Jane XU

Student of The University of Queensland, Australia
Exchange to The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Forget what you heard about New York; Hong Kong is the true “city that never sleeps”. Dim-Sum at 3am in the morning, clubs that never close, 24 hour buses, libraries, cinemas, restaurants, shops, karaoke bars and food-deliveries? Completely standard!

Going on exchange to Hong Kong was the best decision I ever made. The city’s moniker of “east-meets-west” is what makes Hong Kong so amazingly unique. I loved the ironic juxtaposition of skyscrapers and luxury megamalls on one side of the street with the local food markets and sea-horse selling apothecaries on the other side. Even the Hong Kong cuisine is not spared from this “east-west” fusion; there are hilarious (and often quite delicious) items such as “bolognaise sauce on rice” or “Frankfurter sushi rolls” for you to sample.

Getting to study at the prestigious University of Hong Kong (HKU) was also a massive bonus because they have over 500 incoming-exchange students every semester; so that was a lot of new friends. Even though my friends were from all around the world, we all spoke the same language: exchange! Every single day for the first two months was spent at a different place, city or even country. I managed to travel to five different countries (and 12 different cities) in just four months of exchange.

However exchange wasn’t all about jetsetting and partying - the beauty of Hong Kong is that it has so much to offer. I went on hikes to The Peak, barbeques at the beaches of Clearwater and Deepwater Bay and also camping and trekking in the remote islands of Hong Kong. I went bike riding in Tai-O, attended the weekly horse races at Happy Valley and saw the pink dolphins on the ferry from Lamma Island. There is also always something cultural happening in Hong Kong; you will never find a shortage of film festivals, photo exhibits, pop-up installations or shows.

I was also incredibly privileged to have taken classes at HKU. The lecturers are all of a very high calibre and incredibly knowledgeable. Furthermore, I was able to study law electives that are not offered in any Australian institution. I studied intellectual property in China, human rights in China and also law and development in China.

Finally, it would be remiss of me not to mention the Hong Kong shopping. Locals often joke that "shopping is the official sport of Hong Kong" and I can proudly tell you that I found myself competing with gusto. Even those who are not inclined to shop will somehow find themselves lured in by the incredible array of things on offer (all at a very reasonable price since there is 0% tax on goods in Hong Kong).

The “you sleep when you die” mantra of the HKU exchange students has become a continuing legacy which I sincerely hope that you will one day be able to experience and carry on.

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