Hong Kong, Shadows in the East Options

[Delta56]

Heya DS!

This comes from my fiancee who is running her first game: Hong Kong! She's looking for information that isn't found in Runner's Havens or on the 6th world Wiki. I personally would like to know if HK has a metro, if they use Nuyen or something esle, which districts would speak Cantonese or Mandarin yada yada yada.

Thanks DS!

[Cain]

Modern day Hong Kong has a very well established subway system, at least in Kowloon/New Territories. Most districts would speak Cantonese and English, with Hakka being spoken among the "Boat people". That's all I can remember from my time there that'd be useful to you.

[Delta56]

Modern day Hong Kong has a very well established subway system, at least in Kowloon/New Territories. Most districts would speak Cantonese and English, with Hakka being spoken among the "Boat people". That's all I can remember from my time there that'd be useful to you.

Thank you very much Cain! I will also pass that on to my better half.

[Tycho]

It is even described in the book: Mass Transit Railway an page 18.

cya
Tycho

[hyzmarca]

Here is a map of Hong Kong's subway system.

http://johomaps.com/as/hongkong/hkmetro_ch.html


But for the best in gaming experience I recommend driving your group to the airport and flying everyone out, just to get the atmosphere right. And have everyone buy a Playstation Portable while you're all there, just to screw with Sony (Sony doesn't like imports).

[Blade]

Today's Hong Kong also have an extensive (if a bit complicated, with many different companies using the same route numbers for totally different routes) bus network, green minibuses (buses with fixed routes that can stop whenever someone flags down for them or whenever someone wants to get out) and red minibuses (collective taxis, they go from point A to point B following whatever route they want. As for the green minibuses you can ask them to stop whenever you want). Amusing details about the minibuses: they've got a large speed meter for everyone to see the speed and there's a sound when they go over the speed limit. There are also ferries, regular taxis and a small and not very comfortable tram.
As Hong-Kong (at least Hong-Kong island and Kowloon) isn't very big, you can also walk around.

People speak Cantonese. They can understand Mandarin if you speak slow enough or if you write it down. Only the educated people, or people dealing a lot with foreigners will speak enough English for a casual conversation. Most shopkeepers will speak enough English to close a sale, but not much more. A lot of people on the streets will only speak Cantonese.

[Medicineman]

Aditionally they also have a well used Two-Story-Bus System
I 've been there recently. One thing that was Imminent was the Lack of Space !
Living Quarters are extremely narrow
A Space of 50 Squaremeters(which is Medium Lifestyle in SR) is considered Luxury in HongKong !
And they're always in a Hurry (The Escalator move at twice the Speed like here in Germany)The Kowloon Park is the only place of peace and Tranquility.Temples are open for everyone
All educated HongKongese speak Cantonese(Mother Language) Mandarin and English
They're very Proud of their Movie Stars (they have an Avenue of Stars with The Handprints of their Famous Actors in the Concrete)
The famous Star Ferry is only a Ferry,Each night at 20:00 They start a big Laser-Light-Show as a Tourist Attraction
On Lantau Island (where the Airport is) They have a Monastery with a large Buddha Statue.
The Shops Open normaly at 10 AM and close at 9 PM
Beggars and elderly People often sleep at McDonalds which is open 24/7

HokaHey
Medicineman

[Blade]

And they're always in a Hurry (The Escalator move at twice the Speed like here in Germany)

And they remind people to hold the handrail everywhere! Stickers on the escalator, messages hanging from the ceiling, vocal message repeated endlessly in Cantonese, Mandarin and English. There are even employees at peak hours paid for checking the escalators and reminding people to hold the handrail. (Though it doesn't seem like people hold the handrail more than in other places I've been).

The Kowloon Park is the only place of peace and Tranquility.

Not exactly. There are others parks (though Kowloon park is my favorite), and some quiet places. And you can still take a 45 min bus ride to some natural park in the New Territories with outstanding sceneries and great hiking trails.

Note than in 2070, Kowloon Park has been replaced with the new Walled City. (Actually the park has been built on where the Walled City used to be).

The Shops Open normaly at 10 AM and close at 9 PM

A lot of shops close much later than that. There are many shops that close at midnight.

