These modern bunkers are a far cry from the air-raid shelters that combatants and citizens alike would scurry into when an air strike was imminent during the Second World War. In Britain, people dug up their gardens to build half-buried shelters out of corrugated iron. The four-feet-deep pits could accommodate up to six people and – judging by the cramped space and indefinite amount of time they’d be spending down there – the guest list was a crucial consideration.

“Your father or grandfather’s bunker was not very comfortable,” Robert Vicino, CEO of Vivos, a company that builds high-end shelters around the world, tells CNN.

“They were grey. They were metal, like a ship or something military. And the truth is mankind cannot survive long-term in such a Spartan, bleak environment.”

In contrast, the modern bunkers being bought up by the world’s elite are grander than most people’s homes. One company, Rising S Bunkers, installed a 37-room, 9,000- square-foot complex in Napa Valley for an Academy Award-winning client at a cost of US$10.3million (HK$801.8 million). The shelter comes equipped with a bowling alley, sauna, Jacuzzi, shooting range and a home theatre. The company can also install swimming pools, greenhouses, game rooms and gyms.

The bunkers are reportedly being bought by hedge fund managers, sports stars and tech executives. Bill Gates is rumoured to have one at each of his properties.

It isn’t just family-sized bunkers that are being snapped up, though. Community shelters are also in high demand. One of these shelters, Vivos xPoint, is located near the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA, and consists of 575 military bunkers that served as an army munitions depot until 1967. It’s now being converted into “the largest survival community on Earth” – a facility that can accommodate 5,000 people. The interiors of each bunker are outfitted at a cost of between US$25,000 and $200,000 each.

Another community shelter, Trident Lakes, is being built northeast of Dallas by an investor group. The US$300 million luxury community will be made up of underground homes, all equipped with their own off-grid energy and water sources. The homes also have air-lock blast doors, which are designed to quell any concerns over pesky bomb blasts or other deadly disasters.

Residents will be able to enjoy other amenities in an outdoor, enclosed compound, including an 18-hole golf course, polo fields, zip lines, gun ranges and even an equestrian centre with horse stables. It’s no Noah’s Ark, but at least one species is guaranteed to survive the deluge – or whatever catastrophe may be in store. Retail shops, restaurants and a row of helipads, along with white sand beaches and a neighbourhood spa, will also be available on-site.

Trident Lakes spokesperson Richie Whitt says the community is “not just going to be a hole in the ground to hide in”.

“It’s going to be one of the most plush resorts in all of Texas, if not America,” Whitt says.

For the wealthy who would prefer to see out the End of Days surrounded by friends and family, the Survival Condo Penthouse is probably what you’re looking for. Starting at US$4.5 million and covering approximately 3,600sq ft, the penthouse covers two floors and has high ceilings to make it seem bigger than it actually is.

Located in a missile silo built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in Kansas during the 1960s, the facility – including the penthouse – can house 75 people over a period of five years. Residents can enjoy an indoor swimming pool, bar and lounge. The dome-like structure of the facility is spacious enough, accessible via an elevator and stairs.

If the apocalypse does come, residents at the facility are expected to rotate jobs, such as helping out at the supermarket or tending the plants. Money might not have much value underground, but the aim of putting residents to work is to give the facility a sense of community. A bit of hominess never hurt – and besides, it would quickly become crucial if the complex were cut off from the outside world in the long-term.

If you don’t like the idea of clocking into work and bumping elbows with other people, the penthouse can be built at any location the owner desires. Socialising be damned.

To prevent residents from feeling claustrophobic, “simulated view” windows give off varying levels of light to reflect the time of day, from sunrise to sunset.

Tommy Nix, a project manager with Logic Integration who helped build the system, says, “We programmed the lighting control system to simulate window light. If you want to, you can wake up with the sunrise just by leaving your virtual window on overnight … it takes away the sense of being closed in.”

The first silo has already sold out and, perhaps most surprisingly, the clients are not typical “survival nuts”. They are successful, educated and well-to-do people who want peace of mind if disaster strikes, according to the company.

“This project has the advantage of letting the members own a piece of history: the coolness of a missile base, the protection of a nuclear hardened bunker and the features of a luxury condo,” says Larry Hall, the project manager and owner.

If the concept of a bunker seems a bit old-fashioned, another option is an “Earthship”. These eco-friendly homes have been designed for post-disaster survival. They’re self-sustaining, zero-waste abodes made from natural or recycled materials, and they have specialised systems for water harvesting, sewage treatment, food production, solar/wind electricity and thermal/solar heating and cooling.

“Shelters have the coolness of a missile base, the protection of a nuclear hardened bunker and the features of a luxury condo”

Earthships can be built anywhere in the world. They were first created in the deserts of New Mexico, USA, 40 years ago when Michael Reynolds, 69, began building homes out of rubbish and natural materials.

