Recently, a video filmed on a tour bus has been circulating online, showing a Hong Kong tour guide speaking in Mandarin to mainland Chinese tourists, introducing the legal and cultural differences between Hong Kong and China, and warning travelers not to bring “mainland thinking” to Hong Kong, including practices such as eating dog meat and giving red envelopes, as it may violate Hong Kong laws.
The video was uploaded to the Chinese video platform “TikTok” on November 15th, with a duration of about 2 minutes. In the video, a female tour guide emphasized that Hong Kong operates under the common law system, which is completely different from the legal system in mainland China, and does not condone practices like using connections to gain advantages. She shared an incident where a mainland Chinese mother tried to bribe a Hong Kong school principal with 20,000 yuan to help her daughter secure a spot in a school. While the mother may have thought that amount was insignificant in China, it constituted a serious offense in Hong Kong. The principal refused the money, reported the incident to the authorities, and the mainland mother was sentenced to 4 months in prison.
Apart from warnings regarding corruption and bribery laws, the tour guide also highlighted Hong Kong’s animal rights legislation. Consuming dog meat, mistreating cats and dogs, or even harming birds are all considered criminal offenses in Hong Kong. Violations of these laws can lead to charges of animal cruelty.
On a cultural level, the tour guide shared personal experiences to illustrate the importance Hong Kong people place on self-discipline and integrity. She recounted an instance where a tourist from Beijing attempted to offer her a tip, saying “no one would know,” to which she gracefully declined by saying, “Heaven knows, Earth knows, and I know.” This exemplified the emphasis Hong Kong residents place on values of self-discipline and integrity.
The video on the “TikTok” platform garnered over 170,000 likes, 18,000 favorites, and was shared 7,800 times, sparking vigorous discussions online. On the social media platform “Threads,” many Hong Kong netizens praised the tour guide as a “conscientious guide” and a “good guide,” believing that society needs more guides like her, and suggesting that this educational content should be made compulsory for all mainland Chinese tourists. Some netizens recommended that the government strongly advocate for this type of tourist education.
While some netizens acknowledged the tour guide’s sincere efforts, they pointed out that many mainland Chinese tourists visiting Hong Kong do not strive to adapt and learn the local customs, but instead bring their mainland practices to Hong Kong, causing discrimination against the few mainland individuals who genuinely wish to integrate and learn from the local culture.