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Mainland Chinese are always yelling. They yell all the time, even when just carrying on a normal conversation about the weather.
You live in Macao so I'm sure you notice it a lot. In HK and Macao, you can usually tell the Mainlanders apart just from the yelling. It always makes me think of the loud and obnoxious Americans stereotype.
You live in Macao so I'm sure you notice it a lot. In HK and Macao, you can usually tell the Mainlanders apart just from the yelling. It always makes me think of the loud and obnoxious Americans stereotype.
But people in the north often say Cantonese people (including HKers) are loud. Probably when the language is unfamiliar, it just becomes noise.
I'm not a talkative person and I hate those who are too loud too. Often times they do that on purpose, trying to make other people follow what they are saying. It is a way of ego boosting.
For me that would be reversed then since I speak Mandarin and not Cantonese. They were SHOUTING in public, regardless of language. OTOH, I think that the Cantonese language does sound rather conducive to yelling and my Cantonese in-laws "yell" at each other all the time in private. So I can see where both sides are coming from.
I also recognize that my opinion on all of this is limited to my very specific experiences.
You live in Macao so I'm sure you notice it a lot. In HK and Macao, you can usually tell the Mainlanders apart just from the yelling. It always makes me think of the loud and obnoxious Americans stereotype.
Yeah, the yelling and a small list of other characteristics. The way they dress, and act. It's really clear.
Well, every time I hear loud yelling, I always listen to see if it is either Cantonese or Mandarin. I'd say I easily hear a mix of both, with a higher percentage of Cantonese-speakers, as most Mainlanders in Macau are from the Cantonese-speaking areas of China. I've heard plenty of loud/yelling Mandarin-speakers as well though. However, I will also say that most Macau-born people are Cantonese-speakers, and Macau-born Chinese almost never yell and shout, nor do all the weirdness that you see with Mainland tourists.
The yelling/shouting is a very clear sign of a group of Mainlanders. But, also when I take certain bus routes (i.e. the ones going to the China border), that I'll see an element of completely unnecessary pushing and shoving to get on buses, along with oblivious yelling across buses, or to friends sitting right next to each other, or yelling/shouting loudly into cellphones. Excessive yelling.
Probably the absolute worst place to see Mainland tourists shouting and yelling obnoxiously the most is the VENETIAN CASINO, as it's Ground Zero for Mainland tourists. I pretty much have to brace myself for that experience every single time, and unfortunately they have a really diverse food court that I like to get lunch at, so I have to deal with that several times a week.
If I go to the multitude of other places that are NOT casinos and NOT the bus routes that go to the China border, then everything is toned down about 10 notches. In short, it is REALLY obviously easy to spot the Mainlander. It's not only the shouting/yelling, but the way they dress and act, and this strong sense of complete obliviousness to all people and things around then. Again, when I order food at any restaurant in the Venetian foodcourt, I can almost count on the fact that people are going to try to cut in line in front of me, or hover around the cash register almost on top of me while I am ordering, etc. When I go to the 'waiting' area for the food, other Mainlanders will start waving their receipts at the staff, etc. or other inappropriate behaviors.
However, if I go to anywhere else in Macau, particularly any of the streets (no casinos around), all of the restaurants are normal. People stand in line in a normal way, they talk in a normal way, they behave in a normal way. It's really like night and day.
I will make a distinction that there are definitely Mainlanders who've moved to Macau, and are NOT like obnoxious/loud/yelling/oblivious 'stereotype' and have adopted well as if they were Macau born and raised. However, I don't think I've ever once met a born-and-raised Macau person who acts obnoxious/yells/shouts/cuts in line/pushes/shoves/oblivious like I routinely notice among the Mainlander tourists.
Yeah, the yelling and a small list of other characteristics. The way they dress, and act. It's really clear.
