Hong Kong

Holidays by Destination Asia Hong Kong Attitudes to Children 

Hong Kong is a working city and on the whole, although the locals like children, particularly pretty ones, they don't have the time to coo over them. In addition there is something of a hangover from the ex-pat days that children should be seen and not heard and this remains in places where richer business people hang out - including some of the bigger name hotels.

Play

In the centre play areas are in short supply though theya re provided for example in the country parks and increasingly commercial outlets are providing something. For example some Pacific Coffee and Starbucks outlets have small play areas. In addition it is worth remembering that a number of hotels offer a pool and failing this there is a complex for example on Kowloon (see Activities under What to See and Where to Go).

Baby Changing Facilities

Rare and if supplied, always in the women's lavatories. La Leche League members recommend the following spots for changing and breastfeeding:
The Mandarin Oriental, Central/ 1st Floor powder room near the Grill, described as providing big chairs and phone plus nice attendants.
Marriott, Conrad, or Shangri-La, Admiralty Most have washrooms with a bench or you can look for the more secluded chairs in lobbies.
Peninsula Hotel, Tsimshatsui Take the lift to the first floor bathroom.
Hong Kong Hotel, Kowloon side near Star Ferry.
Try also any other large hotels as these usually have comfortable chairs in the lobbies and clean washrooms suitable for changing babies.
Jusco Department Store, Tai Koo On the 2nd floor near the baby department there is a changing area and a place to breastfeed.
Pacific Coffee and Starbucks shops Most have large chairs and some have play areas for older children.
Many of the newer Superstore Park N Shops have baby changing/feeding areas with chairs in them. Festival Walk (Kowloon Tong), Paradise Mall (Heng Fa Chuen), Maritime Square (Tsing Yi), Citygate (Tung Chung)
All Mothercare stores have changing areas and usually a chair to sit on. The stores are in Princes Building, Ocean Terminal, Windsor House and New Town Plaza (Shatin).
Outside Toys R Us in Ocean Terminal there is a special glassed in area to breastfeed and change babies under the escalator.
Marks and Spencer, Wing On, Lane Crawford or UNY may allow mothers to use their changing rooms if not too busy. Sometimes there are chairs. If not, the carpets are relatively clean.
Ikea in Causeway Bay, Shatin and Prince Edward (not far from Fa Yuen Street market) have changing tables and sometimes a chair. The cafeteria is usually quiet and suitable for breastfeeding.
Chep Lap Kok Airport There are baby changing rooms so you can change and feed your baby before getting on the plane. This is great if you need to wait a long time for your departure.
McDonalds or a Chinese Dim Sum type restaurant. They are always noisy, so breastfeeding seems less obtrusive.
Dan Ryans, Shooters (on the Peak) are good places to eat with kids and they have changing tables.
Jaspas Restaurant, Sai Kung A good place to eat with kids, very comfortable with breastfeeding mums in the restaurant.
Olympic MTR station/shopping centre Padded sofas and cubicles with lockable stalls to breastfeed in.

Buggies

Although these are fine in specific areas such as one of the big shopping malls, they are not ideal as there are a lot of steps everywhere and streets at exhaust level are fairly polluted. The MTR is now designed to accept wheelchairs and buggies but buses for example are not and a sling or backpack would always be easier to get round with.

Breastfeeding

Having dropped to just 10% of babies in the early ‘80s, the rate has risen now to around 60% with government encouragement. This means that, although considered theoretically a good thing, there is a generation who are not entirely used to the idea. Furthermore, the 60% rate only applies to those who start, and most stop after one month and Chinese tradition rules that for the first month mother and baby should stay indoors. The Peninsula Hotel for example asked a breastfeeding mother to leave though there was a big fuss about this. A La Leche League member in Hong Kong reports seeing a marked increase in breastfeeding so things are changing. If you feel nervous see the notes above on places to change and feed babies.

Babysitting

Widely available through hotels. Most state that they offer qualified carers although most nannies employed by residents are in fact Filipinas, generally without qualifications but extremely child-centred.

Baby Stuff

Any consumer good you might like for your child will be here - at a price. Reusable nappies, wipes etc are sold in places like department stores as well as pharmacies.