Hong Kong is one of the great centres for international cooking. Apart from several Chinese cuisines, there are also many Indian, Vietnamese, Filipino, Singapore/Malaysian and Thai restaurants. It is the home of authentic Chinese food from all the regions of China, which may be sampled on a sampan in Causeway Bay, on a floating restaurant at Aberdeen, in a Kowloon restaurant, in a street market or at a deluxe hotel. Hotels serve European and Chinese food but there are also restaurants serving every type of local cuisine. 

Chinese regional variations on food include Cantonese, Northern (Peking), Chiu Chow (Swatow), Shanghai, Sichuan, and Hakka.

Things to know: The Chinese do not usually order a drink before dinner.

Regional specialities:
• Cantonese specialities include dim sum (savoury snacks, usually steamed and served in bamboo baskets on trolleys), such as cha siu bao (barbecue pork bun), har gau (steamed shrimp dumplings) and shiu mai (steamed and minced pork with shrimp).
• The emphasis in northern food is on bread and noodles, deep frying and spicy sauces. Specialities include Peking duck and hotpot dishes.
• Shanghainese food is diced or shredded, stewed in soya or fried in sesame oil with pots of peppers and garlic.
• Chiu chow cuisine is from a part of Guangdong province. It uses light, slightly vinegary sauces and is strong on seafood and roast goose.
• Hakka food is generally simple in style with baked chicken in salt among the best dishes.
• Sichuan food is hot and spicy with plenty of chillies. A speciality is barbecued meat.

Regional drinks:
• Zhian jing (a rice wine served hot like sake).
• Liang hua pei (potent plum brandy).
• Bai jiu (a fearsome white spirit).
• Kaolian (a whisky) and Maotai.
• Popular beers are the locally brewed San Miguel and Tsingtao (from China).
• Yeun yeung is an even mixture of tea and coffee.

Tea culture: Yum cha (drinking tea) is an integral part of Hong Kong's culinary culture and is the perfect compliment to most dishes. There are many tea houses in Hong Kong where tea can be drunk accompanied by bow law yau, a steaming hot bun stuffed with melted butter, or yau char gwai, a deep fried dough. In tea houses, you are expected to pay at the counter; a tip is not required.

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: Most hotels and restaurants add a 10% service charge and an additional 5% gratuity is also expected. Small tips are expected by doormen and washroom attendants.

There are many nightclubs, hostess and karaoke clubs, theatres and cinemas. Cultural concerts, plays and exhibitions can be seen at Hong Kong's City Hall, which also has a dining room, ballroom and cocktail lounge. 

The Hong Kong Cultural Centre, including a 2,100-seat Concert Hall, 1,750-seat Grand Theatre, a studio theatre with 300 to 500 seats and restaurants, bars and other facilities, has become the major venue for cultural concerts, plays and operas. 

Hong Kong Art Centre in Wan Chai supplements the City Hall's entertainment with culture in the form of Chinese opera, puppet shows, recitals and concerts. American, Chinese, European and Japanese films with subtitles are shown at a number of good, air-conditioned cinemas. 

Two daily papers, the Hong Kong Standard and the South China Morning Post, contain details of entertainment. 

An unusual event to watch is night horseracing, held Wednesday nights from September to May. Night cruises are operated by Star Ferries and are an excellent way to see Hong Kong by night. Most pubs and clubs are in east Tsim Sha Tsui, Wan Chai, Lan Kwai Fong and Central (Hong Kong Island).

Whether you shop in modern air-conditioned arcades or more traditional street markets, the range of goods available in Hong Kong is vast. Many famous-name shops have opened in Hong Kong, bringing the latest styles in great variety. 

Places that display the QTS sign (given to accredited shops and restaurants under the Hong Kong Tourism Board's Quality Tourism Services scheme) are the best guarantee of satisfaction. Bargaining is practised in the smaller shops and side stalls only. 

There is an excellent market in Stanley on Hong Kong Island, which is in a beautiful setting in a small village on the coast, open every day 0900-1800. Yuen Po Street bird garden in Kowloon is a market popular with the songbird owners in Hong Kong, selling many interesting creature comforts, including intricately crafted cages, open 0700-2000. Tailoring is first class. 

Except for a few items, such as alcohol and perfume, Hong Kong is a duty-free port. 

Shopping hours: Hong Kong Island (Central and Western): 1000-1900 (1000-2000 along Queen's Road). Hong Kong Island (Causeway Bay and Wan Chai): 1000-2130. Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok): 1000-2100. Many shops are open Sunday. Shopping hours may vary greatly.