acting calming effects, which typically begin within 30-60 seconds of inhalation. It’s also relatively cheap, costing about HK$200 per pod, and usually comes in fruity aromas, courtesy the flavoured glycerine used to make the etomidate-infused capsules. The delivery system is relatively simple — all a user needs is an e-cigarette, though the vaping ban that’s set to begin in mid-2026 will likely make procuring these alternative smoking products more difficult.

Hong Kong’s Crackdown on Space Oil

While Hong Kong police said there were fewer young people involved in serious drug cases in 2024 than the previous year, authorities said there was a “noticeable increase” in the number of e-cigarettes used to consume space oil, with the force arresting 61 people under the age of 21 for this offence. Officers started using Etomidate Rapid Test Kits in mid-January this year to quickly detect the main component of the drug, and various government agencies have been conducting awareness drives across the territory to educate the public about the potential dangers of space oil.

In February 2025, Hong Kong took its biggest step in its fight against space oil by amending the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance to include etomidate, which was previously only classified as a Part 1 poison under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations. Now, anyone found trafficking and manufacturing etomidate can get life imprisonment and a fine of HK$5 million, while offenders found using and carrying the drug will get a HK$1 million fine and up to seven years in jail. The ban also applies to etomidate analogues metomidate, propoxate, and isopropoxate — chemical compounds that can have similar effects as etomidate.

Since then, police have made at least two space oil-related arrests at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan — both adults over 25 year old. However, as of this writing, there have been no reports of teens being taken into custody for using or possessing the substance after the ban came into effect.

Header image credit: Muhamad Lutfi via Pexels

However, when housing costs are considered separately through the Rent Index, which compares rental prices in each city relative to New York City, Hong Kong rises to second place in Asia.

The Rising Cost of Living in Hong Kong

Hong Kong ranks as the third most expensive city in Asia, following Singapore and Tel Aviv-Yafo. Other cities in the top 10 include Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai, with Hong Kong surpassing them all in terms of everyday expenses.

This rising cost of living is further confirmed by multiple studies: in 2023, Hong Kong was ranked as the second most expensive city in the world, losing the top spot to New York (source), and remains the most expensive city for expatriates, according to Mercer’s 2024 rankings (source).

As a result of this high cost of living, many Hongkongers are increasingly crossing the border to Shenzhen, which ranks 31st in Asia and 211th globally, looking for cheaper prices for daily essentials, dining, and entertainment. According to Al Jazeera, Shenzhen’s affordable alternatives are now drawing more and more people from Hong Kong, as they seek cost-effective options that are simply out of reach at home (source).

Global Comparison Highlights Hong Kong’s Competitive Position

Globally, Zurich, Switzerland, leads the cost-of-living rankings, followed by Geneva and Lausanne. US cities, including New York, San Francisco, and Boston, dominate the top 10.

Singapore, ranked 9th, is the first Asian city in the TOP10. In comparison, Beijing (23rd) and Shanghai (26th) are much lower, highlighting Hong Kong’s higher living costs. Despite this, Hong Kong remains a key global financial hub, ranking 23rd globally, up five spots from 2023.

In 2025, Hong Kong secured the 4th spot in the Asia-Pacific’s Best Cities report, behind Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul (source). While the city performs well in terms of liveability and prosperity, its high cost of living is exacerbating demographic challenges. Hong Kong currently holds the world’s second-lowest fertility rate at 0.73 births per woman, a situation that could be partly driven by rising living costs, as outlined in a recent United Nations report (source).

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How did the Shooting Hoops project begin?

Austin Bell’s first visit to Hong Kong in 2017 took him to the Choi Hung Estate, famous for its rainbow-hued façade and colourful basketball courts on the car rooftop. This sparked off the North Carolina native’s infatuation with the city’s courts. “I was most fascinated by the courts here — the colour, surroundings, ubiquity,” Austin tells The HK HUB, explaining that they are a stark contrast to the blacktops he’s used to seeing in the US. That trip to Hong Kong planted the seed for what would become Shooting Hoops and Austin returned often to the city, shooting in the territory for 140 days and capturing more than 40,000 pictures.

Austin became what he calls “an obsessive completist”, unable to rest until he unearthed every court in the city. He took “an immeasurable amount of time” to research locations, find out how to reach each one, and plan the most efficient routes to get there. Then, armed with only a Nikon DSLR camera and drone, he’d work from dawn to dusk, and often hit more than 100 courts a day. He used public transport to get everywhere — from the bustling Central and Western District on Hong Kong Island to remote Pui O in Lantau — so that he could explore and show an unseen perspective of a city he feels so captivated by.

