Hong Kong is a compact, congested city, with seemingly endless highrise apartment complexes, offices, and shopping malls. Yet it also has much open park land, hiking trails, and of course beaches, being located on the South China Sea. The landmass of Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) consists of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and The New Territories. There is a border crossing into mainland China at Lo Wu / Shenzhen, approximately 25K from Central, HK.
In the above photo you are looking at Hong Kong harbor from Lantau Island (where international airport is located) with Hong Kong Island on right, and Kowloon (specifically buildings in and around Tsim Sha Tsui) on left. Click here for Google map of Hong Kong.
City University of Hong Kong (location and maps):
http://www.cityu.edu.hk/cityu/visitors/location.htm
City University of Hong Kong is located on the MTR Kwun Tong Line at Kowloon Tong station and/or on the KCR East Rail at Kowloon Tong station. There will be signs at station directing you to City U, which you will find after passing through the Festival Walk shopping mall.
Discover Hong Kong –
Official Travel Guide from Hong Kong Tourism Board :
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/index.html
Visa Requirement:
Most travelers do not need a visa to visit Hong Kong.
For detailed visa requirements please check the Hong Kong Immigration Department website: http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm#part1
If you are planning to visit Mainland China, a visa is necessary in most cases and you are strongly advised to obtain your visa before your departure to Hong Kong. Please consult your travel agent for details.
Transportation:
Hong Kong has a well-developed public transport system. Trains, buses and ferries runs frequently at intervals of minutes. Taxis are ample and can be hailed on the street. An overview of the Hong Kong transport system is available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_in_Hong_Kong
And for MTR train system:
http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/train/system_map.html
From and to the Hong Kong International Airport:
* Airport Express : special train linking the airport on Lantau Island to Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. They also have free shuttle buses taking you from their Kowloon or Hong Kong station to different locations (after you have taken the Airport Express train, or are planning to take train to the airport). There are 6 shuttle bus routes.
The Airport Express train is a comfortable ride of about 25 minutes to get from the airport to the Central District, Hong Kong. It takes a slightly shorter time to go to Kowloon Station. It generally runs every 12 minutes and costs HK$100 (~US$12.50) one way.
* Airbus/Cityflyer: they take you from the airport to the urban areas
Hong Kong International Airport is well served by public bus routes, taking passengers to and from most parts of Hong Kong. Comfortable and relatively inexpensive, they offer a convenient transport option.
A11 – To Causeway Bay, Wanchai, Central, Sheung Wan
A22 – To Yau Ma Tei
E22 – To Kowloon Tong / City University of Hong Kong
* Taxi - they can take you from anywhere to the airport. But you need to get the right taxi when going from the airport to your destination. It is probably the fastest way unless there is a traffic jam.
There are 3 kinds: red, green, and blue.
The red ones can go anywhere except for outlying islands not connected with a bridge. The green ones can only operate in the outerly New Territories.
The blue ones can only operate on the Lantau Island (where the airport is located), where the Disneyland is.
The approximate costs to go from the airport to the City University of Hong Kong is HK$280, to Mongkok is HK$300, to Tsim Sha Tsui is $300, to Central is HK$350.
Octopus Card – stored value card:
Conference participants can obtain an Octopus Card for convenience during their stay in Hong Kong. Octopus Card is a handy alternative to cash for small payments. It is widely accepted in Hong Kong on almost all public transport, fast food chains, convenience stores, vending machines and the university campus canteen where meals will be served during the Conference.
Visitors may obtain Octopus Cards at customer service centers of all train stations and the Airport Express Line customer service centre at the Hong Kong International Airport. The minimum initial value of an Octopus Card is HK$150 (US$19.20) inclusive of HK$50 deposit for the card and HK$100 stored value. Upon return to the customer service centers at the train stations or the Airport Express Line at the airport, the HK$50 deposit and the unspent stored value on the card will be refunded with a small handling fee of HK$7 (US$0.9).
Stored value of the Octopus Card can be topped up at train stations, fast food chains and convenience stores, and the balance value is shown each time the card is used.
Additional Visitors’ Tips :
Weather :
During Hong Kong winter you can expect temperatures to be around 17C or 63 F, with little rain. You may want to bring a sweater, or jacket.
http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/current.htm
Banks :
ATMs are easy to find in Hong Kong, and most accept foreign bank cards. There is a Hang Seng Bank on City U campus next to the Library, and an HSBC in the Festival Walk shopping mall (next to campus). The current rate of exchange (July 2009) between US and HK dollar is HK$7.75 to US$1.
Hotels:
An extensive list of hotels can be sent via email upon your request. Write us at: extraordinarydresscode@yahoo.com
Language:
Hong Kong is supposedly a tri-lingual city (Cantonese, Mandarin/Putonghua, and English), though the majority language is Cantonese. English and Putonghua are widely spoken and understood, but occasionally you’ll run into an impass. It is a good idea when traveling by taxi, to have a business card for addresses, or the address written in Chinese characters.
Museums and Movies:
Leisure and Cultural Services Department - Museums
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/cs_mus_lcsd.php
Para/Site Art Space:
http://www.para-site.org.hk/
Hong Kong Film Archive:
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/HKFA/english/eindex.html
Broadway Circuit (movies);
http://www2.cinema.com.hk/revamp/html/index.php?lang=e