Well, every time I hear loud yelling, I always listen to see if it is either Cantonese or Mandarin. I'd say I easily hear a mix of both, with a higher percentage of Cantonese-speakers, as most Mainlanders in Macau are from the Cantonese-speaking areas of China. I've heard plenty of loud/yelling Mandarin-speakers as well though. However, I will also say that most Macau-born people are Cantonese-speakers, and Macau-born Chinese almost never yell and shout, nor do all the weirdness that you see with Mainland tourists.
The yelling/shouting is a very clear sign of a group of Mainlanders. But, also when I take certain bus routes (i.e. the ones going to the China border), that I'll see an element of completely unnecessary pushing and shoving to get on buses, along with oblivious yelling across buses, or to friends sitting right next to each other, or yelling/shouting loudly into cellphones. Excessive yelling.
Probably the absolute worst place to see Mainland tourists shouting and yelling obnoxiously the most is the VENETIAN CASINO, as it's Ground Zero for Mainland tourists. I pretty much have to brace myself for that experience every single time, and unfortunately they have a really diverse food court that I like to get lunch at, so I have to deal with that several times a week.
If I go to the multitude of other places that are NOT casinos and NOT the bus routes that go to the China border, then everything is toned down about 10 notches. In short, it is REALLY obviously easy to spot the Mainlander. It's not only the shouting/yelling, but the way they dress and act, and this strong sense of complete obliviousness to all people and things around then. Again, when I order food at any restaurant in the Venetian foodcourt, I can almost count on the fact that people are going to try to cut in line in front of me, or hover around the cash register almost on top of me while I am ordering, etc. When I go to the 'waiting' area for the food, other Mainlanders will start waving their receipts at the staff, etc. or other inappropriate behaviors.
However, if I go to anywhere else in Macau, particularly any of the streets (no casinos around), all of the restaurants are normal. People stand in line in a normal way, they talk in a normal way, they behave in a normal way. It's really like night and day.
I will make a distinction that there are definitely Mainlanders who've moved to Macau, and are NOT like obnoxious/loud/yelling/oblivious 'stereotype' and have adopted well as if they were Macau born and raised. However, I don't think I've ever once met a born-and-raised Macau person who acts obnoxious/yells/shouts/cuts in line/pushes/shoves/oblivious like I routinely notice among the Mainlander tourists.
Yea, pretty much this. And yea, of course, it's not every single Mainlander, but it seems to be a decent proportion. Unfortunately, when there are people being that obnoxious and oblivious to others en masse, it sticks in your head a lot more than people that aren't behaving that way.
Overseas Chinese are viewed more positively as model minority in their settled countries.
Mainland Chinese are viewed negatively by most non-Chinese, Overseas Chinese and Taiwanese.
That's sad for the Mainland Chinese.
I see a lot of eastern europeans and africans living in China appear on China's tv channels. They speak chinese on tv. They like the Chinese and culture unlike most other non-Chinese living in China and other countries. Most people from developed countries however dislike Mainland Chinese speeches and behaviors.
I have been to Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul so far. I can't really speak for Singapore, so I will eliminate that one from the comparing and contrasting.
Airport Cleanliness
All 3 airports are world-class airports and are all super clean. If anyone is wondering about the size, Incheon Int'l Airport in Seoul is the largest out of the 3 airports. For cleanliness, Seoul=Tokyo=Hong Kong.
Architecture
I would say Hong Kong has the best modern skyscrapers and skyline. For skyline, Hong Kong>Tokyo>Seoul.
But for cultural heritages, Seoul definitely wins it. Seoul has the Kyungbokgung palace, which is super big and cool. For cultural heritage architecture, Seoul>Tokyo>Hong Kong
Culture
I personally love the Korean culture and K-POP, so I would vote for Seoul as the best cultural city. But apart from K-POP, Hong Kong has the most diverse culture. There are so many different nationalities living in HK, which means you get to experience different cultures in HK. So overall, Seoul>Hong Kong>Tokyo for me.
