Hong Kong is one of the world’s most popular expat destinations, particularly for Brits and Western Europeans. Newcomers come for all sorts of reasons, from the near-perfect climate and the multicultural buzz to the pull of one of Asia’s great financial centres, and, for plenty, a job posting.
The city has seen a good deal of turnover in recent years. A wave of residents left in the early 2020s, and fresh arrivals have poured in since through the government’s talent and migration schemes. Even the most seasoned traveller can struggle to meet people and make friends somewhere new.
Hong Kong has an unmistakable intensity. One of the first things that new arrivals will notice, and one of the first hurdles to clear, is the noise. This is a work-hard, play-hard city, and the crowds are part of daily life. Rush hour trains are packed, the pavements are shoulder to shoulder, restaurants are busy from lunch into the evening, and you might wait through two or three lifts before squeezing into your own block.
You’re also bound to run into unfamiliar customs in Hong Kong, especially around making friends and dating. Hong Kong has long been a crossroads between East and West, and newcomers are often caught off guard by the local social codes. Knowing how the city works helps on both fronts, whether you’re chasing new friendships or looking for love.
Meeting fellow expats in Hong Kong
Meeting fellow expats in Hong Kong once meant mixing with a particular crowd, the well-paid executives who companies flew in to run their regional operations. Most end up looking for friends beyond their colleagues.
Tsim Sha Tsui, one of the busiest districts on the Kowloon side, is a favourite with expats who want a taste of home. You’ll find international shops and restaurants here, and the waterfront around the old Clock Tower, at the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula, is an easy spot to meet, just across the harbour from Hong Kong Island. There are crowds milling about at all hours, and it can be quite natural to strike up a conversation.
Bars and nightclubs are prime spots to meet like-minded expats, above all, the Lan Kwai Fong quarter in Central. The tight grid of lanes is packed with bars and clubs, and foreign residents turn up in force most nights of the week. Wan Chai, just to the east, is another hub, and its British-style pubs and live music bars are popular with the expat crowd.
If wining and dining isn’t your thing, get stuck into Hong Kong’s clubs and societies instead. There’s a club for almost everything, from tennis and hiking to embroidery, wine tasting, and amateur dramatics. Socialising is a big part of life here, and locals and expats alike jump at the chance to join one. These groups are ideal for finding others who share your interests, or even your home country.
Read more about the Best Clubs and Societies for Expats in Hong Kong.
Making friends with Hong Kong locals
A lot of prospective arrivals wonder where to make friends with the locals in Hong Kong and how to meet Hongkongers who are genuinely open to Westerners. Many of them find Hong Kong among the friendliest places they’ve ever lived, and say they’ve yet to meet a local who wasn’t happy to chat. There are whole neighbourhoods that are thoroughly international, where nearly everyone speaks English, and many locals have studied or worked overseas and take a real interest in other cultures.
Just up the hill from Lan Kwai Fong, SoHo (the lanes South of Hollywood Road) is popular with locals who went to international school or spent time abroad. Its narrow lanes are lined with restaurants and bars, and a real cross-section of the city rubs shoulders there. Cafés and bars are open all day and well into the night.
Three important cultural differences for dating in Hong Kong
Culture matters to anyone living abroad, whether you’re holding on to your own or taking on a new one. It’s easy to misread the signals while you’re still finding your feet. Much of Hong Kong is Westernised, but there are also strong Chinese traditions. Dating here comes with a few differences worth knowing, so if you’re interested in dating locals, it pays to read up on the customs first.
Don’t let any of this put you off. Hongkongers are, by and large, warm and good fun, and once you’ve found your feet, dating and making friends here comes easily. The effort is well worth it.
Casual dating
Casual dating is widespread these days, and apps like Tinder, Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel, and Tantan are as popular here as anywhere. Attitudes still differ from person to person, though. Someone from a more traditional family might read commitment into a few dates sooner than you’d expect back in the UK or the USA, so it helps to be clear with each other about where things stand.
Local lingo
Locals may take words more literally, too. A Westerner might tell a friend they miss them or love them without thinking twice, but in Cantonese, the same words are taken more seriously. If a local partner says they like you or miss you, they may mean it as a real step rather than a throwaway line.
Meeting parents
In the West, dinner at your partner’s parents’ place might not mean much beyond the fact that you’re more than a passing fling. In Hong Kong, as across much of China, being asked to meet the parents is a much bigger step, and it usually means the relationship is being taken seriously.