hong kong street with neon lights — Jimmy Chan

Made in Hong Kong: an essential guide to all things local

Everything you need to know about what makes this city so great

Monday 29 March 2021

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Deputy Editor

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Proud to be a Hongkonger? So are we. But in this ever-changing world we live in today, it can be easy to forget about our roots. With so much history and cultural heritage behind our city, it's important for us to preserve and acknowledge the significance of Hong Kong's unique culture.

Whether they are local bakeries, architectural beauties, traditional crafts and trades, cultural experiences, or the great people of Hong Kong, there are plenty of things that showcase the lion-rock spirit in its truest form. Here are just some of the very best:

Local food

Restaurants

Where to find the best tofu fa outside of Hong Kong Island

Certain sweet Hong Kong classics are always within reach, whether its pineapple buns, Hong Kong-style French toast, milk tea, or egg tarts. But others, such as...

Restaurants

20 best uniquely Hong Kong dishes you need to try at least once

Hong Kong is a true food paradise. From cheap eats and street food to Michelin-starred restaurants. But what makes Hong Kong’s dining scene truly unique...

Restaurants

Hong Kong’s oldest restaurants

So often Hong Kong’s dining scene puts the onus on what’s new and trending. Amid the excitement surrounding every soft opening, it’s easy to forget that eating...

Restaurants

Where to get the best street food in Hong Kong

Did you know that there is a popular Hong Kong Facebook group dedicated to appraising siu mai from different vendors? And did you know that Hongkongers...

Restaurants

The best dim sum in Hong Kong

Ask a dozen Hongkongers where to get the best dim sum in Hong Kong and you’ll likely get a dozen different answers. Dim sum is a huge part of...

Restaurants

Hong Kong’s best local bakeries

Hong Kong bakeries are essential to our local culture. Because let’s be honest, most of us don’t have the time to have a sit-down breakfast. Bakeries are the...

Restaurants

The best Cantonese restaurants in Hong Kong

Hong Kong really does have an impressive variety of global cuisines. From French fine dining, Japanese and Korean, to Southeast Asian eats and beyond...

Restaurants

Where to eat the best dumplings in Hong Kong

Dumplings are basically little Asian pockets of joy and comfort that can be pan-fried, steamed, or boiled. The fillings range from juicy meat, crunchy...

History and culture

City Life

11 signs that you’re a real Hongkonger

We hate to burst your fishball-scented bubble, but just living and working in this city doesn't automatically qualify you as a real Hongkonger. But,...

Things to do

Hong Kong in the 1960s: A look back in time through photographs

The 1960s was a seminal decade for Hong Kong. Not only was this a time when attitudes began to change as people became more culturally and sexually liberated,...

Things to do

Dying trades and practices in Hong Kong and where to find them

Gentrification, urbanisation, Westernisation. Whatever the diagnosis is, the prognosis is the same: once treasured trades and practices in Hong Kong are...

Attractions

Hong Kong’s oldest buildings and structures

Our city has a wonderfully rich history. From its humble origins as a fishing village through 150 years of British colonial rule, many remnants of the...

Things to do

Views around Hong Kong: Then and now

Hong Kong is a unique city where rich history lives side-by-side with gleaming skyscrapers and cutting edge technology. Starting off as a humble fishing...

Attractions

Five iconic Hong Kong buildings: Then and now

Our city’s famous skyline has witnessed a wealth of stunning architecture over the past 150 years. Though many have since been demolished for the...

Shopping

10 iconic products that are made in Hong Kong

Hong Kong was once a manufacturing powerhouse with the ‘Made in Hong Kong’ stamp seen as a mark of quality around the world. While rising...

City Life

Best Hong Kong memes only Hongkongers will understand

Ah, memes. Who doesn't love them? They are almost always relatable, and truth be told, it's a great way to avoid the realities of what's...

Art

HK Profile: Calligraphy master Au Yeung Cheong

One of the most distinctive things about Hong Kong is the abundance of colourful neon signs – often written in traditional Chinese calligraphy –...

Things to do

Chan Lok-choi as Hong Kong’s last remaining birdcage maker

Image: Calvin Sit In Prince Edward’s Yuen Po Bird Garden, surrounded by a cacophony of song birds and traditional Chinese music, you can meet maybe Hong...

Restaurants

William Cheung of Ki Tsui Cake Shop

Housed on Mong Kok’s always bustling Fa Yuen Street, Ki Tsui is one of a handful of traditional Chinese cake shops still operating in Hong Kong. Despite...

Things to do

Things you only know if you’re a Hong Kong taxi driver

Ever thought of what’s life like as a taxi driver in Hong Kong? We chat with Franco Cheung about little known facts about the occupation and a...

Dance

HK Profile: Kwok Man-lung

Chinese New Year isn’t complete without lion dancing. The plethora of red decorations, the lai see and the city’s huge fireworks display are all...

Art

Trading stories: Two barbers from different generations

Traditional Shanghai-style barbershops have long held a special place in the hearts of Hongkongers. For many men who grew up here, sitting in an old barber...

Things to do

Cheung Shun-king – Mahjong tile artisan

Come the weekend, the rattle of mahjong tiles being shuffled before a game is a common sound. It creeps out of apartments and into stairwells, an indelible...

Restaurants

Lau Fat-cheong of Lau Sum Kee

What’s the story behind Lau Sum Kee?My grandfather used to sell noodles on the streets of Guangzhou in the 1940s. After the Chinese Civil War ended...