Fragrant Harbour. That’s what Hong Kong literally means in Chinese. Isn’t it amazing—how we have heard the name of all our lives and had no idea what it really means? Well, we hope there’s more about the city that you do not know yet, because we present to you our favorite top seven interesting unknown facts about Hong Kong.

These will surprise you, stun you, and shock you. The question is, how excited are you? In case the city exceeds your expectations tremendously, you might want to visit this amazing city. If that happens, contact the leading travel agency, Next Holidays, and book your package for a trip to Hong Kong.  

Now, where were we? 

Fact #1: Hong Kong is not just one city—it’s made up of 263 islands!

If you haven’t visited Hong Kong, you might think of it as just skylines and city vibes. However, Hong Kong isn’t technically a city. Rather, it’s made up of 263 islands. Yes, you read that right. It is one of the best facts about Hong Kong.  

You might have already heard of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, which are the two most popular islands of Hong Kong. Even though the rest are lesser known, they are still unique and must be seen.  

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Fact #2: Hong Kong is home to the world’s longest escalator.

Did you know about one of the most popular Hong Kong interesting places, the escalator? The Central-Mid-Levels escalator is the longest one on planet Earth. Can you guess how long? Well, it’s 800 meters long. In addition to this, it is also a vertical climb of 135 meters. The entire journey takes around 20 to 25 minutes. Imagine telling someone, “I’ll be there in 20, on the escalator right now.”

Fact #3: Hong Kong takes its tea very seriously.

Oh, we’re not referring to gossip. We’re literally referring to “tea.” When we talk about Hong Kong culture facts, this is one of the most important ones. The people of Hong Kong enjoy everything about tea, from a new tea shop to a long-lasting Chinese tea ceremony.

Milk tea here is the most popular recipe, which consists of black tea, sugar, and evaporated milk. So, when you visit this beautiful city, don’t forget to go to a tea ceremony, or at least have a cup of milk tea.

Fact #4: Hong Kong is the city with the most skyscrapers in the world.

If you’re looking for cool facts about Hong Kong, we might have the coolest one. Hong Kong is known for its skyscrapers, but so are New York City, Dubai, and several other cities across the globe. Yet, Hong Kong manages to be the city with the highest number of skyscrapers in the world, with over 8,000 skyscrapers.  

The tallest building is the International Commerce Centre or ICC, located in West Kowloon. It is around half a kilometer in height and is crowned by the renowned The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. The swimming pool and bar of the hotel are located on the 118th floor of the building, which further makes them the highest ones across the globe.

So, what do you say about:

• Visiting a city with the largest number of skyscrapers (Hong Kong) 
• Visiting the tallest skyscraper among all those skyscrapers (ICC) 
• Staying at a hotel in the tallest skyscraper (The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong) 
• Swimming in the highest indoor pool in the world (the pool at The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong) 

We’re sure it’s going to be even more exciting than it sounds, right?

Fact #5: Most apartments and buildings do not have a 4th floor.

Here we come with another one of the top Hong Kong history and culture facts. But before you try to understand this, let us remind you of the fact that several hotels do not have room number 13 since it’s considered to bring bad luck.  

While there’s no history associated with anything happening in room numbered 13 in a hotel, people do have a phobia and request to be put in another room. Thus, you are very unlikely to find this number in hotels throughout the world.  

Just like this, most apartments and buildings in Hong Kong do not have a fourth floor. Technically, there is a fourth floor, but it is not numbered so. There are first, second, third, fifth, sixth, and so on. The reason lies in its cultural belief—number four is supposed to bring bad luck. In fact, its pronunciation in Chinese is very close to the meaning “death.”

Recommended: Hong Kong Tour Packages from UAE  

Fact #6: Cathay Pacific has been awarded “World’s Best Airline” multiple times.

Cathay Pacific, which is Hong Kong’s home airline, has proven to be more than perfect. From 2017 to 2025, the airline has been rewarded with several titles, including:

• 7 times Skytrax World’s Best Airline 
• 7 times Airline Ratings World’s Top 20 Safest Airlines  
• Several awards at the Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards 

These are not even half of the total awards won. As a matter of fact, the airline has won 54 awards in total since 2017. Isn’t this one of the most interesting facts about Hong Kong? Clearly, the city is doing well in terms of land (the escalator and skyscrapers) and even the sky (through Cathay Pacific).

Fact #7: Hong Kong is one of the top cities with the highest number of restaurants per capita.

The final fun fact about Hong Kong is that the city is among the top cities in the world when it comes to the maximum number of restaurants per capita. Yes, that’s true, my friend—Hong Kong has several restaurants.

This is due to the high population density and small size in terms of geography. But remember, it’s not just about the number of restaurants. In fact, the dining scene here is truly competitive, especially in fine dining.  

Alright, we’ll let you in on a secret: Hong Kong has some of the best Michelin-star restaurants, and that too, at really reasonable prices. When you visit this city, you’ll realize how cheap a meal is here at Michelin-starred places. You’ll be glad to have come here.