Capturing a unique perspective of Hong Kong

His efforts produced some stunning images — an overhead shot of an MTR train passing over three courts in Sha Tin, another of a solitary court nestled among the city’s verdant hills in the southern district, and several images of courts between the SAR’s pervasive housing estates. When asked which courts are his favourites, Austin says, “I really like the ones on top of car parks or shopping centres. They are kind of hidden above and have really cool views next to housing estates or other areas.”

There were hurdles along the way. Austin had to hit pause on the endeavour during the Covid-19 pandemic, when travel restrictions prevented him from coming to the city. But once he resumed shooting, he faced more run-of-the-mill obstacles. “Weather and people are the main challenges that I can’t control. I usually always needed cloudy weather to get the shots that I wanted, and frequently I would get there and the clouds would be long gone, so I had to visit multiple times,” he explains.   

Inspiration to shoot courts across the world

Once Austin was satisfied that he’d done justice to his vision, he started work on Shooting Hoops — the book in which he’s documented all the 2,500-plus courts he shot in the 852. The images have been sorted into grids by district, with the most visually appealing courts depicted in full-size spreads from multiple angles. Some of these pictures are on display at the Blue Lotus Gallery until February 23, 2025. 

Austin’s experiences in Hong Kong even inspired him to take his project international. “When I was stuck outside Hong Kong during Covid, I shot in other places like New York and Puerto Rico. Now I try to ‘collect’ a few everywhere I go,” he says. 

Image credits: Austin Bell

Falling rates in Hong Kong and Asia

Macau’s fertility rates were the lowest in the world in 2024 with 0.68 births among women in the 15-49 age group, followed closely by Hong Kong and South Korea, both with rates of 0.73 births. For Hong Kong, that means a decline from 1.37 in 1994, although the UN projects an increase for the SAR in 2054, estimating 0.99 births per woman for that year. Additionally, seven out of the 10 places with the lowest fertility rates are in Asia.

Lack of financial resources and daycare facilities and a shortage of affordable real estate in Hong Kong contribute to a couple’s decision to remain childless. Short parental leave is another major determining factor. Hong Kong’s paid leave is stipulated at 14 weeks with mothers earning four-fifths of their regular salary, while fathers only get five days off per newborn.

Ukraine is the only European country with a fertility rate of less than 1, just below China — most likely due to the country’s current wartime situation. While Japan has the world’s longest life expectancy, the island nation’s fertility rates at 1.22 surpassed that of Hong Kong’s. The report also noted that fertility levels of less than 2 births per woman are becoming the global norm, which is seen even in the world’s most populous countries like India, China, the US, Brazil, and Russia. This is of concern as the world’s population will decline if the total fertility rate equals or falls below 2.1.

What is Hong Kong doing to improve the situation?

The Hong Kong government has taken some steps to reverse falling birth rates in the city and promote childbirth among its residents. This includes giving parents a newborn baby bonus of HK$20,000, a move that came into effect in 2023. Another measure was giving parents easier access to subsidised housing and tax incentives. However, experts have reiterated that these measures may not be enough to boost Hong Kong’s childbirth rates and more needs to be done to address the problem, as it may eventually may affect the city’s workforce.

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31.7% of Hongkongers admit to accent bias

According to the survey, 31.7% of Hongkongers confessed that they allowed colleagues’ accents to affect their opinion of their skills on the job. This tendency appears to be more common among younger professionals, with 39.9% of Gen Z respondents and 30.7% of Millennial poll-takers conceding that they allow the way their co-workers speak English to influence their perception of them.

Other studies have also found that accents can have a bearing on whether employees get hired or are given the chance to travel for work. For instance, a 2023 SAP survey showed that 17% of international business travellers felt they were not given opportunities to travel abroad for work because of their accents.  A study published in SageJournals the previous year revealed that a candidate’s accent has a direct bearing on whether they are hired for a job or not.

Languages that Hongkongers wish to learn

The Preply poll also uncovered which languages Hongkongers want to be fluent in the most — and which ones they are not keen to learn. Japanese was the most popular pick among survey-takers, with 64.2% saying they want to be fluent in it overnight, followed by Korean (42%) and Cantonese (24.9%). However, the least favoured choices when it comes to language proficiency for Hongkongers are Lao, Khmer, and Hindi — with just 1.4%, 2.4%, and 2.8% of respondents saying they want to learn them.

