Lunar New Year in Hong Kong

By Ellen Smith, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

The largest celebration each year in Hong Kong is Lunar New Year, usually falling between late January and mid February. It’s essential to check the dates a couple weeks in advance as most shops, restaurants and attractions will shut for a number of days. However, there are numerous other activities that are on during this time which cannot be missed.

There are so many food and market stalls, spread out all over Hong Kong. If you’re living on the island I’d recommend going to Victoria Park, in Causeway Bay. This one is typically one of the largest and also includes a variety of food stalls. We tried lots of the foods, including oysters, fried octopus, and crab dumplings, but the best was definitely takoyaki (octopus balls).

Each year there is also a new years parade, usually starting in TST. There loads of giant floats and performances going past you. I’d recommend checking the parade route beforehand and getting there slightly early, but it wasn’t too busy so need to panic!

The day after the parade, all of these floats become available for viewing in Lam Tsuen and there is a few days of performances here along with more food and market stalls. It takes about an hour to get there from Central MTR station, however it is absolutely worth the journey to see the famous Wishing Tree that can be found there as well. You can buy plastic mandarins and paper wishing slips to write down your wishes for the new year and throw them into the tree. If it gets caught in the tree your wishes will come true, otherwise you have to throw again!

A firework display always comes after new year as well, and it cannot be missed! Its around 25 minutes long, set off between Victoria Harbour and TST Harbour. Typically this is very busy so get a space early. Viewing from Victoria Harbour is a little difficult as the piers and people may block your view, so I’d recommend watching from Wan Chai Promenade or Tamar Park for the best view.