How "Dead" is Hong Kong? Malls Deserted, No Longer Shopping Paradises 

Credit: @Journifyy To See the Real Situation in Hong Kong, Please Watch This Video, It’s Fantastic: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XG0pIPevc-c.html

Taiwan, take heed. You don't want to end up like Hong Kong.

It breaks my heart to see what China has done to beautiful vibrant city of Hong Kong.

I remember when people said "Hong Kong is an economic powerhouse. The Chinese won't kill the goose that gives it golden eggs." That's when we thought the Chinese government was rational.

Hong Kong was my favorite liberty port when I was stationed with the US Navy out of Japan. We would stop there often chopping in and out of the Persian Gulf back in the 80s. The shopping was incredible and we had the British China Fleet Club where we could buy nearly anything duty free to take back with us. I remember all of the clubs, especially the Bottoms Up club where they filmed the James Bond movie. Sucks that the communists have ruined that gem.

Boy, I bet the people of Hong Kong are happy, now that the communists took over after 99 years of British rule. They are doing such a wonderful job all over China; foreign companies are leaving China, unemployment is sky high, people are losing their life savings and ther homes. They are still in power since they have strict control over the media by the controlling news. At least the mainland Chinese are used to their conditions but I bet those in Hong Kong were in for a rude awakening by the caliber of ineptitude of the communist government.

Free Hong Kong.

As a resident of Hong Kong I can confirm this is heavily sensationalized and quite selective with footage being shown. I was in TST literally yesterday and it was jam packed with people. In fact it was so busy I became frustrated and left, and this is the case with many popular shopping areas which are extremely busy, particularly on weekends. My friends also own 8 restaurants across Hong Kong and while things were undoubtedly tough during covid things have improved dramatically, particularly in recent months. There's still some way to go but things are nowhere near as dire as this video depicts.

Used to love passing through HK. Back in the day buying electronics at Golden Shopping Centre to take back to Philippines, and more recently enroute from NZ to Taiwan. But now we will never set foot in HK again. ... I am sure we are not alone in this decision.

Communism always ends that way

I lived in Tsim Sha Tsui for 16 years and got out of Hong Kong a few years later. During those years Tsim Sha Tsui was unbelievably busy. One could not walk a block without being stepped on or kicked as well of doing the same to others because it was so crowded. The first week after the take over the place took a nose dive. I saw the writing on the wall. It was one of the wisest decisions I have ever made. My heart breaks for Hong Kong.

One of the worst things to keep in mind while watching China Observer's videos is they don't even touch on how horrible it is once you step _outside_ of these cities and see the utter squalor that rural China still lives in. While these tofu dreg cities look like a disaster compared to western cities, rural China is still _very_ much a 3rd world country, and that's the video the CCP _really_ doesn't want to be broadcast around the world. They'd much rather have you see these pretty cities even if they're full of empty businesses and homeless. Why do you think people that grew up in rural China keep _trying_ to make a living in cities?

i feel like this channel exaggerates everything

And they wanted to import this to Taiwan.

Hey ! I grew up in HK in the 80’s. Those were the best years! TST never looked like that. Blame the CCP.

I’m in HK now, it’s slower than usual for but far from dead

This is heartbreaking..... Hong Kong was one of my favourite places to visit. So safe and beautiful with amazing locals.

I miss the old Hong Kong, farewell😢

I've been to Hong Kong many times over the past 50 years and Hong Kong has changed! Sorry for this news 😢

I am sorry to see Hong Kong people lose freedom of speech as people living in China.

I've been to HK 11 times since it reopened, and while it was a bit empty and serene at first, the city is now PACKED with visitors again.

what happened to hong kong was heartbreaking

Everyone in Taiwan needs to see this!

I lived in Hong Kong from 2011 until 2021. When the Natl Security Laws came into effect, that changed everything. I was back in HK for a few days in Feb of 2023 for a few days, it felt like the soul of HK was ripped out. I tell people that HK still has all the glitter but the substance of what made HK is missing.

I was there in December 2023. We were last there about 10 years ago and I tell it was day and night difference. You could tell the mood was different. People weren't happy. HK will never be the same again.

I miss British Hong Kong

When the handover occurred a lot of middle class and wealthy HKers made sure to get British or American passports(dual citizenship). I’m sure once scammer cooty demic ended, they all got out of dodge.

It's so sad how the life force has drained away from such a vibrant city.

"Don't touch her" seems a worthy follow up to "Let's go Brandon".