“Our houses would work during and post-disaster,” says Agate, a company spokesperson. “Our buildings resist earthquakes, typhoons and even fire. We want to emphasise how strong they are.

“The house provides you with everything necessary for humans to survive. Earthship is an eco-system in itself. The purpose of the homes is to make people self-sufficient and the house itself takes care of them.”

They don’t come cheap, though. The Phoenix Earthship will cost you £1.2million (HK$117.9 million) and comes with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Designed by Reynolds, it covers 5,300sq ft and also comes with a two-storey greenhouse.

The home is designed to keep a family of four sustained for extended periods of time. The greenhouse contains a variety of plants, which derive nourishment from a contained evapotranspiration (ET) bed. The owner must be an animal lover – or at least be able to tolerate the critters – because the home comes with two cockatiels, a parakeet, Herbie the land tortoise, two red-eared slider pond turtles and a number of goldfish and tilapia contained in two indoor ponds. There is even a hen house, dubbed the “Chicken Hilton”,
which is home to eight chickens.

The threat of nuclear apocalypse is probably nothing more than just that, but a lot of wealthy people aren’t taking any chances. Thanks to a steady stream of customers willing to splurge on bunkers they’ll probably never step foot in, the designers of the shelters are cashing in.

In today’s world, where something dreadful happens daily, forking over a few million bucks for some peace of mind might not be such a bad idea. One of the smartest men on the planet thinks so at least.

“Bill Gates has huge shelters under every one of his homes, in Rancho Santa Fe and Washington,” Vicino says. “And for these multi-billionaires, a few million is nothing. It’s really just the newest form of insurance.”

Text: Andrew Scott

Hours before the first firework flew into the night sky, Hong Kongers knocked back free-flow booze at brunches, women filled the air with chatter while enjoying afternoon tea and men crammed into pubs to watch the British Lions play New Zealand at rugby.

It was 1 July, and the city was abuzz with people celebrating the anniversary of Britain’s handover of Hong Kong to China. Although the city has officially been part of China for 20 years now, it often doesn’t feel like it. Whether you’re taking your suit to a British-style tailor or meeting your mates at the pub, there’s no denying that some segments of the city resemble London more than Beijing.

This is not entirely surprising, considering that Hong Kong was classed as a Crown Colony from 1841 to 1997. Exactly how many British influences, though, have managed to survive the test of time?

In keeping with the handover spirit, Gafencu has compiled a list of 20 British traits and traditions you can still find in Hong Kong today.

STREET NAMES: The remnants of Britain’s links to Hong Kong are nowhere more visible than the street signs around the city. If you take a walk around Central you’ll probably find yourself meandering past Old Bailey Road, named after the Central Criminal Court in Central London. Caine Road is named after William Caine, who served as acting governor of Hong Kong from 1854 to 1859. Drake Street in Admiralty is named after the Royal Navy ship HMS Drake. And while Elgin Street is now known for its posh restaurants, it is named after James Bruce, the eighth Earl of Elgin, who in 1860 infamously ordered troops to loot and destroy the Summer Palace in Beijing.

NOONDAY GUN: One of Hong Kong’s longest-standing colonial traditions, the firing of the Noonday Gun dates back to the mid-19th century. Owned by Jardine Matheson, a British conglomerate, the gun was originally used to signal when the head of the company sailed into or out of the harbour. However, in typical British fashion, a senior officer of the Royal Navy in 1860 found this offensive, believing that only government dignitaries or military officers should receive such treatment. To punish the company, he ordered Jardine Matheson to fire the gun every day at noon for perpetuity. To this day, it remains a popular tourist attraction.

AFTERNOON TEA: One of the more popular British traditions in Hong Kong – and rightly so, if we say so ourselves – is afternoon tea. Who doesn’t love a good cuppa in the afternoon with some sweet treats? Afternoon tea started when well-to-do members of British society in Hong Kong decided to carry on the tradition from England and take a break at half past three. The Duchess of Bedford allegedly started the custom of afternoon tea during the 1830s when dinner times were becoming later and later.

ENGLISH NAMES: Hong Kong is full of Johns, Alices, Richards and Anthonys. However, odder English names that you’d rarely see in the West are becoming more and more common, such as Saint, Fanny and Dodo. Once a symbol of prestige in Hong Kong, English names are now just another way of expressing one’s individuality. You do you, Kinky Chan.

FOOD: The origin of the egg tart is a hotly disputed topic, with some saying it came from Macau via the Portuguese, and others suggesting it was introduced by the British in the 1950s. Even if certain food items are not exactly how the British serve them – a pie made with minced roasted duck meat and flaky pastry; egg tarts; a thin pancake stuffed with canned peach slices; and milk tea poured through a sieve – the original idea is British.

