What’s so weird about Hong Kong? #04 Does Hong Kong have an alcohol problem?
Do you ever wonder how people party in a big city like Hong Kong? You might think that they are experienced party animals. I first doubted that answer after my psychology professor mentioned, “maybe someone of you has already experienced the effects of alcohol…” which was followed by the shy giggling of my classmates.
I found that the clubbing-nightlife in Hong Kong caters more to Western preference. In popular party areas like Lan Kwai Fong (LKF), Wan Chai, plus the restaurant and bar districts of SOHO, it is likely you won’t meet many local people. More often you will find yourself amongst a crowd of expatriates from all over the world.
Before turning into THE party area, LKF served as a hawkers place and as home to marriage arrangers. It was only in 1977 that its club scene began, with the opening of the first club called Disco Disco, introduced by the son of an English businessman. From the beginning Disco Disco attracted mostly tourists and expats. This fact hasn’t changed much over the years, following the opening of more bars.
On the other hand, Wan Chai served mainly as a Red Light District for sailors and navy men before it turned into a party district. Now it is full of restaurants, bars and clubs, regularly hosting events such as ladies nights or salsa evenings. The substandard places didn’t completely disappear though, the clientele in Wan Chai is similar to LKF and very few Hong Kongers can be encountered.
Moreover, drinking vast amounts of alcohol is not a necessarily part of the nightlife in Chinese culture, although most would not refuse a sip of rice wine. Many Asians claim to suffer from Alcohol Flush Reaction, a syndrome that causes redness of the face or nausea. In turn, this leads to a much lower alcoholism rate than often found in European cities.
This does not mean that Hong Kongers never go out and simply stay home in the evenings, quite the contrary! However, local people prefer activities such as dining out in restaurants, going to the cinema or enjoying karaoke nights.
Therefore, I would confidently state that Hong Kong does not have an alcohol problem, but maybe the expatriate community and tourists do, to a certain degree. ; )
Photos by Franziska Wellenzohn