By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-22 00:31:24 | Updated at 2025-01-22 04:13:55
3 hours ago
Dozens of mainland Chinese are offering tour guide services in Hong Kong but many of them are believed to be unlicensed or potentially breaching their conditions of stay, fuelling calls for authorities to crack down on the illegal activity.
The trend is under the spotlight after the Immigration Department said it had arrested eight mainlanders over the past week for working illegally in the city as tour guides known as dipei and cross-border couriers providing “reverse purchasing” services.
Dipei directly translates to “local companion”. Such guides offer a form of private tours that have gained popularity on the mainland in recent years.
In the tours, locals or people familiar with a certain place act as guides and provide services such as taking photos, arranging transport and recommending authentic activities.
Reverse purchasing, meanwhile, refers to a practice in which Hong Kong residents hire individuals from the mainland to buy goods such as food, groceries and everyday items at stores, supermarkets and restaurants across the border. The mainland courier then brings these goods back to Hong Kong for a fee.
A search by the Post on Chinese social media platform RedNote on Tuesday found at least two dozen advertisements for local companion services in the city.