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50% of Hongkongers say the British accent is the sexiest

The survey revealed that 49.8% of respondents find the British accent the most sensual when speaking English, followed by French (31.0%) and American (28.4%). The Hong Kong accent (43.1%) claimed the top spot among Asian accents and was ranked the second-most attractive way of speaking English overall, showing that hometown pride was a major factor among poll-takers. The Japanese accent (22.3%) was voted the second-most desirable Asian accent, with Singaporean (15.9%) rounding out the top 3.

English speakers in Hong Kong rated Filipino as the most alluring Asian accent, with it being the most popular pick for 27.7% of respondents. Overall, the Pakistani, Nepali, and Vietnamese accents were among the least enticing accents. Another interesting finding is that more men in Hong Kong (48.9%) preferred their hometown accent than women in the city (35.6%). Additionally, 33.4% of participants surveyed said that they had no preference for any accent in particular.

One-third of Hongkongers judge co-workers based on their accents

When asked if they allow their co-workers’ accents to influence their opinions of their skills on the job, 31.7% of respondents confessed to forming opinions about their colleagues based on the way they sound when they speak English. It also seems that younger members of the workforce are particularly guilty of making these judgments, with 39.9% of Gen Z survey takers admitting to accent bias, and 30.7% of Millennials saying they do the same.

In addition, Preply’s poll found that most Hongkongers surveyed find it difficult to follow the Indian accent, with 40% of respondents saying they struggle to understand English spoken this way. This is followed by Japanese (24.9%), Pakistani (19.9%), and Chinese (14.5%). However, residents of the city seem to have little difficulty comprehending English spoken with American (3.0%), British (4.8%), and Hong Kong (5.0%) accents.

A will to learn Japanese, Korean and… Cantonese

When asked which language they’d like to be well-versed in overnight, 64.2% wished they could be fluent in Japanese if they had the chance, while Korean (42%) and Cantonese (24.3) emerged as the next most popular choices. However, respondents didn’t seem particularly keen to learn Lao, Khmer, and Hindi as only 1.4%, 2.4%, and 2.8% respectively showed interest in picking these languages up.

Preply also discovered that many respondents want to learn Cantonese — the most widely spoken language in Hong Kong — with 35.4% of English speakers and 47.1% of survey-takers who cited other mother tongues hoping to learn it. Native English speakers said they’d also like to study Mandarin (24.6%), while even more respondents who have other first languages (44.1%) said it’s on their language proficiency wish-list.

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The main reasons cited for a desire to move from the SAR were “dismal economic situation/overcast economic future” (23.8%), “undemocratic political system” (14.9%), “excessive political disputes/unstable politics” (14.1%), and “poor living environment/congested living space” (12.5%). The most popular choice for a new life overseas is Australia (12.7%), followed by the UK (10.4%), Canada (9.7%), and Taiwan (7.9%).

Most respondents who are inclined to depart Hong Kong (48.3%) were not concerned about their life after migrating abroad. However, 21.5% are concerned about “difficulty in finding a job”, while 20.5% are worried about “insufficient income or savings”. Some who have no plans to leave the city said they made their decision because they fear they won’t be able to adapt or integrate into a new society (17.9%) or wouldn’t be able to earn or save enough (9.1%).

The survey also asked respondents whether they planned to shift to Mainland China, with 20.7% saying they would move north of the border. Over 46% of them said Hong Kong was too expensive to live in due to “excessive consumer prices”, and that lower costs (54.8%) and bigger living spaces (42.6%) were the biggest draws of the Mainland.

The population of Hong Kong has been steadily increasing since 2012 and hit a pre-pandemic high of 7,520,500 in 2019. However, the population dipped in 2020 by 1.2% and further dropped in 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak globally and the city’s anti-epidemic measures were at their most restrictive. The city’s population once again crossed the 7.5-million mark at the end of 2023 thanks to returning residents, and stood at 7,531,800 in mid-2024, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

Header image credits: Hong Kong International Airport

The council’s report revealed that the most common types of goods that experienced shrinkflation were confectionery, biscuits, and snacks, with content reductions ranging from 2.3%-17.5%. In addition, the watchdog found that 16 products saw a de facto price rise of over 10%, if calculated based on the per unit recommended retail prices of the goods. For instance, the contents of a McVitie’s Club Orange biscuits bar went from eight to seven pieces per package, thereby reducing its weight from 176 grams to 154 grams. But its recommended retail price went from HK$33.50 to HK$37, resulting in a unit price per 10g increase of 26.6%, compared to that before the weight change.

