Hong Kong’s Ivory – More Items For Sale Than In Any Other City In The World. (2015)

Hong Kong displays for retail sale more elephant and mammoth ivory items than any other city in the world surveyed for ivory. There are also large, intricately carved pieces of mammoth ivory that can be legally taken out of Hong Kong, as they were carved from the extinct mammoth. This is in contrast to mainly trinkets, especially jewellery, that are carved from elephant ivory. They are illegal to export, but being small, these items are easily smuggled out in personal luggage. Hong Kong is one of the biggest tourist destinations in Asia. The city has a population of about 7 million people yet attracts over 50 million visitors a year, mostly mainland Chinese. They come to shop, including for luxury products such as ivory because these items are less expensive than on the mainland.