Christmas is just around the corner, and Hong Kong is one of the best cities in the region to celebrate this special season. With events and activities resuming and life returning to normal in this vibrant city, preparations for Hong Kong’s Christmas and New Year in-person celebrations are in full swing. There are myriad unique shopping, dining, and entertainment experiences to be discovered in the festive season.
Christmas Town in the West Kowloon Neighbourhood
The site of the newly opened M+, in West Kowloon, is Hong Kong’s new cultural hotspot. This year, it is the centerpiece of the WinterFest celebrations. With dazzling views of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline, this harbourfront park will be transformed into a storybook Christmas Town, with eight wooden lodges for photo-taking dotted around a 20-meter Christmas tree. This year, the towering, six-story tree has been relocated from Central to West Kowloon for the first time, putting the cultural district under the spotlight.
Shopping Spectacular
Hong Kong has an enviable reputation as a shopper’s paradise, and with a burgeoning scene for independent artisans, it’s easier than ever to find stylish, creative, and unique gifts, which you can also find online to remind you of your trip.
Decorate Your Tree, Hong Kong Style
A gift company inspired by Hong Kong, The Lion Rock Press began as part of 120- a year-old family business specializing in paper and printing. It offers children’s toys and Christmas decorations using Hong Kong as an inspiration for its quirky, humorous designs. For little ones, there’s a beautiful wooden dim sum set that will deliver many hours of imaginative fun; and for your Christmas tree, you will find beautiful heirloom ornaments inspired by local culture.
Hearty Delicacies
Besides this landmark event, there is so much more to do in Hong Kong over the festive period. In fact, now is the perfect time to sample some of Hong Kong’s winter delicacies:
Claypot Rice
Kwan Kee
You can’t miss Kwan Kee, an iconic Hong Kong restaurant famed for its clay pot rice, thanks to the line of hungry foodies snaking down the street on chilly evenings. This the bustling, brightly lit diner serves up steaming bowls of clay-pot rice cooked on a real charcoal fire, with toppings such as spare ribs and black beans, Chinese sausage and
egg, or white eel.
Chop Chop
Roasted meat specialty restaurant Chop Chop currently offers eight varieties of clay pot rice, including minced beef with egg, chicken with Chinese yam and shiitake mushroom, and minced pork with salted fish and water chestnuts.
Roasted Goose
A classic Christmas dish, the roasted goose is a tantalizing delicacy to enjoy with your loved ones. If you love Western-style roasted goose, why not sample the Cantonese version? Yung Kee is one of Hong Kong’s most iconic restaurants, with a history dating back to 1938. After undergoing a significant renovation this year, the interior was transformed, but their signature roasted goose – an item on many foodies’ bucket lists – is comfortingly familiar. With a perfect blend of unctuous fat, tender meat, and crispy skin, the goose is first smoked and then roasted in a real charcoal oven to retain its signature flavor. It’s served with a tart plum sauce, which perfectly complements the rich dish.
Hotpot
The Drunken Pot
A hotpot restaurant with the feel of a nightclub, The Drunken Pot caters to a younger crowd of hotpot enthusiasts. Known for its dramatic presentation, funky interior, and the option of up to five soup bases in one subdivided pot, this fresh, modern hotpot restaurant has reinvented this quintessential Cantonese pastime for a new generation.
Yi Hung Yuen
Located in the heart of Lan Kwai Fong, Yi Hung Yuen is an Instagrammer’s dream with its moody bordello vibe punctuated by dramatic neon signs, inspired by the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber.
Ring in 2022 by the Harbour
After a one-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong’s New Year Countdown is back with a bang, with a spectacular concert taking place on West Kowloon’s Great Lawn. The event features performances from some of Hong Kong’s hottest local acts, as well as a classical performance by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. The countdown clock will be displayed on the gigantic façade of the newly opened M+ so that the public can welcome 2022 in unison. Overseas? No problem. You can enjoy the dazzling concert live and exciting countdown moment via live-streaming at https://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/what-s-new/events/dhk-highlighted-events/hong-kong-new-year-countdown-celebrations.html
