Hong Kong sometimes seems to have more nightlife than the rest of China put together, though a lot of it - particularly where heavy drinking and riotous behaviour is concerned - is expatriate rather than Chinese. In the pubs and bars you'll sometimes find live music and dancing .

Bars, pubs and clubs
The most concentrated collection of bars is in the Lan Kwai Fong area on Hong Kong Island. A stroll along Lan Kwai Fong Lane, and neighbouring streets, will take you past any number of possibilities for late-night carousing, with drinkers spilling out on to the street. Just up the hill from Lan Kwai Fong, the bars of SoHo are also becoming increasingly popular, and are slightly less raucous. Wanchai is another busy area after dark, though not so convenient for browsing as the various locations are more thinly scattered. Tsimshatsui is not generally known for its nightlife, though in fact there is something of a scene here, too, catering for both travellers and expats. Hart Avenue and Prat Avenue, west from Chatham Road South, are the best places to look for a drink, with several alternatives very close together. For up-to-the-minute listings consult the latest issue of HK Magazine or other listings publications.

Some venues charge an entrance fee on certain nights (generally Fridays and Saturdays), which ranges from around $50 to as much as $200 in the flashest clubs. In the early evening, on the other hand, a lot of places run happy hours - some lasting several hours - serving two drinks for the price of one. Opening times often extend well into the small hours. Live music , and sometimes even raves , can be found if you look hard, though they are unlikely to match what you're used to back home. For details, consult HK Magazine. The gay scene , while hardly prominent, is at least more active than in other Chinese cities, given that laws on homosexuality are more liberal here than on the mainland.

Shopping
Visitors are still coming to Hong Kong to go shopping despite the fact that the cost of living in the territory has risen above that of most other countries in the world. The famed electronic goods of Nathan Road, for example, are by no means cheap any more and when you consider the high possibility of some form of rip-off, you are probably best advised to buy your cameras and other gadgets at home. What is special about Hong Kong, however, is the enormous range of goods on offer - and all in such a tiny area of land. And some things are indeed cheap, particularly clothes , silk , jewellery , Chinese arts and crafts , some computer accessories and pirated goods . Many of these are made in the People's Republic. As a general rule you'll find that the farther you are from touristy Tsimshatsui, the cheaper your shopping becomes. Shops stay open late and are open daily. In Tsimshatsui, Causeway Bay and Wanchai, general hours are 10am-10pm; in Central it's 10am-7pm. For more detailed shopping listings, consult the HKTA shopping guide.