Answered: Are Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver similar?

If you’re deep into traveling, it’s second nature to compare everything to your hometown. And, as a traveler with big dreams of roaming sprawling metropolises, Sydney and Vancouver are the cities that first come to my mind for this comparison.

You see, it’s fascinating how Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver are scattered in different parts of the globe, but when you get close enough, you’ll see their distinctive similarities on all fronts.

Now, if you’re as curious about the tale of these three big cities, check out the commonalities I’ve uncovered among Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver during my time in all three (plus research!).

What are the commonalities among Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver?

Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver are all seaport cities. They’re excellent gateways to other parts of the world and good trading points for international commerce.

They consistently rank in the world’s top cities with their thriving economies, cultural diversity, breathtaking destinations, and more.

Efficient Gateway

Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver are all coastal cities. Aside from their coastal location, these cities are also gateway cities because of their globally connected airports and efficient transportation hubs.

Transportation System	Hong Kong	Sydney	Vancouver
Airport	Features over 100 airlines and operates flights to more than 180 cities around the world	Features 52 airlines and operates flights to more than 99 destinations around the world	Features 41 airlines and operates flights to over 114 destinations around the world
Subway	MTR System is ranked one of the best subway systems in the world and features 22 heavy and light rail lines, 68 light rail stations, 98 MTR stations	Sydney Metro has the largest underground railway cavern in Australia and operates four metro lines in 46 stations and a 113-kilometer metro rail	Vancouver’s Sky Train System has fully automated trains in 53 stations via the SkyTrain system, 20 stations via the Expo Line, 14 stations via the Millennium Line, and 15 stations via the Canada Line
Bus	Hong Kong public bus services operate on more than 700 routes across Kowloon, New Territories, Hong Kong Island, Tung Chung, Lantau Island, and more	Sydney’s bus network operates on more than 600 routes within Sydney and across New South Wales. Certain bus routes are available 24 hours a day, all days of the week	TransLink, Vancouver’s bus network, operates on more than 234 bus routes within Vancouver as well as across the Metro Vancouver region
Ferry	Public ferries in Hong Kong operate on 23 routes with ports in Sheung Wan and Skypier. Ferries travel across the city, Macau (Outer Harbor), Macau (Taipa), and Humen	Public ferries in Sydney operate on 10 routes and 40 ports. Ferries mostly cover areas from Manly Wharf, Parramatta Wharf, and Double Bay Wharf	Public ferries in Vancouver operate in 25 routes and 47 ports across British Columbia. Large ferry operators can accommodate trucks, buses, cars, bikes, and RVs
Accessibility and Inclusivity	Public transportation in Hong Kong is largely accessible, with the majority of buses featuring low floors and wheelchair ramps	The majority of the public transportation options in Sydney offer mobility aids, including walking frames, wheelchair ramps, scooters, strollers, and prams	SkyTrain, Translink buses, trains, shuttles, and rapid transit lines in Vancouver are fully accessible to people of all abilities
Affordability	Public transportation fare is affordable, and with the use of an Octopus Card, you can avail yourself of relatively cheaper transport tickets	Through Sydney’s Opal Card, you can avail of discounted transport tickets for trains, buses, ferries, and light rails	You can get Vancouver’s Compass Card to save more on fares. Through this card, you can transfer between various transportation options as many times as you need for up to 90 minutes, depending on the number of zones you included in your card

As you can see, there are plenty of affordable ways to get around Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver due to their excellent network of public transport and roadways.

These cities also offer barrier-free travel and mobility aids that make transportation more accessible to all.

Cultural Diversity

Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver are multicultural cities with various heritage and traditions. Let’s look into the factors that help shape each city’s cultural landscape below.