Food
Hong Kong has amazing food! The food in HK is just so good. From cheap street food to luxurious Chinese cuisine, you can find all types of food here. I still can't forget the food I ate in Hong Kong called Dimsum, and street food. Seoul and Tokyo both have really tasty food too, but I personally loved the food in Hong Kong. The food ranking may differ from person to person. Personally, Hong Kong>Seoul=Tokyo.
Neighborhoods
Seoul definitely wins it. If you live in Seoul, you may realize it. There are these apartment complexes in Seoul, and inside each apartment complex, there are at least one convenient store, vending machines, supermarket, laundry service, toilets, restaurants, and even barber shops, academies, etc. Just outside the apartment complex, there are Internet cafe, karaoke bars, coffee shops, and basically everything you need. This goes for a lot of the apartment complexes in Seoul. It also feels very safe in the neighborhoods in Seoul, because there are security guards in most apartment complexes. If you start living in Seoul, you would fall in love with the apartment complexes in Seoul. So, Seoul>>>>Tokyo>Hong Kong.
P.S. a lot of the neighborhoods in Hong Kong are really dirty and noisy.
Nightlife
Hong Kong wins it. So many great clubs, bars, karaoke bars, nightclubs, etc. Seoul improved a lot in nightlife, but still can't beat Hong Kong. Hong Kong>>>>Seoul>Tokyo
Safety
Tokyo wins it. Tokyo is one of the safest cities in the world, and also the cleanest. But Hong Kong still has a lot of safety issues, even though it's an international city. With all these Indian, African, South Asian, and Chinese immigrants, there are still some gang problems and safety issues. You'll see what I mean when you visit Hong Kong, it feels really unsafe when I walk on the streets at night. Tokyo>Seoul>>Hong Kong
Transportation
Tokyo for the first place. Tokyo probably has the best transportation system in the world. Excellent bus system and subway system. You can get to anywhere in Tokyo with public transportation. Tokyo>Seoul=Hong Kong.
Overall, if I have the chance to visit one of the four cities listed, that would be:
1. Hong Kong
2. Singapore (Haven't been here before, but heard some great things about this city)
3. Seoul
4. Tokyo
I have also been to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul but not Singapore yet.
My favorite by far is Hong Kong. It has a diverse mix of East meets West. The food simply is the best in the world and inexpensive. Transportation is a breeze with the MTR. As a tourist, language was never an issue on my travels there as English was used everywhere. There is also a nice expat community there as well. Safety was never a concern in Hong Kong for us. It is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the world.
IMO, Hong Kong and Singapore are very similar as they are both major metropolitans with a modern flair. But until I get a chance to visit Singapore, Hong Kong wins it.
I have been to Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, and Hong Kong.
Airport Cleanliness
Changi airport is the cleanest airport that I have been to, many of the airport's floor are carpeted and cleaned regularly. I like many of the facilities that the airport offers and the navigation system there. The best thing about the Changi airport is the entertainment, there were a lot entertainments that Changi offers such as swimmingpool, cinema, spa, massage, etc.
Cheap Lap Kok airport is also pretty clean and the facilities are also good. I like the shopping, the restaurants, and the navigation system there, they are all amazing. But the only thing that I don't like about Chep Lap Kok is I have to walk quite far if I want to go to the departure gate.
The only airport in Tokyo that I have been to is Haneda (I have never been to Narita airport), Haneda looks very clean as well but a bit boring compared to Changi and Chep Lap Kok. Many of their facilities are also good and almost everything there works like clock. The shopping is good, although not as exciting as in Changi or Chep Lap Kok. The good thing is, I don't have to walk too far if I want to go to the departure gate, unlike in Chep Lap Kok. But the problem is there are not that many people in the airport who can speak good English at Haneda.
As for Incheon airport, Incheon airport was very clean and fancy looking. The facilities and navigation system worked well. The shopping and the entertainment there were nice, but the best thing about the airport is the fast wi-fi connection.