QUEUING: People in Hong Kong will queue for anything – buses, tickets, food and sometimes they’ll queue even if they’re unsure what they’re queuing for. The British are still the world champions of queuing, but Hong Kongers follow close behind. If anyone is audacious enough to jump the taxi queue, they might just be told to bugger off.

HORSE RACING: When a group of colonial horse racing enthusiasts stumbled upon an area of swampland, they immediately recognised its potential as a racetrack. The flat area, known to locals as Wong Nai Chung, was soon renamed Happy Valley. The racecourse was built in 1845 and the first race was held in 1846, much to the delight of both the British and locals. Nowadays, the races tend to be boozier affairs, but that’s not necessarily a departure from English tradition.

FOOTBALL: While betting on horses is still one of the most popular forms of legal gambling in Hong Kong, football betting is also commonplace. The first football club of Hong Kong was founded in 1886 and the sport has been going strong ever since.

TRAMS: Trams have rattled through the streets of Hong Kong Island since 1904. Established by the British, the first trams were built in England and then shipped out to Hong Kong piece by piece. The slow-moving mode of public transport still remains popular among locals and tourists due to its cheap fares and unique photo opportunities.

POLICE FORCE: It didn’t take long for the British to establish a police force after they’d claimed Hong Kong as a colony. In fact, it only took 12 weeks. However, the days of British bobbies patrolling the streets of Hong Kong are coming to an end. The last foreign copper was appointed in 1993 and by 2016 there were fewer than 100 policemen from overseas on the force. To put this decline into perspective, around 1990 there were an estimated 900 officers from overseas in Hong Kong.

LEFT-HAND DRIVING: Even under Chinese rule, Hong Kong’s traffic laws have stuck to the British way of driving on the left. This is because Britain was the dominant global power when vehicle traffic started to take off in the early 1900s, and the powerful men who ran the city passed a law stating that all vehicles must drive on the left. At any rate, we reckon that changing it now would be a bloody disaster.

MEASUREMENTS: Even though the Hong Kong government now uses the metric system of measurement, the British imperial method is still used in stores and among wider society. Some road signs still show distance and speed in imperial units, and some real estate agents use it when discussing how big – or more often, how small – an apartment is.

BOXING DAY: We all know why people celebrate Christmas, but the British tradition of Boxing Day is something that Hong Kongers also take seriously. Of course, any day off from work is reason enough to celebrate. Boxing Day originated in Britain as a day off for servants, allowing them time to visit their families. Servants were typically given a box to take home which contained gifts, bonuses and sometimes leftover food.

LANGUAGE: Hong Kong officially has two languages: Cantonese and English. However, under British rule speaking English was required to get ahead in business and society. Even
though Cantonese is the mother tongue, a lot of locals are bilingual. For foreigners, it’s easy to get by in the city, even if m goi is the only Cantonese word they know.

FASHION: Hong Kongers love fashion! Trends are picked up and then tossed away as soon as the next hot thing comes along. However, the one fashion they have not discarded is the British tailor. The classic tailor has arguably never been as popular as it is today, with brands like Gieves & Hawkes opening stores. If it’s from Savile Row, it will likely always be in vogue.

ARCHITECTURE: Hong Kong has changed a lot since British Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston described it as “a barren island with hardly a house upon it” in the mid-19th century. Examples of British colonial architecture are scattered across Hong Kong. History buffs and tourists can visit Victoria Prison on Old Bailey Street, the Old Supreme Court, Flagstaff House, Rawlinson House and many more.

ENGLISH COMMON LAW: English Common Law still governs Hong Kong, meaning that its legislative process is similar to that of Britain. That brings us to our next item…

HORSEHAIR WIGS: Horsehair wigs – a 17th-century British fashion item worn by judges as a way to fend off lice – are still seen in Hong Kong’s courtrooms today. The wigs are heavy, hard to maintain and expensive, but their impracticality hasn’t stopped some legal professionals from carrying on the tradition.

EDUCATION: Learning is big business, with parents sending their tiny tots off to evening and weekend classes so they can get ahead in life. Frederick Stewart, dubbed “The Founder of Hong Kong Education”, brought in the British education model when he served as headmaster at the first government school in 1862. Education today is still largely modelled on the British system.

PUBS: The British have been drinking ale since the Bronze Age, so they know a thing or two about boozing. Considering the long hours that Hong Kongers put in at work, their presence at British pubs throughout the city is no surprise. British bars typically have a large selection of beer, lively conversation, hearty pub grub and a homey feel. As Queen Victoria once said, “Give my people plenty of beer, good beer and cheap beer, and you will have no revolution among them.” Regardless of whether it’s Britain or China running the show, the government and the citizens will never agree on all things – but they can, perhaps, agree on beer.

Text: Andrew Scott