Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [222]
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Cooking
There’s a huge choice of cookery courses in the city. You’ll find a list of bilingual courses in the Eating chapter, Click here.
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Language
The New-Asia-Yale-in-China Chinese Language Centre at the Chinese University of Hong Kong ( Map; 2609 6727; www.cuhk.edu.hk/clc; Fong Shu Chuen Bldg, Ma Liu Shui, New Territories) offers regular courses in Cantonese and Mandarin. There are four terms a year: four- and 11-week summer sessions and two regular 15-week terms in spring and autumn. The cost of the four-week summer term is $8850, the 11-week session $21,050, and the 15-week semesters are $26,200. In addition there are shorter two-week introductory courses such as Elementary Cantonese for $5400.
Another good place for learning Cantonese, Mandarin and other Asian languages is the School of Professional and Continuing Education at Hong Kong University ( Map; 2559 9771; www.hkuspace.hku.hk; Room 304, 3rd fl, TT Tsui Bldg, Pok Fu Lam Rd, Pok Fu Lam).
A number of private language schools cater to individuals or companies. These schools offer more flexibility and even dispatch teachers to companies to teach the whole staff. For one-on-one instruction, expect to pay from $200 per hour. The following are language schools to consider.
Essential Chinese Language Centre ( Map; 2544 6979; http://eclc.com.hk; 8th fl, Man On Commercial Bldg, 12-13 Jubilee St, Central)
Hong Kong Institute of Languages ( Map; 2877 6160; www.hklanguages.com; 6th fl, Wellington Plaza, 56-58 Wellington St, Central)
These centres also offer language courses:
Alliance Française ( Map; 2527 7825; www.alliancefrancaise.com.hk; 1st & 2nd fl, 123 Hennessy Rd, Wan Chai) This place has a library and offers a wide range of cultural activities.
Goethe-Institut ( Map; 2802 0088; www.goethe.de/hongkong; 14th fl, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Rd, Wan Chai) German classes, films, exhibitions and lectures.
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CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
Even though Hong Kong is a duty-free port, there are items on which duty is still charged. Import taxes apply on cigarettes and spirits, although wine and beer imports are now free of these taxes.
The duty-free allowance for visitors arriving in Hong Kong (including those coming from Macau and mainland China) is 60 cigar-ettes (or 15 cigars or 75g of tobacco) and 1L of spirits. Apart from these limits there are few other import taxes, so you can bring in reasonable quantities of almost anything.
Firecrackers and fireworks are banned in Hong Kong but not in Macau and mainland China, and people crossing the border are sometimes thoroughly searched for these. Customs officers are on high alert for drug smugglers. If you’re arriving from Thailand or Vietnam, be prepared for a rigorous examination of your luggage.
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DISCOUNT CARDS
Hong Kong Museums Pass
This pass allows multiple entries to six of Hong Kong’s museums: Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence ( Click here) on Hong Kong Island; the Hong Kong Science Museum ( Click here), Hong Kong Museum of History ( Click here), Hong Kong Museum of Art ( Click here) and Hong Kong Space Museum (excluding Space Theatre; Click here) in Kowloon; and the Hong Kong Heritage Museum ( Click here) in the New Territories. Passes valid for seven consecutive days cost $30. Passes are available from HKTB outlets and participating museums. Note that these six museums are all free on Wednesdays.
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Hostel Card
A Hostelling International (HI) card, or the equivalent, is of relatively limited use in Hong Kong, as there are only seven HI-affiliated hostels here, and most are in remote locations in the New Territories. If you arrive without a card and want to stay in one of these hostels, you can buy one from the Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association (HKYHA; Map; 2788 1638; www.yha.org.hk; Room 225-227, Block 19, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Kowloon; HI card under/over 18yr $50/110).
You are allowed to stay