The REAL Hong Kong Transportation
- Melody Wong
- Dec 12, 2017
- 3 min read
I'm talking about public transportation here. The extensive metro system? The century-old "ding ding" tram? The double deck bus? Good guess but no. The transportation most representative of Hong Kong: Red Minibus.
We call it "Hung Wan", meaning the red mini van. Some also call it 亡命小巴, it translates to "the minibus that makes you lose your life".
We take it for several reasons:
1. It is fast.
2. It is really FAST.
3. It operates 24/7. Best option when the metro is closed.
4. It is an express bus. (meaning it is fast)
How fast is it actually? Good question. Due to numerous fatal traffic accidents caused by over-speeding, the law requires them to install a speed limiter in the minibus.
Red minibus drivers are so badass that they ignore the limiter and exceed the speed limit most of the time. That's why you will constantly see the speed display go crazy and make annoying loud "beep" sound. While you can be sure the usual 1-hour metro ride will be cut to under 30 minutes, you have to take the risk of possibly losing your life in the insane car race.
But Hong Kong locals are happy to take the risk as long as it takes them home asap. We love everything to be fast. We NEED it to be fast. We have a pretty fast pace of living like most of the major cities in the world. There is so much to do in one day and 24 hours are definitely not enough.
We don't have any minute to lose so the red minibus is the best option. What's even better is that is operates late in the night. If you are enjoying Hong Kong so much that you forget about how late it is already, your fastest and cheapest option is likely to be red minibus. You can find them in the busy parts of the city: Mongkok, Jordan, Causeway Bay.
The catch? Even the locals don't know how to get off the first time they take it. The route and the price are always a mystery. There is no display showing you what the next stop is or a detailed route map telling you where the minibus will stop. When you want to get off, there is no button to push. You must yell at the driver to tell him to stop at the next block.
How do we get off then? Ask the grumpy driver to stop at where we want to go. If you are shy or can't communicate with the cantonese-speaking driver, the safest way to go is to ask a fellow passenger to help with the yelling part.
Pro-tip: Prepare the exact amount of money before you get on the minibus. If the driver has to wait for you to count the money, he will probably get super pissed off and start saying nasty word about your mom.
Red minibus is so popular in Hong Kong that there is a sci-fi thriller about it. Adapted from an online novel, it tells a story about how a red minibus entered an alternate universe after crossing a tunnel to Taipo. If you a really into the local culture, check it out before coming so you can take the red minibus to the places in the movie.
Credits:
Red minibus routes (Unfortunately it is in Chinese only)
Photo by Annie Spratt, Dan Freeman and Richard Lee on Unsplash
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