The council also stated the biggest downsizing in the was seen in a pack of cornflakes had been reduced from 250 grams to 175 grams in weight, followed by Tulip’s 10 hot dog skinless sausages going from 250g to 200g, making it 20% lighter. It also said that three products — including two Oreo cookie packs and a Friskies cat food product — had been downsized twice during the survey period. 

While the council recommends that consumers should be “attentive to the volume or weight of goods, and whether there are changes in packaging design or description, paying special heed to compare the unit price”, it also says that retailers could follow overseas practices by setting out the unit price of products to allow consumers to compare those of different sizes. Stores and websites should also have clear displays about changes in product size, citing similar practices in countries such as France and South Korea.

However, in the latest edition of its Consumer Price Index, the Census and Statistics Department said that overall consumer prices rose by 2.2% in September 2024 over the same month a year earlier. This was smaller than the corresponding increase of 2.5% in August 2024. The year-on-year rate of increase in the underlying inflation rate (Composite Consumer Price Index) in September 2024 was 0.9%, also smaller than that in August 2024 (1.2%), which the department says was mainly due to the “higher base of comparison resulting from the significant increases in food prices in September 2023”.

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Authorities also reminded Hongkongers that they must provide helpers in their employ with free food, under the regulations laid out in the Standard Employment Contract for hiring foreign domestic helpers. They also have the option of giving helpers a food allowance of no less than $1,236 each month — an amount that has remained unchanged since last year.

Earlier this year, migrant domestic workers leaders of the Hong Kong Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Unions (FADWU) and several migrant groups and NGOs met with the Labour Department to demand a monthly minimum wage of HK$6,300 and food allowance of HK$2,700. They also requested that the standard of food that employers provide helpers should be specified in their contracts, and that the policy by which helpers must find new employment within 2 weeks of being terminated or their contracts expiring should be relaxed.

In 2023, the HKSAR government announced a 3% increase in minimum wages for foreign domestic workers in the city, as well as a HK$40 rise in the minimum food allowance to the current $1,236 per month. This was far below demands for an up to 27% increase in pay from groups representing the interests of Hong Kong’s foreign domestic workers.

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The survey — which was conducted on 1,000 Hong Kong residents in June 2024 — found that Gen Z led the pack in terms of smartphone addiction, with 66.7% of them admitting they used their devices too much, followed very closely by Millennials (66.3%). Respondents said they spent the most time playing games (29.7%), watching videos and streaming content (28.1%), and browsing social media (27.5%) — dedicating more than three hours a day every day to these activities.

Work productivity is also impacted by phone addiction, with 72.5% of those surveyed saying they spend 1–4 hours daily on personal activities during work hours. Most of those surveyed said they spend 1–2 hours on their devices (38.8%) while at the office, and 33.7% confessed to using their gadgets for 3–4 hours at work.

In addition, more than half of respondents use phones while on public transportation, in bed, and during meals — with almost 10% confessing to risky behaviours like texting or browsing while driving. Interestingly, one out of five Hongkongers admitted missing in-person conversations due to phone distraction, experiencing phantom vibrations, and feeling anxious when their phone is not within reach.

However, 76.5% of respondents have considered or taken action to avoid phone addiction, with 10.7% saying they would consult a psychologist and 15.3% saying they use apps or screen time features to curtail their addiction. Additionally, 95.8% of Hong Kong parents admitted that they use smartphones to keep their children occupied, with most respondents saying they do this while engaged in housework or cooking (23.5%) and during restaurant outings (22%).

When respondents were asked what they would do if they had to go a week without their phones, spending time with family and friends and engaging in outdoor sports or activities (both 37%) topped the list, and only 5.6% said they’d never go a week without their devices.

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Vaz first came to Hong Kong in 2016 to play for the Southern District FC, and was in the city on and off between then and 2021, which is when he returned and decided to stay. “When I came back, I started working as a personal trainer. While I was training my clients in a park, I could see helpers in the background doing the same exercises as me,” says Vaz, speaking to The HK HUB.

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Then one day, he went up to them and asked them if they wanted to join his class. “They said they couldn’t afford me, as they don’t make a lot of money. That really touched me, so I gathered a couple of them for a free group class, and we called it The G-Class to make it more fun,” explains Vaz. He started a WhatsApp group with 6–7 members and told them to share the link with their friends, with only one condition: They must only be domestic helpers.

