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Hong Kong Well-wishing festival
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Hong Kong Well-wishing Festival
Hong Kong Well-wishing Festival 2012

Share a meal with the locals. Make a New Year’s wish and hang it in a ‘lucky tree’. Participate in the age-old custom of releasing a water lantern to start the new year.

These are just some of the intriguing and fun ways you can explore the city’s living culture with the Hong Kong Well-wishing Festival being held at the fabled Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees in the New Territories. This colourful event is also a great way to get your Year of the Dragon off to an auspicious start!

These Wishing Trees are located in the village of Lam Tsuen, which dates back more than 700 years. Down through the ages, local villagers made pilgrimages to these sacred trees in the hope that their wishes come true.

The Hong Kong Well-wishing Festival, which runs from 23 January – 6 February, is your opportunity to join local residents and make a lucky wish as well as enjoying a host of related fun cultural activities.

Highlights of the festival include:
  • Shaoguan Performance and Big Bowl (Poon Choi) Feast to Celebrate Chinese New Year
    (5pm - 9pm, 5 February 2012)
    Watch performances by the Shaoguan dance troupe from Guangdong province and tuck into a traditional Big Bowl or Poon Choi Feast (so-called because all of the food is mixed together in a giant bowl or basin) in the evening.

    * Traditional “Poon Choi Feast” will be available throughout the festival period (23 Jan – 6 Feb 2012). There will be three sessions daily with one additional session on Saturday and Sunday. Please check out the official event website for details.


  • Thousands of Dragons Make a Wish and Create a New Guinness World Record
    (1:30pm, 23 January 2012)
    A total of 1,000 participants, born in The Year of the Dragon, will be invited to make a wish together under the Wishing Tree on the First Day of the Chinese New Year. This activity is also intended to create a new Guinness World Record.

  • Year of The Dragon Float Exhibition and International Performances
    (23 January - 6 February 2012)
    Enjoy a display of the decorated floats from the International Chinese New Year Parade at the Lam Tsuen Wishing Square. There will also be performances by the international performing groups from the parade on 24 and 25 January.

  • Lam Tsuen Traditional Wishing-placards-throwing
    (23 January - 6 February 2012)
    Up until a few years ago, people wrote their wishes on joss paper tied to an orange and threw them up to hang branch in the Wishing Trees. It was believed that if the orange and paper successfully hung onto one of the tree branches, their wishes would come true. Today, anyone wanting to make a wish can attach it to a wishing board or throw an imitation orange into an imitation tree and try their luck out.

  • Wishing Lanterns Lighting Ceremony
    (23 January - 6 February 2012)
    Releasing Wishing Lanterns is a popular tradition in Asia. Participate in this ritual and make a wish for the new year! Maybe it will come true!

You can also sample traditional Hakka (some of Hong Kong’s oldest settlers) snacks at this local food carnival. Visit the morning market where local farmers sell their produce. So, be sure to head to Lam Tsuen and experience a traditional Chinese New Year, part of Hong Kong’s living culture.

Date: 23 January – 6 February
Time: 9am – 7pm, Monday to Friday;
9am – 10pm, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays
Venue: Lam Tsuen Wishing Square, Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, New Territories
Admission: Admission applies to some of the events and pre-registration is required for the paid programmes. See website below for details.
Enquiry: + 852 2638 8026
Website: www.lamtsuen.com

How to get there: A free shuttle bus service to and from Lam Tsuen Wishing Square and MTR Tai Wo Station will be provided. Please check out the event website for service schedule. Alternatively, visitors may take a taxi from MTR Tai Wo Station to Lam Tsuen Wishing Square.


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