How to make friends in HK: The expat’s guide to expanding your social circle

Moving to a new city comes with many different emotions. The strongest ones are excitement, and happiness, but also fear of the unknown and loneliness. During moving preparation, you will be mostly occupied with organizing, packing, and working with ReloSmart Movers HK. You won’t have much time to think about what you are going to do after you finish your relocation. Also, sometimes it feels like relocation will never end. However, days pass really quickly and you are now living in Hong Kong all by yourself. It’s not easy being completely alone in a new city where you don’t know anyone and especially in a huge city such as Hong Kong. There are many types of people and not all of them will wish you the best. For this reason, you will need to be open, but also careful when trying to make friends in HK.

The best ways to make friends in HK

There are many words to describe Hong Kong and the most common are an international city, densely populated, a financial center, and one of the most developed cities. Hong Kong has a population of around 7.5 million in a relatively small space which makes it one of the most densely populated cities. For this reason, relocation to Hong Kong can be a little bit overwhelming. Now, making long-lasting friends in Hong Kong can be challenging for a couple of reasons. First, most foreigners only come to Hong Kong for work and they leave after a couple of years. Additionally, Hong Kong residents are known to be hard workers and this leaves little time for personal life and making friends. But, there are still ways to make new friends such as the following:

  • Be open
  • Start with your neighbors
  • Join local clubs
  • Use social media
  • Make plans with your co-workers
two guys talking in bar
Don’t be afraid to meet new people

Start with your neighbors

The first place where you can meet new people is in your neighborhood. After all, this will be the place where you will spend the most time and see the same people. Also, there is a possibility that some of your neighbors will notice movers from an international moving company Hong Kong unloading your belongings and come to introduce themself. If you are shy to knock on your neighbor’s door to introduce yourself, you can start by greeting them in an elevator or the hallways. After a couple of greetings, you can start asking questions about the best places to see or what food to try. This could lead to an invitation to dinner or a coffee together. Sure, it’s not easy to approach strangers, but it’s even harder to be alone all the time in a foreign country and city.

Make friends through your pets or kids

A good way to make new friends in Hong Kong is through your pets or kids. Moving with your pets is not hard or complicated anymore as there are pet movers Hong Kong to hire. You will have to take your dog on regular walks around your neighborhood and local parks. On your walks, you will meet other pet owners and bond over your love for animals. After all, the best way to meet new friends is through the same interests. It’s almost the same story with your kids. It’s pretty easy to start a conversation in the park with other parents while watching your kids playing. Additionally, you should invite the parents of your child’s favorite friends over for coffee while the kids play. The next step is slowly expanding your social circle by meeting other friends of your new friends.

make friends in HK while walking your dog
Connect with new people through your dog and love for animals

Join clubs

Friends are easily made through mutual interest. Of course, you want to hang out with people with the same interests and hobbies. For this reason, you should join different clubs where you will meet other people with the same interest. For example, if you like reading books, then join a book club where you will meet other book lovers and talk about your favorite genres and characters. The same goes for any other hobbies. This is the reason why so many people make first friends at work. While you are talking about work, you also get to know personal information about your co-workers and what they like. Gather courage and ask your favorite co-worker for drinks after work and get to know them better. Strategize more about your plan while looking for the best relocation services Hong Kong for your relocation.

Social media can be very helpful

Meeting new people in person nowadays is a little bit outdated. Most people now have some sort of social media and use them regularly. Additionally, there are many apps for meeting new people or finding love. Facebook is a good place to start making new friends. There are many different groups on Facebook, and you can easily join one such as foreign in Hong Kong or something similar. People there are in the same situation as you and they will be more open to meeting new friends than residents. However, you still must be careful when making friends on the internet. You should never give personal information right away to strangers or meet people at lonely places for the first time. But luckily, there are more good people online than bad ones. It’s just important to recognize people who want you harm over good ones.

person holding a phone
Make friends in HK through social media apps

Be open and approachable in order to make friends in HK

One thing you should know is that you can’t make friends in HK overnight. Unless you are a social butterfly who doesn’t have a problem approaching new people, you will need time to meet new people and make new friends. Additionally, don’t expect that every person you meet will become your new friend. It can take a while to make friends. Yet, have hope because studies have shown that simply spending time with someone makes them like you more. Hence, make sure to continue showing up and saying hello at places like work, your favorite coffee shop, the gym, your kids’ bus stop, birthday parties, and other gatherings where you think your potential buddies might be present.

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I was hoping to avoid the struggles of having to relocate altogether, but with ReloSmart Movers by my side, I’m glad I didn’t. The team did an incredible job – they arrived on time and handled everything perfectly!

David R.

Sydney