Can a government cause a failing economy, investors expect to make a profit, not lose money, investors will invest where a profit can be made, but not in a failing economy at the whim of any government unstable and suddenly changing and chaotic rules. Causing Fear in the population is antithetical to Business Profits.

I was in Hong Kong just before China took over control. I still remember a young lady crying quietly. Looks like she knew something bad would happen like I did.

Their horrible service attitude is also a reason why there are no returning tourists..

The cost of living is happening all around the world, not just in Hong Kong.

“2 dishes cost 25 HKD” This is one of the lowest priced food establishments in Hong Kong, places like this usually had a long queue due to how inexpensive the price for food is. If you dine at one of the average restaurants, it’ll usually be like 50 to 60 HKD for 1 dish with drinks.

1997 was like giving the car keys to a 3-year old

It reminds us of the aftermath of the British withdrawal from Africa, and Africa became impoverished. It is happening in Hong Kong right now. HK was prosperous during the British era. In recent years, the CCP dismantled Hong Kong, and its wealth after HK rioted for the demand for Democracy rather than draconic CCP rules. 😢

Hong Kong is dead mainly because of China's economic slowdown. Mainlanders are no longer buying luxury goods. The weak financial markets make it less desirable for new company listings. Given the current economic trend, the mainlanders are no longer buying the over priced tiny HK apartments. Without these 3 pillars, there is not much left to support the HK economy. The reality is that for decades, HK has been overly relying on mainland China to support its economic prosperity. Without the constant cash injection from mainland China in the form of shopping and investments, what's left for Hong Kong? Not much... and unfortunately, this situation has little to do with how China governs HK

When the Communists Fall , I wonder of Hong Kong will return to a vibrant city or is it ruined for ever

Apart from the deplorable exploitation and chronic widespread abuse of Philippine nationals working in HK as maids and drivers and cleaners, HK was just the most wonderfully historic city to visit and indulge one's gastronomical curiosity. I once had the most extraordinary Peking Duck there - unforgettable. Now, I simply would not give the CCCP leaders a single dollar of my money. I won't even buy a ticket that transits through HK. I try to believe that this too shall pass. Historically, the Chinese people aren't overly fussed on oppression. The HK folk have never suffered it but I feel sure that once it breaks, they'll fix it.

What bs....😂 I just got back from hk and it's packed like sardines!! Yes Chinese travelers are less but the local told me they are happy with that....btw on the video empty malls what mall is that?? you didn't mention I haven't seen an empty malls in hk during my visit...

It is sad, I'm an American Expat living in the Philippines with my wife. Pre shutdown, we would travel to Hong Kong and Singapore about 4 times a year each. In January, we wanted to take a trip, I checked Hong Kong first for a 3 night four-day trip. The price for airfare and hotel was double in Hong Kong vs. Singapore. Hong Kong is only a 1 hour and 20 minute flight, Singapore is 3 hours and 20 minutes. So the airfare to Hong Kong should have been less, but it was not. I checked everything from economy hotels to five-star hotels, Singapore was always much less. The lowest airfare & hotel for two people, in Hong Kong was USD $1500, Singapore was USD $710, Going to five-star hotels with airfare was Hong Kong USD $5200, Singapore was USD $2700 for two people. We love Hong Kong and will return, but hope the pricing comes back within competitive terms.

very dead i live here for 10 years now and the time i arrived in 2013 compared to now its not even remotely the same city. Me and my HK wife are leaving end of the spring back to Canada(my home country) if we can ever sell our flat ofcourse

I was in Hong Kong in April 2023, it was really really empty. Specially the malls. Most of the crowds were at the promenade and the K11 musea mall. But the K11 musea mall visits are mostly just spectators of the building design

I have nothing against the people of Hong Kong. Unfortunately due to Beijing’s tightening grip on political and human rights matters, HK is dying a slow death. 😢

1 Hong Kong dollar is 13 cents USD. When they are saying that rice dish that is less than 3 USD is expensive, that is sad.

Lol I was in HK a month ago. It felt kinda depressing. Way less ppl cuz ppl decided to travel to places like Japan, Korea and Thailand since there were no more covid restrictions

I’ve visited HK about a dozen times, last time about 2 months ago. The city is as hectic and busy as ever (and super clean), so saying the city is dead is confusing to me.

I prefer to go elsewhere in Asia than HK now.

I was there last September. Mong Kok, Prince Edward, Central etc, used to be so busy at night. Housing in Hong Kong is one of the most expensive in the world.