Architecture
To be honest, I don't understand why a lot people like to rave about the architecture in Hong Kong because I don't find the architecture in Hong Kong as stunning as what people say. It is true that Hong Kong has a mix of modern and traditional architecture, but I only like the traditional Chinese architecture there not the modern architecture. I find the modern architecture in Hong Kong to be overrated, while the traditional Chinese architecture in Hong Kong look so much better IMO. And I also noticed that Hong Kong still has a lot gritty looking buildings.
Singapore architecture looks fine, there are some interesting buildings there but some of them are kind of bland/nothing special. The traditional architecture are more varied because of the significant presence of Chinese, Malay, and Indian architectures there. The good thing is, there are not many gritty looking buildings there because many of the buildings in Singapore are updated.
Culture
Hong Kong's culture has a strong Chinese culture presence there, but there are also another cultures could be found in Hong Kong because Hong Kong is an internationalized city. The Chinese culture there I find to be lively and exciting, while the other cultures there are fine.
Tokyo has the best culture among all, I really love the culture there. The traditional culture seems to be serene, elegant, polite, and sophisticated. But there is also quirky culture within Tokyo, which blended pretty well with the traditional culture.
Singapore's culture has 3 main cultures such as Chinese, Indian, and Malay which are relatively well established. There are also another cultures found in Singapore because Singapore is an internationalized city like Hong Kong. But Singapore's culture isn't as exiting or as vibrant as Hong Kong's culture.
Seoul's culture isn't that exiting, the traditional culture is nowhere as stunning as the Japanese or as exciting as Hong Kong. While the modern culture in Seoul feels a bit superficial to me.
Food
Hong Kong has a lot tasty food, especially the Chinese food there. And the restaurants there are well established, especially the Chinese restaurants. There are also a lot other foods there and they are all good.
Tokyo has a lot good food, the food in Tokyo are high quality and clean. Even the street foods, vending machine foods, and the supermarket foods are all great quality.
Singapore has pretty variable food with a lot choices, especially the food at the hawker center. The best thing about the food in Singapore is the food court, the food courts in Singapore are all good quality.
I find the food Seoul to be not as interesting as the food in Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong. But the street food does seem to be fine.
Neighborhoods
Hong Kong's neighborhood is pretty congested and dense, not to mention crowded.
Singapore's neighborhood looks okay. But I find the neighborhood in Singapore to be cleaner and safer than Hong Kong.
Tokyo's neighborhood is narrow and concrete with very little space, but they are very clean and safe.
Seoul's neighborhood looks okay to me.
Nightlife
Hong Kong's nightlife is the most vibrant, walking at Hong Kong during nighttime is pretty exciting.
Singapore's nightlife looks fine, not as vibrant as Hong Kong but still pretty worth of excitement. I still like to walk at Singapore during nighttime. And nighttime in Singapore is also really safe, I don't have to worry too much about my own safety there.
Tokyo's nightlife looks vibrant too, especially at Ginza and Shibuya. But sometimes, Tokyo's nightlife can be rather overrated. Tokyo is also perfectly safe during nighttime.
Seoul's nightlife looks pretty vibrant and wild.
Safety
Singapore and Tokyo are the safest to me, I don't have much problems with own safety in those two places.
Hong Kong can be rather not safe enough for me because of the crowds there.
Seoul is okay.
Transportation
Tokyo's transportation system is pretty good, although the subway and train system iarepretty complicated to be navigated. And there are not that many English signs there.
Hong Kong's transportation system is still pretty good although there is a slight decline over the years.
Singapore's transportation system is quite simplistic but easy enough to navigate and still pretty good quality.
Seoul's transportation system is pretty good lately, I can see a significant improvement over the years.
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From cheap street food to luxurious Chinese cuisine, you can find all types of food here. I still can't forget the food I ate in Hong Kong called Dimsum, and street food. Seoul and Tokyo both have really tasty food too, but I personally loved the food in Hong Kong. The food ranking may differ from person to person. Personally, Hong Kong>Seoul=Tokyo.
