HKU Terminology, Traditions & Food Culture

This article belongs to the "HKU Wild History · University of Hong Kong (HKU) Unofficial Archives" Module 12: Miscellany, and compiles HKU's campus terminology, colloquialisms, hall traditions and food culture. Information current as of June 2026; for institutional terminology and traditions, the official primary sources prevail. Folk colloquialisms, being mostly transmitted orally with scarce strong sources, have each been annotated with source strength and their "folk" nature—they are presented without embellishment and not treated as definitive.

This piece is a mini-dictionary and gazetteer for "reading HKU's campus context". For the evolution of the hall system itself and details of each hall, see ../10-colleges/; for campus buildings and historic architecture, see ../05-campus/; for student organisations and the students' union, see ../07-student-life/. This article provides only a cross-sectional look at terminology, traditions and food.

# 1. Mini-Glossary of Terms (Institutional, Strong Sources)

# 1.1 Orientation Camp Hierarchical Terminology (the "O" Series)

HKU and universities across Hong Kong share a common system of orientation camp terminology distinguished by organisational level. According to the "University Terminology" entry on EVCHK (Hong Kong Internet Encyclopedia)^※, the "O" is taken from the first letter of "Orientation", broadly denoting orientation activities; beneath this, they are subdivided by host body: "Big O" (大O) refers to the university-wide orientation camp run by the students' union; "Small O" (細O) refers to smaller-scale camps organised by individual academic departments. HKU's distinctive "Hall O", meanwhile, refers to an orientation camp hosted by each hall, typically lasting seven to ten days—the first set of collective activities and social networks a new student encounters upon entering a hall.

"Sheung Jong" (上莊) is another term current across Hong Kong's universities, HKU included: "Jong" (莊) refers to the executive committee (cabinet) of a campus student organisation (students' union, society, etc.), and "sheung jong" means serving as an officer of that cabinet; fellow officers of the same term address each other as "jong yuen" (莊員) or "jong yau" (莊友). Their responsibilities, beyond routine administration, include organising orientation camps, society activities and external publicity. This "sheung jong culture" is a key entry point for understanding how the HKU Students' Union and its affiliated bodies operate—see ../07-student-life/ and ../14-student-movements/ for further detail.

Within HKU's hall culture, there is another phenomenon often mentioned, though more contentious in nature—the "Sin System" (仙制). According to a compilation by a private educational information site^※, the "Sin System" refers to a hierarchical arrangement in some halls' orientation activities whereby senior residents (colloquially called "dai sin" or "big immortals") dictate the programme, and newcomers must follow their instructions. The strictness of this system varies considerably between halls, and it is a piece of background frequently cited by researchers of hall culture and by some alumni when discussing the controversy over "hall bullying". Specific disputed cases and multi-party accounts fall under Module 20 ("Student Power") according to the division of editorial labour; this article records the term neutrally, without offering judgement or recounting specific disputes.

# 2. Colloquialisms & Nicknames (Folk, Weak Sources, Annotated Conservatively)

⚠ Folk transmission; strong sources scarce: The colloquialisms below appear mostly in student word-of-mouth and online communities, and lack a single official or strong academic definition. In line with this site's principle of "weak source → summarise + flag low reliability", they are recorded only in summary, without embellishment or being presented as official. For the linguistic background of Hong Kong nicknames and pet names, see relevant research on HKU Scholars Hub^※.

• "Pokfulam University" (薄扶林大學): Because HKU's main campus is located in the Pokfulam (薄扶林) area of Hong Kong Island, occupying a substantial portion of that district, some people jokingly refer to HKU as "Pokfulam University". HKU's main campus is indeed situated along Pokfulam Road / Bonham Road (Pokfulam Road / Bonham Road^※), which is factual geography; "Pokfulam University" as a colloquialism is a folk usage. ⚠ Isolated attestation (colloquialisms section).
• "Haang U / Kong U" (坑U / Kong U): A colloquial shortening of "Hong Kong U" playfully written as "Haang U" (坑U, approximating the Cantonese pronunciation). This is an online/spoken jocular nickname with no official endorsement. ⚠ Isolated attestation.

Note: This site does not record derogatory, unverified nicknames, or those concerning specific living individuals in a negative light. The above list includes only appellations for the university itself, neutral or humorous in nature, and their folk status and isolated-attestation condition have been flagged.

# 3. Hall Traditions (Documented)

According to New College (HKU)'s "Traditions" page^※, common traditions in HKU halls include:

• High Table Dinner: Inviting academic and business guests to foster exchange and intellectual sharing between staff, students and community leaders.
• Orientation and Adaptation Programmes: Activities such as "Survival Cantonese" for non-local students, combining basic local language learning with socialising, helping newcomers to integrate.
• Student-led Activities: Sports competitions, co-op tuck shops, social and cultural events, etc., driven by residents, "nurturing a caring and vibrant hall community".

Each hall also has its own distinct insignia. For instance, according to Wikipedia^※, Swire Hall uses orange as its hall colour and "Unity and Sincerity" as its motto; Ricci Hall^※ was founded by the Jesuits in 1929 in memory of the Jesuit Matteo Ricci, is a men's hall, and is known for its strong sports culture. For details of each hall, see ../10-colleges/.

# 4. Food Culture: Campus Canteens & Eateries

Catering outlets on the HKU campus (and its various sub-campuses) are coordinated by CEDARS. According to CEDARS' "Catering Outlets" page^※, the main outlets (by campus) include:

# 4.1 Main Campus

• CYM Canteen (self-service canteen), Hong Kong Daily (table-service area)
• cafe 330, Union Restaurant, The Coffee Academics
• 27 Kebab House (Halal Certified), Subway, Kiosk by The Sandwich Club
• Composite Building: OORI HANSIK (Korean), TAI TAI FOODTOPIA, Starbucks Coffee

# 4.2 Centennial Campus

• Gourmet Asia, BIJAS Vegetarian (vegetarian)

# 4.3 Sassoon Road Campus (Medical Faculty)

• Grove, Sandwich Club Kiosk, Pizza Express Kiosk, Subway
• The 1887 (located on 7/F, Patrick Manson Building), Starbucks Coffee kiosk in the Medical Faculty Building

The specific brands, locations and operating status of dining outlets are subject to annual adjustment; the definitive reference is CEDARS' official list for the current year. This site does not reproduce promotional information such as "discount offers" (which change frequently and lack strong sources).

# 5. Cross-References

• Evolution of the hall system and details of each hall → ../10-colleges/
• Campus buildings and historic monuments (Main Building, Loke Yew Hall) → ../05-campus/
• Student organisations, students' union, orientation activity recognition mechanism → ../07-student-life/