The Dangers of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a beautiful and amazing city that has absorbed the peculiarities of the culture of the East and the West. No wonder Hong Kong is sometimes called the Asian New York. The very name of the city translates as “fragrant harbor”. You won’t have any free time here at all, as there are many attractions in Hong Kong that you will remember for the rest of your life. Among them are the world’s largest sitting Buddha, the Avenue of Stars, Victoria Peak, the Hong Kong Historical Museum, as well as many other equally interesting and amazing places that you should definitely visit. In addition, Hong Kong is one of the culinary capitals of the world. Here you can dine in a restaurant with any cuisine: Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Indian, Thai, Scandinavian. And in the event that you suddenly miss your homeland, then finding a restaurant with Russian cuisine will also not be difficult.
Thus, Hong Kong is definitely worth a visit. However, to ensure that your trip to this city is not marred by any unpleasant incidents, we recommend that you read the information regarding the safety of your stay in Hong Kong.
In this article, we will outline the main points that you should pay attention to so that your trip is safe in all respects.
Dangerous areas of the city
Touching upon the issue of dangerous places in Hong Kong, first of all, it is necessary to note the Wan Chai district, which is famous for its abundance of night bars, restaurants and clubs. These nightlife venues are very popular with tourists due to the fact that they have a lot in common with European bars and nightclubs. Unfortunately, it is very common in these places when various drugs or drugs are mixed into alcohol. After consuming such dangerous drinks, the tourist loses his memory, and at the same time all his money along with valuable things. In addition, such drinks, prepared by fraudsters, can cause irreparable harm to human health and lead to death.
You should also be extremely careful on the well-known Victoria Peak. This landmark has already become famous for frequent tourist robberies.
There are many nightlife spots in Hong Kong. Nevertheless, in order not to get into various unpleasant stories, you should not appear alone in them.
Hong Kong Subway
As for the Hong Kong subway, it meets the safety requirements one hundred percent. All that a tourist using the subway should be warned about is that it is strictly forbidden to eat in it. Violators of this law will have to pay a fine.
Beware of venomous snakes
When you arrive in Hong Kong, you will find numerous signs on its streets and in parks that warn you about the likelihood of encountering a venomous snake. There are many species of snakes in the city, the venom of which is deadly to humans. This danger exists even though the area is completely urbanized. Venomous snakes can be found in all the green areas of the city, so try to walk mainly in open spaces that are not planted with various shrubs and trees. In addition, it is not recommended to appear in parks and squares after dark, as most species of snakes found in Hong Kong are nocturnal.
Beware of wild boars
If you are outdoors, hiking in the mountains of Hong Kong or in the countryside, then you may encounter wild boars. Sometimes they attack people. Be vigilant
Natural hazards
Such a dangerous natural phenomenon as a typhoon is very common in Hong Kong. Typhoons can usually be observed from May to November. They are especially frequent in September. These unpleasant vagaries of nature are accompanied by heavy rains and hurricane-force winds. At the same time, the wind force is so great that it can turn over cars, cause serious destructive effects on city buildings and, of course, be very dangerous to human life. During typhoons, heavy rains seriously flood the streets of the city. Typhoons come in different strengths. Some of them do not cause serious damage to the metropolis, but, unfortunately, it happens that these dangerous natural phenomena are rampant with such force that they take people’s lives with them.
Hong Kong has developed a whole system designed to alert residents of the impending disaster. For example, on many buildings in the city, the scoreboard lights up, which shows numbers from one to ten. The higher the figure, the closer the typhoon is approaching. With the warning numbers 9 and 10, the hurricane wind speed can reach 220 kilometers per hour. In this case, it is necessary to take shelter in some nearby room or stay at home, as the hurricane mercilessly destroys everything that comes in its path, lifting heavy objects high into the air and causing the collapse of various structures.
If the danger level reaches the number 8, then in this case the wind speed is about 63 to 117 kilometers per hour. Please note that at the eighth notification level, taxi drivers have the right to refuse to provide their services to you. The reason for this refusal lies in the fact that insurance companies do not reimburse losses incurred in case of damage to the vehicle due to the typhoon. In addition to the fact that a taxi may refuse you its services, at the eighth level of danger, all public transport in Hong Kong also stops working, including ferry services. Offices, shops, schools, restaurants, and other public facilities are closing.
In cases where a storm is approaching the city, signal 3 lights up. If the distance that remains for the typhoon to travel to the city is 800 kilometers, signal 1 is announced.
