30th May 2023 – (Shenzhen) Last Friday was the Buddha’s Birthday holiday in Hong Kong, and many people took advantage of the three-day break to travel to nearby cities such as Shenzhen, Macau, and Zhuhai for some rest and relaxation. As a result, many border checkpoints were packed with long lines of people. One Mainland Chinese netizen even reported that they felt half of the shoppers in a mall in Shenzhen on 27th May were from Hong Kong!
According to the netizen’s post, they were shopping in a mall in Futian District and noticed that half of the shoppers there were from Hong Kong, ranging from young to old and both male and female. A picture they shared showed that the popular pastry shop Bao’s Master was packed with people, likely Hong Kongers queuing up to buy souvenirs or try the famous “pork floss pastry.” The netizen admitted that they could easily spot Hong Kongers, but it was just a gut feeling, “I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s like how people in Hong Kong may be able to spot us Mainlanders at a glance.” Later, some enthusiastic netizens helped compile the three distinctive features of Hong Kongers. Mainland Chinese netizens joked that they could recognize Hong Kongers based on three key observations: “cash, sports shoes, and backpacks.”
The netizens revealed that Hong Kongers prefer cash transactions over electronic payments, as cash is still the primary means of payment in Hong Kong. In addition, Hong Kongers tend to walk a lot in their daily lives, so they opt for comfortable sports shoes. Practical backpacks are also a common choice for Hong Kongers, as they are convenient for carrying essentials like identification, water bottles, souvenirs, and jackets, freeing up their hands. These are the “three treasures” of Hong Kongers, according to Mainland Chinese netizens, and they also noted that Hong Kongers tend to dress casually and comfortably, with less flashy colours.
Apart from these distinctive features, some Mainland Chinese netizens also found some of Hong Kongers’ behaviors to be amusing. For example, some Hong Kongers were surprised to find small trains in large shopping malls in Mainland China, and they were excitedly pointing at them. Others were seen deliberating over the menu at a Hunanese restaurant for a long time because they couldn’t handle the spiciness. Some Hong Kongers were even spotted taking photos together while holding a flower-shaped cotton candy.
Hong Kongers’ preference for travel to Mainland Chinese cities is due to the lower cost of living and better services than in Hong Kong. This has led to an increase in cross-border consumption, benefiting both Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong economies.