Shopping in Hong Kong, China, and the US

[Randy W]

Plus an extra little treat - the Star Ferry

 

 

I decided to upgrade my cell phone, and that Hong Kong was the place to do it. Hong Kong phones provide access to the Google services, which phones purchased in China do not. I had rooted my previous phone, but was still unable to access Google, unless I was willing to burn it into the ROM (I was not).

 

While I was there, I decided to upgrade my camera.

 

 

So without a whole lot of shopping around, this is what I found. Prices listed are from the Ocean Center Harbor City mall in Hong Kong, Taobao in China (which I expect to be similar to prices here in Yulin), and Amazon and B&H Photo in the U.S. Amazon seems to be a good point of comparison for just about everything, while B&H Photo seemed to come up often with Google searches.

 

Prices in the left three columns are in the local currency. Prices in the right columns are converted to USD for comparison. The prices I actually paid are in green.

 

 

China and Hong Kong do not charge sales taxes, which you may have to pay in the U.S. Merchants on Taobao often do not charge shipping.

 

The Hong Kong merchants were extremely pleasant, helpful, and knowledgeable. One even referred me to another shop across the harbor when he didn't have the phone I wanted - Samsung Galaxy S8.

 

Sony A5100 and Samsung S8

 

The Hong Kong merchants threw in a LOT of little extras, including an external battery pack, carrying pouch, 32 GB SD card, protector filter, and UV filter computer glasses.

 

 

AND . . . when we left the shopping center, we decided to take the ferry across to Central. I was surprised to see that the ferry was the Star Ferry, which not very long ago was the primary means of crossing between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula at Tsim Sha Tsui

 

Quote

A crossing of Victoria Harbour on a Star Ferry has been named by the National Geographic of Traveler as one of the "fifty places of a lifetime".

 

 

 

 

http://www.starferry.com.hk/sites/default/files/topbanner.jpg

 

StarFerry.hk

 

The Star Ferry was one of the first scenes in a Hollywood film filmed in Hong Kong in 1960, starring William Holden and Nancy Kwan, and played a key role in their meeting.

 

CFL topic - the World of Suzie Wong

 

See Gwulo: Old Hong Kong for some interesting comparisons between the filming locations and present day Hong Kong.

 

All in all, I think I would just as soon do my shopping in China. Buying the cell phone in Hong Kong was a necessity for this Westerner, however, because of the local (Chinese) regulations in effect. Many English language websites are affected by the restrictions of the Great Firewall. This includes some of the Communist Party's own English-language websites, include the People's Daily, Xinhua, and many others which use Google, Facebook, and/or YouTube functionalities.

 

Cameras do not seem to be affected by Chinese regulation. You can simply choose English or Chinese within the camera's setup.

Edited January 3, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

A tip from the Shenzhen Expat Facebook group - Check out

 

Tuen Mun Trend Plaza 屯門時代廣場

$$ · Shopping Mall

Tuen Mun, 85 Hong Kong

 

 

- or -

 

Quote

You don't need to go further, cross the border to Sheung Shui MTR station from LouHu or Lok Ma Chau MTR border/port MTR station. There are two shopping malls which are accessible by bridge walk-way from the station. There are a lot of HK chain stores selling flagship Android model phones in all brands.

 

I bought my S8 last year at Sheung Shui, Wilson Store. This is at that 2nd shopping mall to the right from the bridge walkway coming out of Sheung Shui MTR station.

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Shuttling goods from Shenzhen into Hong Kong has become so common, the phrase “reverse daigou” has become a buzzword — and a symbol of how much has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic first erupted.

Read more: http://ow.ly/MRtU50NlLZp

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/photos/a.1604152706570250/3481084668877035

 

 

Hong Kong’s ‘Daigou’ Trade Is Back. But This Time, It Has Reversed.
For years, Chinese “daigou” made money by bringing hard-to-find luxury products from Hong Kong to the mainland. Now, as the city’s borders reopen, they are ferrying goods in the other direction.

Quote

 

For years, Shenzhen resident Elaine Kong made money by ferrying goods from Hong Kong into the Chinese mainland. Each weekend, she would cross the border and buy up crates of infant formula, Lancôme eye cream, and other products that were pricey or hard to find on the mainland, and then sell them on at a profit after returning home.

Now, as China finally eases travel restrictions after three years of strict pandemic controls, Kong is making regular trips across the Hong Kong border once again. But this time, she is carrying products in the opposite direction.

For the past few weeks, the 30-year-old has been buying trendy snacks and bubble tea in Shenzhen, and then delivering them to clients in Hong Kong. The demand from Hong Kongers and mainland students in the city has been astonishing, Kong says. She has already made dozens of trips and handed over more than 100 items.

 

 . . .