Reality check: Is Vancouver like Hong Kong? Is there any truth to “Hongcouver”?

[LotusLand]

A great comparison between Vancouver and Hong Kong.


http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2013/06/r...to-hongcouver/

[Pinion]

He's way overthinking that one. It was called Hongcouver because of all the asian faces and similar looking "glass towers in front of green mountains" appearance. No one thinks Vancouver is like Hong Kong.

[SpongeG]

i grew up in northern BC and people up there would say "hongcouver" when i mentioned i was moving down that way and that was way back in the 80's

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Pinion

He's way overthinking that one. It was called Hongcouver because of all the asian faces and similar looking "glass towers in front of green mountains" appearance. No one thinks Vancouver is like Hong Kong.

No kidding. Also, 15 years too late.

[giallo]

I've spent A LOT of time in both cities, and besides there being good Cantonese food in both, and obviously, a lot of CBHK (Canadian-born Hong Kongers) in both*, they are nothing alike.

*Seriously, there are so many Hong Kong Canadians that left Vancouver for the greener pastures of HK, it's not even funny. It seems like every fifth HKer I meet grew up in Vancouver.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by giallo

I've spent A LOT of time in both cities, and besides there being good Cantonese food in both, and obviously, a lot of CBHK (Canadian-born Hong Kongers) in both*, they are nothing alike.

*Seriously, there are so many Hong Kong Canadians that left Vancouver for the greener pastures of HK, it's not even funny. It seems like every fifth HKer I meet grew up in Vancouver.

Passport of Convenience, thanks to the selling of citizenship.

[SpongeG]

it was always a racist term back in the day - it was politically incorrect to say it, some still think it is

[Hed Kandi]

I've got a Hongover

[osirisboy]

I say not at all similar and one reason is there are hardly any visible minorities In hk it seems. It's what 98% Asian?

[SpongeG]

and when you leave vancouver its like 2% minority

[giallo]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

I say not at all similar and one reason is there are hardly any visible minorities In hk it seems. It's what 98% Asian?

I don't have the exact numbers, but I'd wager it's more than 2%. HK is easily the most cosmopolitan of all the East Asian cities (not counting South East Asia), and it's very apparent walking around. There a lot of Indians and Filipinos that were born and raised and HK. Actually, there are a lot of South East Asian people living there. Sure, they are all technically Asian, but they are certainly visible minorities. The amount of white people working and living there is very visible as well.

Basically, when walking through HK, you feel like you're in a large, international city filled with people from all over the world. It's no Vancouver in the diversity department, but it's no slouch either (especially for an Asian city).

[vansky]

comparing vancouver with hong kong, is like comparing calgary with vancouver...2.5 times the diff of population in both ways...hong kong is no where close to the heaven and earth offered in this place, we got everything they have except the guts to go taller than 200m...

and can u imagine ppl in hong kong going on a forum like this to shit their time because they wana see more highrises....it's a ridiculous comparison in terms of infrastructure.People dont even care if there's a 400m in the planning. but that being said, is it true that calgarians would scream at sth like a 150m being built somewhere else other than its downtown core.?..if that's the case, that's nuts man...but there' salways edmonton and again winnipeg, and of course...red deer, yellow knife and on and on on...but is it worth your life to grab on to some kind of status and comparisons at all?

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by Hed Kandi

I've got a Hongover

Me too...

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by giallo

I don't have the exact numbers, but I'd wager it's more than 2%. HK is easily the most cosmopolitan of all the East Asian cities (not counting South East Asia), and it's very apparent walking around. There a lot of Indians and Filipinos that were born and raised and HK. Actually, there are a lot of South East Asian people living there. Sure, they are all technically Asian, but they are certainly visible minorities. The amount of white people working and living there is very visible as well.

Basically, when walking through HK, you feel like you're in a large, international city filled with people from all over the world. It's no Vancouver in the diversity department, but it's no slouch either (especially for an Asian city).

