By CGTN's He Weiwei

What comes to your mind first when you think of Hong Kong? For many people on the city's streets, the answer is simple...shopping! 

Yes, this is Hong Kong, a place where people come to spend big.  

Bags and shoes on display in Lane Crawford in Hong Kong. /CGTN Photo

According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, over 56 million people visited in 2016, and spent 150 billion HK dollars (19.2 billion US dollars) on personal purchases, that's 63 percent of their total spending in the city which reached 238 billion HK dollars (30.5 billion US dollars). 

Ladies wear section in Lane Crawford in Hong Kong. /CGTN Photo

Department stores likes Lane Crawford, cosmetics, ladies wear and jewelry are among the top sellers.

"We have a strong range of worldwide exclusive items," Vera Lo, personal styling manager of Lane Crawford told CGTN.

"Our buyers will fly regularly around the world to seek collaboration with new brands, so we have many items that you can only buy from Hong Kong."

Hong Kong has long been renowned as a shopper's paradise. /CGTN Photo

People from the Chinese mainland form the largest contingent of tourists to Hong Kong, with 42 million crossing into the region in 2016. 

That’s 18 times more than in 1997, when Hong Kong returned to China.

Hong Kong’s retail value rose slightly in recent months. /CGTN Photo

Data from the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong government shows the city’s retail value rose slightly since March 2017, after 24 months of decline. 

Officials say that reflects a recovery in the rate of visitor arrivals, which had also been decreasing for the previous two years.