Talking points: Do mainland tourists behave differently than visitors from other parts of the world?
Hate it when you can't talk back? Well, you can with Young Post. Have your say and share with students around Hong Kong
Chloe Tong Ka-ling, 16, Law Ting Pong Secondary School
Mainland visitors give a bad impression of themselves. While everyone is quiet on the trains, they shout. While other tourists line up patiently, they jump the queue. Mainlanders are different from others because they seem to be less civilised. They lack social skills, so it is not surprising that they don't know what they should or should not do in Hong Kong.
Liu Wing-lam, 15, SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Secondary School
It's shocking that mainland tourists behave as if they rule the world. They are very different from travellers from other parts of the world. For instance, during sightseeing they constantly take photos instead of focusing on the attractions. Also, they mainly come to Hong Kong to buy brand-name goods. In contrast, other tourists like to visit famous places and experience local culture. What's more, some mainlanders allow their children to pee on the streets. Would visitors from other countries behave like that?
Naz Iraj, 16, St Margaret's Girls' College, Hong Kong
Many Hongkongers believe that mainland tourists are trouble-makers. And they simply don't want to change their views. But I don't think they are so bad. Well, some of them are, but from personal experience, I don't think they behave differently than visitors from other parts of the world. I am a Pakistani, and they always say that they like our "big" eyes and long eye-lashes. At times, some mainlanders even stop to take a picture with us. I see them doing the same with visitors from other countries.
Leuven Wang, 13, King George V School
Many people have labelled mainland tourists as rowdy, noisy, and disruptive. I agree that some mainlanders have bad manners - for example, four mainland passengers threw hot noodles at a flight attendant in a row over seating - but most of them are well-behaved. They shouldn't be blamed for the faults of a few individuals.
Titus To Cheuk-lam, 16, Ma On Shan Tsung Tsin Secondary School
Of the thousands of tourists coming here every day, only the mainlanders have been targeted by locals. What's the reason for this? I think they don't behave well maybe because they have limited education. They talk loudly in public places, carry suitcases wherever they go, and even pee in public. Their poor attitude has given the Chinese culture a bad name. Beijing should teach citizens how to behave so the country can maintain its good image abroad.
Tell us whether you think mainland tourists behave differently than visitors from other parts of the world in the comment box below.
In our next Talking Points, we'll discuss:
Do you think building shopping malls at the border can help reduce the number of parallel traders?
We are now accepting answers from readers for this new topic. To take part, e-mail your answer with your name, age and school, plus a high-res photo of yourself (no less than 1MB), to [email protected] by Monday lunchtime next week.