According to 2011 Census in Hong Kong:

Race, population, percentage

Chinese 6,620,393 93.6%
Indonesian 133,377 1.9%
Filipino 133,018 1.9%
White 17,342 0.2%
Indian 28,616 0.4%
Pakistani 18,042 0.3%
Nepalese 16,518 0.2%
Japanese 12,580 0.2%
Thai 11,213 0.2%
Other Asian 12,247 0.2%
Others 30,336 0.4%

So depends on your definition of Asian:

Asian: 98.9%
Non Asian: 1.1%

So he is quite correct actually according to the census. If you only count "Chinese" as the Asian portion then it is almost 94%. If you count Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai as "Asian" then 94.4% but I mean we're slicing 20,000 people +- here based on definition.

If you are comparing just Chinese vs others and looking at it compared to say Shanghai then ok it is far more 'culturally diverse' if 93.6% in Hong Kong vs 98.8% in Shanghai (5.2% difference) is such a major factor.

I would call Metro Vancouver far more diverse (original birth 2011):

English: 20.8%
Chinese: 19.0%
Scottish: 14.6%
Canadian: 14.4%
Irish: 11.4%
Indian (India): 9.6%
German: 9.3%
French: 6.1%
Filipino: 5.3%
Ukrainian: 3.7%
Italian: 3.6%
Dutch: 3.2%
Polish: 2.8%
Russian: 2.3%
Korean: 2.2%
Norwegian: 2.1%
Welsh: 1.9%
Spanish: 1.8%

Don't see Australia on the list but most of them live in Whistler so...

Not a big African contingent though nor South American/Mexican. Other than that, a fair amount of North American, European, Asian coverage. The majority are still english speaking natives at 63.1%.

[Pinion]

I find it hard to believe there are more Scots in Vancouver than Canadians. :/ Even though I do feel like a tiny minority in much of the city.

[dleung]

350,000 Hong Kong residents, more than 1 in 20 people, hold Canadian citizenships. Guess which city most of them got it from?

[Valley_Refugee]

Nothing on VanCityBuzz should ever really be taken seriously. What a pointless article. The term "Hongcouver" is a somewhat racist term used to reference the large number of ethnic Chinese from Hong Kong in the city. Plain and simple.

[Doug_Cgy]

Originally Posted by vansky

comparing vancouver with hong kong, is like comparing calgary with vancouver...2.5 times the diff of population in both ways...hong kong is no where close to the heaven and earth offered in this place, we got everything they have except the guts to go taller than 200m...

and can u imagine ppl in hong kong going on a forum like this to shit their time because they wana see more highrises....it's a ridiculous comparison in terms of infrastructure.People dont even care if there's a 400m in the planning. but that being said, is it true that calgarians would scream at sth like a 150m being built somewhere else other than its downtown core.?..if that's the case, that's nuts man...but there' salways edmonton and again winnipeg, and of course...red deer, yellow knife and on and on on...but is it worth your life to grab on to some kind of status and comparisons at all?

Huh? What do high rises in Calgary have to do with similarities/differences between HK & Van?

For what it's worth, and contrary to popular belief, we do build high rises/skyscrapers outside of the core. University City, Westgate, and areas on Macleod Trail near Chinook.

Back on topic - I think Vancouver & Hong Kong are both amazing cities, but distinctly different.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Valley_Refugee

Nothing on VanCityBuzz should ever really be taken seriously. What a pointless article. The term "Hongcouver" is a somewhat racist term used to reference the large number of ethnic Chinese from Hong Kong in the city. Plain and simple.

I think you've pinpointed it exactly. Vancouver has always had a large Chinese population relative to its size since the railway pushed through in 1886. What's new is the sudden, large, surge of HK people in recent years, and for the first time in the history of the city, it is they, not the European-origin Canadians, who have the big money, real estate, and a lot of influence. Some people are ok with that. Others aren't. Hence the pejorative nickname.

[Hourglass]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

I think you've pinpointed it exactly. Vancouver has always had a large Chinese population relative to its size since the railway pushed through in 1886. What's new is the sudden, large, surge of HK people in recent years, and for the first time in the history of the city, it is they, not the European-origin Canadians, who have the big money, real estate, and a lot of influence. Some people are ok with that. Others aren't. Hence the pejorative nickname.

Good point, although it shouldn't be 'Hongcouver' now, but maybe 'Shangcouver'. Immigration from HK has dwindled to nothing while immigration from the PRC is increasing -- plus it's the Mainland Chinese with all the money nowadays.

Anyways, it's a dated name going back to pre-1997 handover fears. Good dim sum aside, Vancouver and HK are in many ways diametric opposites of each other.