In addition to the typhoon warning system, Hong Kong also has a heavy rain warning system. It provides three following color levels: yellow, red and black. The lowest level of danger is indicated in yellow, and the highest level of disaster risk is black. With both red and black levels, all residents of the city are advised to hide indoors, as heavy rains often cause life-threatening landslides, and the streets of the city turn into torrents of stormy rivers.
High level of air pollution
It should be noted that the environmental situation in the city today is very unfavorable for human health. The reason for this situation lies in the fact that a large proportion of polluted air enters Hong Kong from industrial China. The air is so heavily polluted that sometimes it even makes it difficult to see in the city. Don’t be surprised that when you open the window of a hotel room, instead of the usual landscape, sometimes you will see only fog caused by pollution in the atmosphere.
Seasonality has a big impact on Hong Kong’s air quality. For example, in summer, with the wind blowing from the South China Sea, clean and fresh air enters the city. And in winter, the monsoon season brings with it dirty air from China.
Therefore, it is better to consult with your doctor before traveling to Hong Kong. This is especially true for those people who have respiratory tract problems. If this circumstance does not frighten you at all, then in any case, it is better to take all the necessary medicines with you to help in such situations.
The issue of drinking water safety
Theoretically, tap water in Hong Kong is drinkable in its raw, unboiled form. However, its composition will in any case differ from the composition of the water that you are used to in your homeland. The composition of the water, which is unusual for you, can cause unpleasant sensations. Therefore, it is better to boil water or buy it in bottles.
In addition, the quality of drinking water may suffer significantly due to old water pipes. In suburban areas of Hong Kong, it is generally better not to experiment with drinking water, but to use it exclusively after boiling.
The issue of food safety in Hong Kong
As mentioned above, the city is famous for its delicious food. The most diverse cuisines of the world are presented here. No wonder Hong Kong is called a paradise for gourmets. Food in the city is sold not only in restaurants and cafes, but it can also be purchased from street stalls or trailers. The fact that the dish you ordered will be cooked right in your presence will make you even more hungry. Some tourists may be confused by buying food from street vendors. However, there is nothing to be afraid of here. All the products used for cooking are absolutely fresh, and the food cooked in front of your eyes will be especially delicious. Thus, you are witnessing that only the freshest products are used, and the cooking process itself is completely safe for health. Also note that you should buy food from stalls that are in high demand among Hong Kong locals. This will further protect you from food poisoning.
But when choosing a restaurant where the food will be prepared without your presence in the kitchen, it is better to choose an institution that can provide you with a special license that gives the restaurant permission to serve tourists. As a rule, such a license is not even required to ask the owner of the establishment, as it is posted on the door.
You should also pay attention to the fact that Hong Kong food is quite specific for tourists, so during the first days of your stay in the city, try to choose your food very selectively. Do not eat too much, as this can lead to digestive problems.
In addition, your health may be harmed due to the habit of Hong Kong chefs to use a sufficiently large amount of monosodium glutamate when cooking. Tourists should take note of this feature of Hong Kong cuisine.
Also, be very careful about eating local shellfish and oysters, as, unfortunately, cases of poisoning with these seafood delicacies are very common in Hong Kong.
Be careful on the roads of Hong Kong
Traffic in Hong Kong is very fast, so we strongly recommend that all tourists strictly follow all traffic rules and cross the street only when the traffic light is on. Firstly, it will save you from traffic accidents, and secondly, you will not have to pay fines, which are quite high here.
Beware of scammers and pickpockets
Unfortunately, fraud in Hong Kong is quite common. In the city, you can meet, for example, hotel scammers. They will brazenly offer you a supposedly good and proven hotel, but in fact their goal is to extort money from you.
Also, be very careful in crowded places such as train stations, public transport, markets and shops. Pickpockets often work together. One will distract you, while the other will pick your pockets and immediately deftly hand over the stolen items to the third, who will instantly get lost in the crowd.
If you need to change the currency, then do it in a place specially designed for this purpose, and do not trust the first person you meet.
In addition, carefully check all invoices issued to you so as not to overpay extra money.
However, all of the above dangers should not force you to abandon your trip to Hong Kong. All these troubles will definitely pass you by if you are informed about them. Go to Hong Kong and fully enjoy the amazing beauty of this city, learn more about its culture and bring back a lot of positive emotions and impressions from your trip.
Alex iurlov tour guide in Hong Kong, Macau and China
Car transfers, yacht charters.
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