From acrobatic lion dances to buns on bamboo towers, Hong Kong’s unique culture is on full display at a festival – and there are plenty to see throughout the year. Get set for Hong Kong’s best celebrations and enjoy the selfie overload as ELLE KWAN takes us through the annual line-up of fun.
LATE JANUARY/FEBRUARY
Kung Hei Fat Choi!
Learn those words – “Happy Chinese New Year” – and you’ll be welcoming in the biggest festival of the year. During this celebration you’ll see locals exchanging lai see, or lucky red envelopes, with children, employees and unmarried friends; and, if you want to guarantee good service in the year to come, it’s worth preparing some of these packets of good fortune for your helper and door staff too.
During the week long festival, visit a temple like Man Mo or Wong Tai Sing and soak up some spirituality, or head to Causeway Bay’s massive flower market during the day. By night, join crowds bustling for Cathay Pacific’s enormous Chinese New Year parade. Held on New Year’s Day, the event is a spectacle of colour, noise and movement as drummers, acrobats, floats, dancers and Chinese lions shimmy along the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, throngs gather to watch a dazzling fireworks display light up the skies across Victoria Harbour. An insider tip? The views from Tsim Sha Tsui also give views of Central’s jaw-dropping skyline. Stake your claim early on the boardwalks at the Avenue of Stars.
FEBRUARY
Spring Glow
Esta historia es de la edición Year 2016 de EL Hong Kong City Guide.
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Esta historia es de la edición Year 2016 de EL Hong Kong City Guide.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Hiring a Helper Helper All You Need to Know
To find out everything about hiring domestic help in Hong Kong, we turned to LAURENCE FAUCHON, co-founder and CEO of HelperChoice.com, a social impact start-up eradicating illegal agency placement fees by connecting employers and domestic helpers directly. Laurence started her entrepreneurial adventure while she was pregnant with her first daughter, and she believes that the employer-helper dynamic benefits from an ethical and open hiring process.
Getting Festive
From acrobatic lion dances to buns on bamboo towers, Hong Kong’s unique culture is on full display at a festival – and there are plenty to see throughout the year. Get set for Hong Kong’s best celebrations and enjoy the selfie overload as ELLE KWAN takes us through the annual line-up of fun.
Getting Around Transport in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is ultra-convenient because of its speedy and efficient transport network. If you’re used to endless commutes, there’s no need to fret here, where train delays are rare (and, if they do happen, they’re measured in minutes not hours), and a range of transport options means you’ll be zipping rather than crawling across the city. If your preference is fully focussed on taxis, though, expect a few jams.
Meeting & Greeting: Etiquette for expats
As a newcomer to Hong Kong, you’ll be keen to get to know people. As NATASHA LLOYD reveals, this process can include getting to grips with the (for some, perplexing) issue of the welcome kiss.
Feeling at Home in Hong Kong
Choosing your ideal neighbourhood.
