Keep an eye out for these affordable goodies that make for thoughtful keepsakes from the city.
In a shopping mecca like Hong Kong, where chain stores, malls, and retail complexes are aplenty, finding the perfect souvenir can be a challenging feat. Fortunately, decision fatigue can be prevented. Here are four small, but unique, gift options that best capture the city's vibrant, local culture. Remember to get extras—you'll want to keep some of these for yourself.
Cased in tin jars that pay tribute to the city's mezmerizing neon signage, this buttery snack also doubles as an edible good luck charm: traditional Chinese characters meaning "Good Luck" and "Great Profit" are embossed on each cookie, available in milk tea and yuanyang (a half-coffee, half-milk-tea concotion unique to the city's cafes) flavors. Sold in a number of specialty stores throughout the city, and all proceeds are donated to local charity organizations benefitting the impoverished.
Balms, ointments, and medicated oils are seen as something of a cure-all in Hong Kong, many of which are based off of family recipes passed on from one generation to another. This healing balm from legacy brand Po Sum On claims to relieve everything from headaches to bug bites to muscle pain, and has been a household staple ever since the company's debut in 1907. The traditional packaging and invigorating smell make for a thoughtful present.
Any Hong Konger worth one's salt can tell you how significant the red-white-blue bag is to the local collective memory. These tricolor nylon bags first originated in the 1960s as a cheap carryall option for people to lug around heavy items, but have since been reinterpreted into runway inspiration and raw materials for souvenirs. The company rwb330 is a whimsical concept store that sells bags, posters, and small objects made with the durable fabric. Our favorite is the mini luggage tag.
These Chinese medicine tablets (pictured) will come in handy for anyone with a scratched voice or soar throat: Created with a Qing Dynasty herbal formula that landed in the hands of a Hong Kong merchant, this sweet alternative to cough syrup costs just under $1 per pack, and can be puchased at any major supermarkets and pharmacies. Legend has it that many well-known singers from Japan buy them in bulk whenever they have a concert in town.
