Hong Kong Chinese New Year Celebrations

Hong Kong Chinese New Year Celebrations Hong Kong is a year-round party destination but nothing matches the richness, colour and spectacle of the way the city marks its biggest celebration – Chinese New Year. And nowhere else is this momentous festival more accessible than in Asia’s world city, where traditions dating back thousands of years are practised alongside cosmopolitan events worthy of a global metropolis.

Whether you are squeezing into festive flower markets and incense-filled temples or gasping at breathtaking pyrotechnics,lively sports events and the International Chinese New Year Night Parade, in Hong Kong, your Chinese New Year will be cosmopolitan, festive, traditional, spectacular and unique.

Info

Date:: January to February 2014 (exact date to be confirmed)

Hong Kong Chinese New Year Celebrations Enjoy Magnificent 360-degree views of Hong Kong CNY

We’re using Google Street View to give you wonderful 360-degree views of our Chinese New Year celebrations.

Every year, tens of thousands line the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui to witness the International Chinese New Year Night Parade – a spectacle of dazzling performers from home and abroad that turns the whole harbour-front area into a giant outdoor street party. This is where the world comes to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

2013 Parade

The 2013 Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade marked the event's 18th year and – 18 being an auspicious number in Chinese – the theme was happy@hongkong. Around 120, 000 people came out to watch the parade and many more got to see the floats and performances up close in Lam Tsuen, where they were exhibited for the rest of the Chinese New Year festival. Check out the photos and highlights below.

Photo Gallery? Photo Gallery? Photo Gallery? Photo Gallery? Photo Gallery? Photo Gallery? Photo Gallery? Photo Gallery?

2014 Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade

In 2014, you can expect an equally exuberant start to another Chinese New Year in Hong Kong. Stay tuned for details.

Info

Date:: 31 January 2014 (Chinese New Year's Day)
Enquiries:: info@discoverhongkong.com

Despite its utterly modern world city status, Hong Kong is deeply traditional. And preparing for and celebrating Chinese New Year is especially rich with ancient rituals and customs. The below is your guide to understanding (and perhaps joining in) these timeless traditions.

Colourful and Aromatic New Year's Shopping

Seeking Good Fortune

Auspicious Foods

The 15 days of Chinese New Year

Colourful and Aromatic New Year's Shopping

The 14 flower markets across town attract thousands of shoppers in search of auspicious flowers for their homes and offices in the run-up to Chinese New Year. Bursting with colour, aroma and ambience, these markets also feature stalls serving dried goods, toys and quirky souvenirs. The most popular are those held at Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island and Fa Hui Park in Kowloon. Most flower markets will be at their busiest and most festive on Chinese New Year's Eve.

Hong Kong Island – Man Mo Temple, Sheung Wan Seeking Good Fortune

At Chinese New Year, it's customary to give thanks for the past 12 months and pray for good fortune in the coming year, making the city's temples especially busy with worshippers at this time. The most popular is the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple, where thousands swarm on Chinese New Year's Eve and in the early hours of Chinese New Year's Day. Wong Tai Sin is one of Hong Kong's most popular deities and many want to honour him as early in the year as possible. But those who can't make it to the temple in person needn't worry; they are invited to light a virtual stick of incense for Wong Tai Sin online. This is Hong Kong, after all!

Auspicious foods

Food is an essential ingredient to almost all Chinese festivals, Chinese New Year being anything but the exception. Here's a list of what's cooking on the Chinese New Year menu and why:

Black moss:	In Cantonese this is called 'fat choi', which sounds like 'prosperity'.
Dried oysters:	Its Cantonese word 'hao shi' sounds similar to 'good business', which is music to many ears in this entrepreneurial city.
Steamed sticky cake:	In Chinese, 'sticky cake' is phonetically close to 'higher year', meaning that eating steamed sticky cake each year symbolises raising oneself higher.
Vegetables with ham:	This dish represents getting a large return on a small investment, which is desired by business folk and those having a flutter on Chinese New Year Race Day.
Tangyuan:	These are sweet glutinous rice balls. In Chinese, tangyuan sounds like 'reunion', which is especially important in a family-conscious city that's populated by migrants from all over China and has sent emigrants to all corners of the world.

The 15 days of Chinese New Year

You've heard of the 12 days of Christmas, but what about the 15 days of Chinese New Year? Here's a guide to what Hongkongers get up to during the 15-day festival.

Chinese New Year's Eve:	The house has survived a furious spring cleaning and red banners with auspicious couplets have been diligently pasted on the front door. Now it's time to gorge on a family reunion meal, walk off the calories in a flower market, and light incense in the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple in the early hours of the new year.
Chinese New Year's Day (Day 1):	Today people drop by to visit some relatives and pop into a temple to light incense and pay respect to their ancestors. Things then rev up for the evening with the glamorous International Chinese New Year Night Parade.
Day 2:	Married daughters return to their parents' homes for a meal today. The night sky is then set ablaze with an incredible fireworks display over Victoria Harbour.
Day 3:	The third day of the year, called 'chec hao', is unfortunately considered a likely time to get into a spat. It's therefore advised to avoid argumentative types on this day and head to a Che Kung temple for some divine help in keeping things cool. Thousands of locals hit the track today for some horse-racing action.
Day 4:	After three days of downtime, Hong Kong has finally reopened for business. That means we can all hit the shops again, phew! Football fans will be watching The Lunar New Year Cup finals tonight.
Day 7:	Called 'renri', the seventh day of Chinese New Year is the common man's birthday. Wish yourself and everyone you meet a happy birthday!
Day 15:	The last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations is known as the Spring Lantern Festival. Today Hongkongers enjoy lantern displays, traditional performances and even lantern riddle contests.

Google Street View puts you in the heart of the fun and excitement of Hong Kong Chinese New Year Celebrations. Below are some street views of the festive happenings in 2013. Click on any of the maps and enjoy!

Victoria Park - Lunar New Year Fair

Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade

Sha Tin Racecourse - Chinese New Year Race Day

Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees - Hong Kong Well-wishing Festival 2013

Che Kung Temple

Organiser	Title Sponsor
Hong Kong Tourism Board	Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd		Hong Kong Disneyland
Zwilling J.A. Henckels (Cheong Hing Store Ltd)		Hong Kong Tourism Board
China National Tourism Administration		Macau Government Tourist Office
CLP Power Hong Kong Limited		Quality Tourism Services Association
The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Ltd		SOGO Hong Kong Company Limited
Hang Seng Bank