This is so depressing. HK used to be known as the NYC of Asia. I'd been preparing to visit for the first time in my life before the riots broke out, and now I will never get to see what used to be one of the jewels of the world. Can't imagine what it's like for people who were born and raised there.

It's too bad that the UK did not have the courage to cede HK to the R.O.C.(Taiwan), and not kowtow to the commies. What a combo that could have been. HK & Taiwan together, I wonder what would have resulted of that union by now? It's a given(in my speculation) that the West would have kept the PRC from hostilities. @alp8409 A 99 year lease with a government that no longer existed. And was 2 governments removed from the current. Lots of room for interpretation there. The Brits knew they could get more from the Reds than from a little island nation so they sold the people of HK to the commies. Just like they fought WW2 to liberate Europe from the Nazis so they could hand the Eastern half to the Commies for 45 years. Sanction their own settlers & colonists in Southern Africa to appease African terrorists.

$0.13 USD = $1 HKD = ¥ 0.91 CNY. So a $70 HKD meal equals about $8-9 USD, depending on street exchange rates.

Food vendor makes around 50% of chefs wage provided only owner & chef 8hrs. 96 meals a day. 5 mins each

Was a frequent visitor to Hong Kong in the mid to late 80s when it was still under British rule. It was a gem of a city. The Shopping, restaurants, hotels were vibrant. After the repatriations, it was downhill from there.

I remember when Temple street revival faire opened up, people were complaining about how expensive the stalls are. Wouldn't be surprised if that 2 skewer comment was related to that opening. They were trying to appeal to and open foreigner's wallets, but lo and behold, there aren't any foreigners there! It's the best time to visit tbqh, because it's so quiet. Minus how expensive the tourist traps are...

I am a resident of HK and live there for almost 20 years. Have seen the ups and down of the city (went through SARS, umbrella movement, 2019 protest and COVID). Yes there is a shift of migration (foreigners and locals exiting and coming back) but the hustle and bustle of HK is still there! like everywhere else, migration is fluid. HK is the only place where you can enjoy nature hikes, island hopping, shopping, dining and cultural experiences all at once. Don't know what people are saying about it being empty, there are throngs of people in Saikung, Kowloon and island's side even on weekdays! it took me 10 minutes to line up just to GET INTO central MTR station yesterday, its insane!!

I lived in Hong Kong for 13 years, partly prior to the 1997 hand over. I also live another 13 years in mainland China. I remember how poorly Hong Kongers thought of mainland Chinese, referring to them as peasants, and refusing to learn or speak Mandarin. Then around 2001 the border opened up and rich mainlanders flooded HK with cash in hand. Hong Kongers could not bend over backwards fast enough to make them happy and take their money. HK has always been one of the most expensive cities in the world. The massive influx of mainland tourists made things even worse. After a few years, Hong Kongers began complaining about mainlanders pushing up prices. Now, the city is dead and would do anything to get them back. You reap what you sow. HK has alway been a city of greed. Let it rot.

Awarded the ruined financial city

Hong economy depends 70% China Tourism Market and 30% Global Market. Their hotel stay is expensive. If the hotel cost is Asian affordable, then you can have Asian Market also.

To be fair, those malls were already dead long before 2019.

I am from the Philippines. Was in Tsim Cha Tsui only two weeks ago. We had trouble getting into the roast goose place because of the long line (at 3 pm, long after the lunch hour!) and had to reserve our Italian restaurant at 9 pm because it was full from 6 pm until that time. We had yamcha at Maxim's City Hall and there were so many people we had to run up the stairs to get a seat. In the Kowloon side hotel where we stayed, there was a long line at the check in counter. The line at Immigration was so long it took an hour to get through.

the lashout to foreigners, the black sheeping of blaming covid outbreaks to those same foreigners has also made big impact to tourism from outside china. what was displayed by seeing foreigners being forbidden to eat inside restaurants etc... businesses don't see a market that is valid long term due to be even more state controlled now. an economy that is on the brink of collapse.

This channel is not portraying the real situation in Hong Kong. I just went there a few months ago. It's as prosperous and busy as ever! 🎉🎉🎉

HongKong was on my to-go list, just like Moscow.. needless to say, my list is shorter now

As a Brit all I can say is Hong Kong people are welcome to come to Britain.

