General Information » Essential Info » Crime & Safety

Hong Kong is a safe place to live and visit, with comparatively low crime rates. Although you are unlikely to experience any violent crime, you should be aware that pickpockets are known to operate at Hong Kong’s tourist areas. Simple common-sense steps will minimise the chance of any problems:

• Leave as many valuables as possible in your hotel safe, or better still, leave them at home.

• Keep bags closed, and valuable items such as wallets, mobile phones, etc, out of sight.

• Keep wallets and bags in front of your body where you can see and feel them.

• Don’t leave bags hanging on the backs of seats in restaurants. Instead keep them on your lap or, if they are too large, at your feet in front of you.

If you’re visiting during summer, typhoons are another potential danger. The vast majority of these pass by with a few days of wind and rain, but little real damage. You may even start to wonder what all the fuss is about. But if you read about past typhoons, with a wind gust at 234km per hour in 1999, or sea levels 23 feet above normal in 1962, you’ll realise that it is worth giving them due respect when the typhoon signal no. 8 or higher is hoisted.