[Fergies13]

My company has presented me with the opportunity to move the family out to HK. I know the Island having lived there as a single guy back in 1997. I am looking for advice on moving the wife, 15 month old daughter, dog & maybe the cat (not a big fan). We have a few questions we are looking for advice with

1. How bad is the air pollution? Does it present a health risk to my family? Are there places to live? (Repulse Bay, Discovery bay where the air pollution is not as bad as central/midlevels?

2. Looking for a place to live. My job will involve extensive travel. I want to make sure the family has a good infrastructure around them with respect to other expat families and that the area is suitable for pets. Where would you recommend we live?

3. I was told that transporting the dog to HK may take up to 2 days beause they can only be airborne for a maximum of 5 hours at a time. Can anyone shed any light on this?

Looking forward to getting some sound advice

Thanks

[larac]

Check out the threads listed below for advice given to previous posters after the same information.

1. IMO the pollution is bad everywhere for about 8 months of the year. The other 4 months are pretty good with a few bad days like last week when we had 2 of the worst pollution days ever recorded. Sai Kung and the South Side of the island eg: Stanley, Repulse Bay are occasionally not so bad but it all depends on the day and the wind direction. Don't let anyone tell you those areas don't get polluted though.

2. Discovery Bay could be a good option. Its over the hill from the airport and lots of airline people and families live there so there are good connections to the airport and a ferry direct to the city. Alternatively if you live in handy distance of the Airport Express you will be set ie: anywhere in Central/Mid-levels or the new development above Kowloon Station which looks really nice but seems a bit pricey but it all depends on your budget. Do some searches for The Arch Apartments or Elements shopping Mall.

3. No idea on the dog travel but Discovery Bay does seem quite dog friendly. I left my dog with my parents as I don't think HK is a good place for a dog when we both work all day but there are plenty who do. Got home at 12.30am last night and there were about a dozen dogs being walked in my neighbourhood at that time of night.

[gilleshk]

There's no doubt that the pollution is very bad in Hong Kong and it really doesn't matter where you live. Particulates are lower in outlying areas such as DB, Repulse Bay or the NT but there's nothing you can do to avoid the rest when you are outside. You can expect to have cough and shortness of breath particularly if you exercise intensely, more so at the beginning and then you adapt a little. Best thing is to get a good air purifier so that your lungs get a break at home. It makes a significant difference...

DB and Repulse Bay are nice, Sai Kung, Pok Fu Lam are also popular places to stay if you want some space and the illusion of fresh air. The prices in Repulse Bay will be very high and much lower in DB, SK or PFL. The commute can be a little daunting from SK and DB...

As for dogs, I've never heard of that 5 hour rule and I know for sure someone that took her dog on a 7 hour flight but airlines may have their own regulations. Hope you know about the quarantine periods too.

[Crocodile]

Originally Posted by gilleshk

You can expect to have cough and shortness of breath particularly if you exercise intensely, more so at the beginning and then you adapt a little. Best thing is to get a good air purifier so that your lungs get a break at home. It makes a significant difference...

Eh? You cannot be serious. Are you living the same Hong Kong as the rest of us? If I was anywhere and had a "cough and shortness of breath", I would be moving somewhere else.

[PDLM]

I concur with that. It doesn't look pretty a lot of the time, but it hasn't caused me, or anyone I know in real life, any problems.

[gilleshk]

I guess you fellows don't exercise very intensely. Everyone I know has that type of lung burn after about an hour of running fairly hard.

Also know a few people that had persistent coughs and runny noses and they all got rid of it after getting an air purifier. It doesn't mean that you can't live here but there are side effects to the pollution. Some people don't notice, others do...

According to research at the University of Hong Kong, the air in Hong Kong contains almost three times more soot and other pollutants than New York's and more than twice of that in London.

Sixty percent of respondents to a survey say they’ve suffered health problems because of Hong Kong’s polluted air.

Effect of Air Pollution on Daily Mortality in Hong Kong (abstract here)A Tale of Two Cities: Effects of Air Pollution on Hospital Admissions in Hong Kong and London Compared covers another study, which found a significant increase in the numbers of deaths when air pollution is high in the cool months.

[PDLM]

Originally Posted by gilleshk

Sixty percent of respondents to a survey say they’ve suffered health problems because of Hong Kong’s polluted air.

Source for this?

[MovingIn07]

I can attest that the air really affects some people worse than others. Four of us moved over from NZ to start up our office here; three of us are fine (although I noticed the burning and difficulty breathing when hiking for the first few months, it seemed to improve abit after that). The other girl will leave as soon as her term is up solely on account of the pollution (she loves the place but its killing her). She has developed asma , food allergies, is contantly coughing or out of breath. not pretty.

Re places to live - the Gold Coast is popular with people who travel frequently to the airport and has a good expat community. It's much less crowded (so good for pets) than the island and hugely cheaper (if that is a factor). Its further out if you want to commute into central all the time. Depends what you are looking for. NOT for those who are into the club scene, partying to all hours or socialing round the clock.

[gilleshk]

clear air hong kong...it does sound high but then again, it doesn't mean that everyone experiences problems all the time. Simply that at one point or another, they've had some kind of problems.

Here's another article linking higher admissions for asthma attacks and pollution.

Association between air pollution and asthma admission among children in Hong Kong

I hope you don't seriously think that the pollution in HK has little effect on your health...

As said, anyone that exercises intensely knows how the air in HK has an impact on performance. It becomes very obvious at higher intensities of exercise.

Here's another perfect example of what I describe:
Beijing's Pollution a Contentious Foe for Olympic Athletes | Online NewsHour | August 4, 2008 | PBS

World class cyclists having to quit a race in Beijing because of respiratory problems(bronchial spasms). 46 starters and 8 finishers, one of the quitters was world champion Julien Absalon

[gilleshk]

And another HK study of children showing the impact of higher pollution levels on health:

Measurement of atmospheric hydrocarbons and implications of impact of pollution from Pearl River Delta region