[Medicineman]

A lot of shops close much later than that. There are many shops that close at midnight.
Specially the "Market Street Shops" (Ladies Market,Temple Market,etc)

Note than in 2070, Kowloon Park has been replaced with the new Walled City. (Actually the park has been built on where the Walled City used to be).
Interesting (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
(I've been there only for 2 1/2 Days,not nearly enough Time ImO )
One more Thing:
Mobile Use !
I've never seen so many people using a Mobile. And in 2070 They should be "addicted" to the Comlink like no other People

HokaHey
Medicineman

[DireRadiant]

Hong Kong Tourist Board is a decent site for getting a feel for the infrastructure.

It's always noisy. There are lots and lots of people everywhere. If you haven't lived in it, it's hard to envision, but if you've been to that sold out ball game, or concert, then it's like that all the time in busy shopping areas every day. Downtown all the buildings connect, for about ten miles along the harbor waterfront you can go along from building without ever going on the street by going either below ground or across above ground cross walks and connectors.

Take into account that "shadowrunning" will take different techniques when there are always people around.

[Delta56]

Holy cow guys!! Starting to make me want to take a vacation just to see the city =P

Thank you so much for the information, as she is very happy to get so wonderful help from the Dumpshock!

[PBTHHHHT]

also do a search in the forum archives for hong kong, we've discussed stuff about it previous threads, I know I've put in a few lines about it. I managed to study there at HKUST for a semester back in '98 and I've been there every so often over the years visiting relatives.

some older threads with a few things about hong kong. yeah, I posted in those, it was easier in searching.
other member names to look for... demonseed elite (he wrote the hong kong section of runners haven, though he's never been to hong kong), blade (he has been to hong kong). Not sure who else. Anyway, thought these would be of interest for ya.

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...mp;hl=hong+kong
http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...c=5222&st=0
http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...mp;hl=hong+kong

[TW]

I've had some interestng RL experience with the local cab drivers. We alreay had handed him a business card with the destination address written down in Cantonese, but he couldn't read. We tried to talk to him, but he didn't understand English. Finally, he dialed a number on his cellphone and handed it to us, we explaine where we wanted to go to his dispatcher/operator and she explained it to him again over the phone.

Another interesting experience was the cab driver who took out a magnifying glass to read the business card with the destination address on it (the eyeglasses he was wearing already looked like the ones Bubbles would wear).

Also, I've been to HKG quite a few times on business trips, staying at the same hotel, having to go to the same officie building. It seemed to me like the cab driver never took the same route and drove us through a different part of the back street labyrinth.

[Demonseed Elite]

I'm not sure I have much to add here because the natives covered your questions very well! All of what they've said applies to Hong Kong 2070, though I'd add that Japanese is a popular secondary language in 2070 Hong Kong because of the Imperial State's influence on Asia. It's just as likely that a native Hongkonger will speak Japanese as English in 2070 (though Cantonese is by far the standard). And then there's a smattering of the immigrant languages because of the flood of cheap labor that came into Hong Kong with the collapse of many Asian nations in Shadowrun, such as Tagalog from the Philippines. But those will usually be spoken only in certain low income immigrant enclaves.

Hong Kong has an extensive public transit system, which is described in Runner Havens. And I think the other posters here covered the rest of the details. Also, Hong Kong uses the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) as its currency, which is also mentioned in Runner Havens, I believe. But the Nuyen is also widely accepted.

[Crusher Bob]

For a bit of humor, check out Leung Kwok-hung (longhair)

There's a pretty hefty population of Filipino and Indonesian maids here in HK. They get Sundays and statutory holidays off, and can be found all over the Central district (Filipinas) or near Victoria park in Causeway Bay (Indonesians) on those days.

[PBTHHHHT]

I've had some interestng RL experience with the local cab drivers. We already had handed him a business card with the destination address written down in Cantonese, but he couldn't read. We tried to talk to him, but he didn't understand English. Finally, he dialed a number on his cellphone and handed it to us, we explaine where we wanted to go to his dispatcher/operator and she explained it to him again over the phone.

written down in cantonese? Basically, even though it's different dialect in speaking, the chinese characters and such were unified waaay back, prior to Tang, into BC time period. Uhm... the only thing I can think of is that he just didn't know the destination or he is illiterate... or that his schooling might be different. Why would I say that? Because some of the characters have changed over time in terms of the government trying to simplify the characters (easier to teach everyone). My mom noted that saying it's a shame that what they teach now (in China) is the simplified characters, she does calligraphy and knows quite a bit of the old style for characters. Oh yeah, that's the one gripe she has about the chinese centers that teaches chinese around compared to the more traditional taiwanese run chinese centers.

[DireRadiant]

Yeah, but imagine the keyboards for the traditional characters.