My wife and I, were just from Hong Kong October 2023, celebrating our 26 wedding anniversary. We have been in Hong Kong for couple times, BUT this is the first time since Hong Kong was handed down to China. It REALLY REALLY is so much different, from Hong Kong that we used to visit before.😢 We're Indonesian.

When the lease was up for Hong Kong we all expected that it’s people would want Britain to apply to China to extend the lease and that way every one gains ,China would see the territory expand and increase in value knowing that it would still belong to them ,and they would also have a gateway to the world .But what they did surprised us because they held demonstrations to end its link with Briton as they wanted to return to China and even Alan Wicker could not understand as all he could hear was about how much better they would off they would be under Chinese rule remembering that Hong Kong was one of the wealthiest territories in Asia ,and so the people of Hong Kong had their wish and now how many regret turning their back on Britain

Suddenly I feel lke I was so far ahead of the times. It was 2015 when I spent my last week in Hong Kong. It was in the air, it was a realization this was the end. The last day of whatever remained 'Hong Kong' and it was already being 'Mainlandized' and would never be the same. Never been back and wouldn't take a free vacation weekend there - it would just depress me.

think a lot of HKs have left for the UK. i know a lot of visas were given

Riddle guessing is the kind of "night vibes" I'm looking for.

Hi used to go to hk every 3 months I was so in love with Hong Kong then got married had children and didn't go for 30 years then went back 2018was so excited I even cried when I first arrived .and I loved being their don't think I didn't love my trip but everything was different in 1980s hk was so vibrant and alive the fashion on the streets was amazing and the difference I felt this visit was all those wealthy people were gone and it felt suppressed and I felt the Hong Kongers weren't as happy as I remember the shops changed dramatically every store used to be a jewelry stores with Buckets of diamonds and precious stones in window of every second shop its still my favourite country in the world but I feel sad it's lost its glitz for the people that live their I wanted to li5 their because of my love for the country I am always trying to get their ❤❤❤❤❤ love you always hongkong

A great video. I have been to Hong Kong about 10 times now (most visit were when I was living on the mainland). However, I got a chance to visit last month for a week for the first time since 2019 (during the October protests). Hong Kong has changed so much. The essence has changed. The liveliness. Everything felt so different, almost dystopian, compared to what Hong Kong has been. Still one of my favorite places on this planet (100+ countries traveled) but its clear as day that the energy is just different

It is so sad for Hong Kong! Like everything else, under the tyrant things will crumbled, Xi is steering China back to Mao's stone age, then to North Korea style of government. :(

What? I was just there in Jan and it was so f**king crowded. TST, MK, CWB were just packed up to the arse with people, so much so that I had to GTFO. Not as vibrant as before (and too many you-know-whos there now) but far from deserted.

Thank you for this informative video. Very interesting.

You only have certain amount of disposable income and you have to make good choices to land a good deal. HK prices have always been high compare to China. As suggested in the video, people are choosing what to spend on. Holiday/travelling is the priority since open up which is normal. Finding bargains in China is everybody interest. I've recently been in HK, it's a bit quieter but not as the video shown. Lunch time in Central are packed. People has to queue to go into certain restaurants. At the end of the day, it's all about choices. Also if landlords willing to lower the rent, lots of things will be cheaper. Every country has security law. If it's that scary, there wouldn't be so many people going to China to eat and shop everyday

Remember Hong Kong was a British colony for 99years, forgot that did we not. It was a financial hub.

Thanks to Chinese communist party 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I have worked in Hong Kong 3 times over the last 23 years. China is choking Hong Kong. No respect for the people or society of Hong Kong, a wonderful place, full of life, hard working people, and great things to do - something for everyone.

Socialism never fails to destroy economies.

Karma. Hong Kong hawkers and shop assistants used to be rude and arrogant and “looked down” on people from the mainland.

In the early 2000s when I visited Hong Kong, there was a long line up for afternoon tea at The Peninsula. I wonder what it's like now. Perhaps full of mainland day trippers looking for the washroom?

I just came back from HK a week ago. Only 2 floors in the malls are alive the rest are empty. But that's a different story on high end malls around Canton Ave.

Someone I knew who was born and grew up in HK decided to leave HK and starts a new life in UK with her fam, seeing ppl leaving u could guess how bad it is. Life is like a carousel, I remember when HKnese that I met bragged about how cool HK was, and that they had UK passport too, now the carousel has turned.

Visited HK in ‘17. Stayed at Tsim Tsa Tsui. Very vibrant. So sad to see that the hustle & bustle died.

