Once your life admin is sorted, it’s time to get social! Meeting people and making new friends can feel overwhelming. But, don’t worry, there are loads of clubs and associations here in Hong Kong, run by groups with national identities, charitable endeavours or social activities in common. Joining a social club a great way to meet like-minded people, and develop some new hobbies and interests. Whether you have just moved, or have been in living in Hong Kong for a while and would like to expand your interests, you are bound to find something to suit in this guide!
Join an association
A number of social associations are run by members of the expat community to reflect the culture of their home countries. They’re not exclusive and they welcome membership from all, regardless of citizenship. These associations can be a good low-cost starting point and they often host great events, field teams for dragonboat racing or share experiences for others to better understand Hong Kong culture. Here are some popular ones.
- American Women’s Association (awa.org.hk)
- Australian Association of Hong Kong (ozhongkong.com)
- Alliance Française of Hong Kong (afhongkong.org)
- Canadian Club (cancham.org)
- India Association (indiaassociationhk.com)
- Italian Women’s Association (iwa.org.hk)
- New Zealand Society of Hong Kong (facebook.com/NewZealandSocietyHK/)
- South African Association of Hong Kong (saahk.org)
- Spanish Speaking Women’s Association of Hong Kong (amhh.org.hk)
- St Andrew’s Society (Scottish) (standrewshk.org/en/)
- St David’s Society (Welsh) (stdavidshongkong.com)
- St George’s Society (English) (rssg.org.uk)
- St Patrick’s Society (Irish) (stpatrickshk.com)
Try a social or private club
Whether your interests are sporting or cultural, there’s a wealth of clubs here to choose from. A number of exclusive recreational clubs around the city date from the colonial era. Private members’ clubs can be hard to join, with long waiting lists and prohibitive membership fees running to tens of thousands of dollars. If you’re lucky enough to have been offered club membership as part of an expat package, you can enjoy excellent sport and leisure facilities, and great dining in luxurious surroundings.
- American Club (americanclubhk.com)
- American Community Theatre (acthongkong.com)
- Foreign Correspondents’ Club (fcchk.org)
- HK Cricket Club (hkcc.org)
- HK Football Club (hkfc.com.hk)
- HK Gardening Society (hkgardeningsociety.org)
- HK Ladies Circle (ladiescirclehk.com)
- HK Welsh Male Voice Choir (you don’t have to be Welsh!)
- HK Women’s Choir (thkwc.org)
- Helena May Club (helenamay.com)
- Ladies Recreation Club (lrc.com.hk)
- Royal Geographical Society (rgshk.org.hk)
- Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (rhkyc.org.hk)
- The Hong Kong Club (thehongkongclub.hk)
- YWCA (ywca.org.hk)
- YMCA (ymcahk.org.hk)
Get Networking
There are also a number of business networking events, organised by the various business chambers. Some of the most active Chambers are:
- AustCham (austcham.com.hk)
- AmCham (amcham.org.hk)
- BritCham (britcham.com)
- CanCham (cancham.org)
- FCCIHK (fccihk.com)
- HK General Chamber of Commerce (chamber.org.hk)
Get Connected
There are loads of community-based Facebook groups for expats in Hong Kong, and they’re full of tips about local services and issues. Expat Living has its own Facebook and Instagram pages, of course: Like us at facebook.com/expatlivingHK and instagram.com/expatlivingHK.
This article first appeared in the City Guide 2021/22 issue of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.
