Culture of Hong Kong

The culture of Hong Kong can best be described as a foundation that began with China, and became more influenced by British colonialism. After the 1997 transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong continues to develop an identity of its own.

One-hundred-fifty years of rule as a separate British colony, as well as political separation from the rest of mainland China have resulted in a unique local identity. Elements of Traditional Chinese culture combining British western influences have shaped Hong Kong in every facet of the city spanning from law, politics, education, language, food, and the way of thought. It is for this reason that many people in Hong Kong are proud of their culture and generally refer themselves as "Hong Kongers" or "Hong Kong Chinese", to distinguish themselves from the Chinese in mainland China (which developed independently).

Structurally, one of the first laws to define people's relationships was the Hong Kong Matrimonial Ordinance passed in 1972. The law set the precedent of banning concubinage and same sex marriages with a strict declaration for heterosexual relationships with one partner only.

Other economic changes include families in need of assistance due to both parents working. In particular, foreign domestic helpers have become an integral part of the household since the late 1980s.

Traditional Chinese values such as "family solidarity", "courtesy" and "saving face" carry significant weight in the minds of the people. Hong Kong's mainstream culture derives from, or is heavily influenced by, the Cantonese from the neighbouring province of Guangdong, China. There are also substantial communities of Hakka, Fukien, Teochew and Shanghainese people.

Although Cantonese (粵語/廣東話/廣州話/廣府話/白話) is not one of the Hong Kong indigenous languages, it is the most widely spoken language in Hong Kong nowadays. Since the 1997 handover, the government has adopted the "biliterate and trilingual" (兩文三語 liǎng-wén sān-yǔ) policy. Under the principle, Chinese and English must both be acknowledged as official languages, with Cantonese being acknowledged as the de facto official Chinese language in Hong Kong, while also accepting the use of Mandarin (普通話/現代標準漢語/國語).

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