I just went to Hong Kong in December. It’s still very, very packed. It’s not true that restaurants arent doing well. They are as busy as ever although the prices are super high, almost the same as prices in Singapore. Of course some restaurants closed down because of the closure due to pandemic, but new ones have replaced them. I had to wait for 1.5 hours to dine on christmas eve in Admiralty. And there’s no cheap restaurant there. It’s true about shops though. Prices of goods, especially electronics, used to be cheaper in HK. Now I can find those stuff for less in my own country. And I think the reason why wealthy mainland chinese dont shop in HK anymore is because chinese cities have now surpassed HK. All the luxury boutiques have now opened in china. I went to shanghai, and it’s now a much more modern city than HK. I still like HK better because nobody in china spoke english. It was hard for me just to buy food in shanghai.

The situaton in Hong Kong most probably has to do with cheaper prices in Shenzhen and not so much about the security legislation. In Vancouver, Canada, many Vancourites travelled to Bellingham to shop because of the cheaper prices. Just plain competition. By the way, I can buy electronic goods and camera cheaper in Canada than in Hong Kong. I have been to Hong Kong many times. Not much to do there.

HK collapsed the moment it was returned back to China. Nowadays, most young people want to leave and start a new life abroad which is evident with immigration schemes such as UK's BNO which has attracted over 150k Hong Kong people to leave in the past 3-4 years.

Hong Kong is like a lot other metropolis cities depend on tourism and downtown workers to survive. The pandemic literally change the world overnight with people working remotely and traveling less. Most mainland Chinese are now rather spent their money domestically cause of the hatred and resentment the world has toward the origins of Covid. So sad to see one of my favorite city in the world comes to this. But Hong Kong people are tough and resilient.

I can't believe it. It's been a while since I've been there (early 2010s), but it was such a great, full of energy city.

00:29 Mong Kong? Firstly yes the economy isn't what it used to be but it is far from a dead city. Also you can always find some malls that are dead, malls that once was crowded but now empty, anywhere in the world that exists. I am not at all defending China and I love HK but while the economy will never be the same as before but it isn't dead, not yet anyway. It is definitely becoming more Chinese, sad, very sad to the many who built this city and loved it.

It really depends on when / what time you took the video of the stores and where. Come to city gate Tung Chung and you can still see people (especially tourist and China tourists ) buying things at the stores there. Things are expensive due to inflation and raising costs.

Steamed rice? At this time of year? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?

This video is massively misleading, if not complete nonsense for many of the quotes. I visited HK in 2022 and 2023, the difference in footfall was stark but on both occasions Tsim Sha Tsui and all of the other areas I visited were really lively. K11 was vibrant, same for Harbour City Mall, and walking down Nathan Road the streets and shops were busy - not to mention this would be considered off-peak tourist time. I believe the problem is that people have such an anti-China view that they are willing to believe anything.

Damn! Taking a plane to live normally for a brief moment. That's quite sad.

The last time I went to HK, I told myself that I will never visit it again. It used to be one of my fave Asian cities but a lot has changed since. My last trip was with my family about 10 years ago. The Chinese tourists there spoilt every thing. 1) I queued at my hotel for a free shuttle bus to the city. Every morning, the Chinese tourists would cut the queue and the hotel staff has to tell them to queue up (I am actually quite surprized that you need to be told to queue every morning!) 2) Went to HK DIsneyland. I was out of the theme park in 2 hours because no one was queueing. When I was in the queue for the roller coaster ride, someone would say "Excuse me, I need to go in front because my mother is in front of the queue". The next person would say his uncle is in front and it went on like this FOREVER and I never got to ride the roller coaster. 3) When using the toilet in Disneyland, the janitor needed to yell at someone to close his door while he was shitting (I was in utter disbelief). 4) The food quality has declined. It used to be very delicious but my last trip gve me the impression that food was mediocre at best. My comment is just my personal experience and some people might have a better one. Sadly, I won't be going back anytime soon but I sure miss the old HK.

Hong kong is very expensive because rents which is controlled by big real estate group including British companies took advantaged of influence. But it is not as bad as reported here. When you still have to queue up at restos, it’s not that bad. It just lost its title as shopping capital because of online shopping, as what is happening worldwide.

It breaks my heart to see how the CCP is bringing HK and China to isolation and decadence.

LOL, the very attitude of the security guard is exactly what is keeping customers away. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Way to go, flycatcher.

Im an expat living in Honk Kong and its not true ,its expensive but HK is full of life and movement in the streets