Cultural Landscape	Hong Kong	Sydney	Vancouver
Ethnic Lineages	• Han Chinese – 91.6% • Filipino – 2.7% • Indonesian – 1.9% • South Asians – 1.4% • Other minorities – 2.4%	• English – 23.8% • Australian – 22.3% • Chinese – 10.6% • Irish – 7.7% • Scottish – 6% • Italian – 4.3% • German – 2.3% • Indian – 4.5% • Thai – 0.6% • Indonesian – 0.6% • Other minorities – 17.3%	• European Canadian – 46.2% • Chinese – 27.7% • South Asian – 6% • Filipino – 6% • Southeast Asian – 3% • Aboriginal – 2% • Japanese – 1.7% • Latin America – 1.6% • Korean – 1.5% • Mixed Visible • Minorities – 1.5% • West Asian 1.2% • Other minorities – 1.6%
Top Languages Used	• Cantonese • English • Mandarin • Chinese Dialects	• English • Mandarin • Arabic • Cantonese • Vietnamese	• English • French • Cantonese • Mandarin • Punjabi • German
Cultural Events	• Dragon Boat Festival • Spring Lantern Festival • Hungry Ghost Festival • Chinese New Year • Mid-Autumn Festival • Hong Kong Arts Festival • Hong Kong Pride Parade	• Sydney Festival • Vivid Sydney • Adelaide Fringe • Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras	• Vancouver Folk Music Festival • Vancouver Opera Festival • Celebration of Light • Vancouver International Jazz Festival • Vancouver Pride Festival
Historical Sites and Attractions	• Tian Tan Buddha • Po Lin Monastery • Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery • Victoria Harbour • Man Mo Temple • Kowloon Walled City Park	• Fort Denison • Susannah Place Museum • Cockatoo Island • Grotto Point • Hyde Park Barracks	• Stanley Park • Gastown • Museum of Vancouver • Vancouver Maritime Museum • Holy Rosary Cathedral

These three culturally diverse cities are fun to explore because of their rich history and unique heritage.

With their diverse ethnic background, varied languages, and cultural events, we can say that these cities are inclusive and supportive of the different segments and groups in their society. In fact, Hong Kong is the only special administrative region and city in China that openly celebrates and supports pride parades.

You can spend days checking out all the multicultural events they showcase and exploring the historical sites that mirror their traditions and past. That’s why if you plan to get a glimpse of how these cities thrived and flourished, just wander around and experience their culture firsthand.

Strong Economic Hubs

Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver are big shots in the economic scene, and each of them features thriving sectors that make them stand out more.

Economic Scene	Hong Kong	Sydney	Vancouver
In-Demand Job Industries	• Digital Marketing • Business Development • Analytic • Data Science • Financial Technology	• Analytics • Software Development • Human Resource Management • Network and Information Security • Mobile App Development	• Healthcare • Programmers and Interactive Media Developers • Information System Analysts • Teachers • Information Technology
Thriving Businesses	• Manufacturing • Hospitality and Tourism • Financial Technology and Services • Investment Banking • E-commerce and Retail	• Automotive • Telecommunication • Construction • Hospitality and Tourism • Child Care	• Construction • High Technology • Film and Television • Forestry • Hospitality and Tourism
Key Economic Industries	• Financial Services • Tourism • Trading and Logistics • Professional Services and other Producer Services	• Financial Services • Professional Services • Information Technology • Health • Education • Research	• New Media Industry • Video Game Development • Film and TV Production • IT and Business Intelligence • Analytics • Software Development

As you might have noticed, the key economic industries of Hong Kong and Sydney revolve more around finance, whereas Vancouver is globally acclaimed for its film and media sector.

Thanks to the robust economic hubs of Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver, a diverse variety of jobs and opportunities are present in these cities. Plus, due to the strong job market, these cities become even more appealing to live in and invest in.

These three cities also offer accessible professional development training courses so people can understand and upgrade their skills for career advancement.

Breathtaking Natural Attractions

If you’re looking for new destinations with lots of natural wonders, take a closer look at what Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver can offer.

These cities are a nature lover’s paradise, and that’s not an exaggeration because you’ll probably need a month or more to explore all the natural attractions in just one city.