The group started small, with about 11 people in 2022 who’d meet at 10am every Sunday at Tamar Park. The WhatsApp group now has about 260 members, and the Facebook group recently hit 1,000 members. There’s no limit to the number of people who can join the weekly sessions says Vaz. “It could even be a class of 500. I’m the head coach and I occasionally ask other coach friends of mine to hold classes as charity. So The G-Class can have yoga, Zumba, and different types of fitness,” he says. They even have special events like a relay, which is fondly called The G-Class Olympics.

The G-Class isn’t only a place for its members to get a free workout — they can also make friends and form a community. Vaz hopes to expand his venture into an NGO. “The idea is to offer fitness to the helpers because they can’t afford it otherwise, which is sad because they really want to work on themselves. Fitness is a great way for them to relieve stress, and to focus on themselves. We want to give them more access, more space, more materials, and offer them things that we have that they don’t,” he says.

The G-Class is currently on a summer break, and will resume on September 29.

Image credits: Walter Vaz

Farzana is no stranger to driving larger vehicles — she worked for about 10 years as a light truck driver along with her husband. However, she was inspired to become a bus driver when she saw another woman of a small build driving a double-decker bus. She applied to Citybus and after six days of training and a road test, she is now among the company’s 4,000 drivers.

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Her family, which includes her 19-year-old daughter and 22-year-old son, has been very supportive of Farzana’s decision to change careers and encouraged her to pursue her dream. She even invited her daughter to be a passenger on one of the routes she was driving when she first started out as a bus captain. After the ride, Farzana’s daughter said, “Mum, I’m so proud of you!” — a memory that she treasures to this day. 

Farzana usually works the B3X between Tuen Mun Town Centre and Shenzhen Bay Port, and the 56 between Tin Ping Estate in Sheung Shui and Wo Tin Estate in Tuen Mun. And she’s struck up a relationship with regular commuters. “Many passengers, especially children, know that I know Cantonese. They will say hello to me in Cantonese, and slowly we cultivate a tacit understanding with each other. Once I was on vacation, and they asked me why they didn’t see me, so I cherish the relationship I have with the passengers,” says Farzana.

Hong Kong is working on making workplaces in the territory more diverse by holding Inclusive Job Fairs for Ethnic Minorities, where recruiters scout applicants for positions as wait staff, bus drivers, and shop assistants, among other professions. Citybus also held its first Multicultural Job Fair and Fun Day last year to recruit non-Chinese applicants for various jobs within the company.

Header image credits: Citybus

The space, which onebite has dubbed Project House @1QRW, provides visitors with free water, Wi-Fi, and restroom facilities. The team also organises a variety of services, such as weekly counselling and meditation sessions, a community nanny team that provides childcare, and a sewing team that gives members a chance to learn a new skill and earn extra income in the process. The space will remain open until April this year.

The building that currently houses Project House @1QRW is a Grade III historic building, as it is among the few remaining tong lau in Hong Kong on a street corner with its shopfront visible on both sides of a right angle. The site is also opposite Possession Street, which is where the British first landed to claim Hong Kong Island as British territory in 1841.

Records show that the structure dates back to at least 1926, and according to the bright green Chinese characters still on the façade, it used to be a shop called Yau Kee Hop that sold preserved and roast meats. It later became a Chinese herbal tea shop, a vegetable stall, and a grocery store. The Antiquities Advisory Board considers it a “valuable piece of built heritage” and the only surviving part of a row of now-demolished shophouses.

For more information, visit the onebite Social website.

Image credits: onebite Social

According to the government spokesperson, “The population registered an increase for the second consecutive year since normalcy resumed in Hong Kong. Many Hong Kong residents who stayed abroad during the epidemic have returned to Hong Kong throughout 2023. In the second half of 2023, there was still considerable inflow of Hong Kong Permanent Residents.”

The population of Hong Kong has been steadily increasing since 2012 and was the highest in 2019, when the government estimated that 7,520,500 lived in the city. However, the population dipped in 2020 by 1.2% and further dropped in 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak internationally and the city’s anti-epidemic restrictions were at their most stringent.

However, more than 100,000 residents returned to Hong Kong between 2022 and 2023, after the city lifted all of its anti-Covid measures, such as mandatory hotel quarantine requirement, compulsory mask-wearing in public spaces, and pre-arrival Covid testing. In all, 51,700 Hong Kong residents returned to the SAR in the past year, with 40,800 One-way Permit holders and 10,800 other Hong Kong residents also entering the territory in the same period.

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