Time:
GMT +8; same time zone as Singapore.
Population:
Hong Kong's population of 6.8 million consists predominantly of Chinese (98%). Buddhism is the main religion practised in Hong Kong, along with Taoism, Christianity and ancestral worship.
Weather and Climate:
Hong Kong's climate is warm and humid, with a wet January and February (13-17 degrees Celsius), warm and sunny from October to December (23-27 degrees). Look out for the notorius typhoons (hurricanes) from June to September. Today's Weather
Language:
The official languages are English and Chinese. However, Cantonese is widely spoken and understood by most businesses, and visitors who cannot speak this dialect are disadvantaged. In Macau, the official languages are Portugese and Chinese, but some locals also speak English.
Religion:
Freedom of religion is practised in Hong Kong where the majority of locals are Buddhists and Taoists, alongside Christian, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Baha'i communities.
Currency:
The unit of currency is the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) which is divided into 100 cents. Currency notes are issued in denominations of HKD 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. Coins are issued in 10, 20, 50 cents and HKD 1, 2, 5 and 10.
Taxes:
Hotels add 10% service charge and 3% government tax to your bill; restaurants and bars add 10% service charge but no government tax. Tipping is generally expected.
Banking hours:
Banks operate from 9:00am to 4:30pm on weekdays, 9am to 12:30pm on Saturdays, closed on Sundays.
Shopping hours:
Most shops open daily from 10:00am to 7:00pm in Central, later in busier districts.
IDD code:
Country code 852. SingTel ICC
: 800-96-0065.