Natural Attractions	Hong Kong	Sydney	Vancouver
Mountains, Hills, Caverns, Caves	• Lantau Peak • Victoria Peak • Tai Mo Shan • Sunset Peak • Lin Fa Shan • Lion Rock • Cheung Po Tsai Cave • Lin Ma Hang Cave	• Blue Mountains • Mount Kosciuszko Summit • Tomaree Mountain • Gan Gan Hill • Jenolan Caves • Pindar Cave	• Grouse Mountain • Stawamus Chief • St. Mark’s Summit • Mount Cheam • Artlish Caves • Gordon River Caves • Horne Lake Caves
Beaches, Lakes, Waterfalls	• Cheung Sha Beach • Clear Water Bay Beach • Big Wave Bay Beach • Repulse Bay Beach • Stanley Main Beach • Ng Tung Chai Waterfalls • Ping Nam Waterfall • Bride’s Pool	• Bondi Beach • Manly Beach • Coogee Beach • Cronulla Beach • Freshwater Beach • Milk Beach • Collins Beach Waterfall • Curracurrong Falls	• English Bay Beach • Sunset Beach Park • Deep Cove • Kitsilano Beach • Wreck Beach • Jericho Beach • Bridal Veil Falls • Twin Falls • Kennedy Falls
Country/National Parks	• Tai Mo Shan Country Park • Aberdeen Country Park • Sai Kung East Country Park • Tai Tam Country Park • Tai Lam Country Park • Kam Shan Country Park	• Royal National Park • Blue Mountains National Park • Sydney Harbour National Park • Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park • Lane Cove National Park	• Stanley Park • John Hendry Park • Harbour Green park • Queen Elizabeth Park • Pacific Rim National Park • Glacier National Park

Despite being renowned for their technological advancements, Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver are all known for their stunning natural beauty and untouched wilderness.

Hong Kong features great peaks and hiking spots that boast the city’s stunning skyline. Besides that, it offers over 280 miles of coastline littered with beautiful beaches and harbors.

Meanwhile, Sydney is a well-known water wonderland because of its world-renowned beaches. Bondi comes first on the list, of course. Plus, it’s spoilt for choice too when it comes to national parks and protected wilderness.

Lastly, Vancouver is also a top-tier destination because of its amazing sceneries, vast green parks, and proximity to both the mountains and the sea.

Topnotch Shopping Destinations

Planning to go on a shopping holiday? You’re in luck because Hong Kong, Sydney, and Vancouver offer a wide array of gratifying shopping experiences for everyone.

If you decide to visit, make sure to go out and explore these malls and markets. It’s more fun than shopping online!

Shopping Spots	Hong Kong	Sydney	Vancouver
Shopping Malls/Shopping District	• Harbour City • Landmark • IFC Mall • Times Square • Elements Hong Kong • Festival Walk • New Town Plaza	• Westfield Sydney • The Galeries • Regent Place Shopping Centre • Pitt Street Mall • Queen Victoria Building • World Square	• Metropolis at Metrotown • Oakridge Center • Robson Street • CF Pacific Centre • Chinatown • Gastown
Night Markets/ Flea Markets	• Temple Street Night Market • Shanghai Street • Ladies Market • Stanley Market • Jade Market • Fa Yuen Street Market • Wan Chai Market • Apliu Street Flea Market	• Glebe Markets • Rozelle Markets • Kirribilli Markets • Bondi Markets • Chinatown Friday Night Market • Paddy’s Market	• Richmond Night Market • Shipyards Night Market • Fort Langley Night Market • Vancouver Flea Market • The Eastside Flea Mintage • The Drive

While it’s worth noting that Hong Kong is known for luxury and high-end brand shopping, there are plenty of bargain opportunities in shopping malls since there are sale seasons. Moreover, our flea markets are great shopping spots too!

On the other hand, Sydney also offers fantastic shopping destinations with major fashion and retail outlets.

However, if you really want an overview of Sydney’s shopping scene, we suggest you explore the inner suburbs and check out the independent boutiques and buzzing markets, showcasing top local brands like Ellery, Sass & Bide, Scanlan, and more.

Meanwhile, Vancouver is more of a jungle of thrift stores and antique delights. Here, you can go all out hunting for vintage clothes, shoes, accessories, and other trinkets. Head out to their night markets to get big bargains and shop like a local!