Annual Events

Ching Ming, and Chung Yeung Festivals To visitors these are simply two public holidays that fall in spring and autumn. For locals, though, these are days to pay respects to their ancestors. Many families visit graveyards and older hillside graves to tidy them up and make offerings. Various Locations April & October (Lunar calendar date) Chinese (Lunar) New Year The biggest festival in the Chinese calendar, when everyone makes the effort to get home and spend it with their families. It’s the one time of the year when Hong Kong feels quiet, with many shops and businesses closed. Major events held over the three-day holiday include a huge fireworks display over the harbour, and a street parade of floats, performers and marching bands from around the world. Various Locations February (Lunar calendar date) Cheung Chau Bun Festival One of Hong Kong’s unique events, this week-long festival culminates in a parade of costumed children on stilts, and a mad race to the top of bun-clad bamboo towers. The higher the bun, the greater the glory! Cheung Chau island www.cheungchau.org May (Lunar calendar date) Cricket Sixes Your best chance to see international cricket in East Asia, the weekend-long Sixes is cricket’s answer to the Rugby Sevens. As with the Sevens, the Sixes follows a format that encourages a faster, more entertaining game, attracting a wider audience than the usual cricket buffs. Kowloon Cricket Club www.hksixes.com November Dragon Boat Festival The official name is the ‘Tuen Ng Festival’, but you’ll remember it as the dragon boat festival. Head to the seafront to see teams of around 20 sitting in slender dragon boats, paddling furiously to the beat of their drummers. Local races are held near fishing villages such as Aberdeen and Stanley, with the international races usually held a week or so later in Sha Tin. Check with the Tourist Board for the exact details of where and when to see them. Various Seafront Locations www.discoverhong kong.com June (Lunar calendar date) Hong Kong Arts Festival Get a dose of culture at Hong Kong’s main arts event. With a mix of overseas and local artists, and a variety of music, theatre, dance, popular entertainment and film programmes, you’re sure to find something that catches your fancy. Various Locations www.hk.arts festival.org February - March Hong Kong Flower Show If you enjoy flowers, this is a colorful show of pot plants, flower arrangements and large landscape displays. If it inspires you to bring a little life into your apartment, there are also plenty of stalls ready to sell you their plants, with orchids especially popular. Victoria Park www.lcsd.gov. hk/green/hkfs March Hong Kong International Film Festival Film buff? Leave reality behind and indulge in over two weeks of cinema. Hollywood and indie, local and international, old and new. With several hundred films to choose from, there is a bit of everything. Warning – popular films are often sold out, so book early. Various Locations www.hkiff.org.hk March - April Hong Kong Marathon The highlight for runners is the chance to run across the Tsing Ma suspension bridge, normally the roadway from the city to the airport. If running 26 miles in Hong Kong’s polluted air seems like too much, there are also half marathon and 10K races held the same day. Races start from Tsim Sha Tsui www.hkmarathon.com February Hong Kong Sevens Considered the main event in the World Sevens Series, the Sevens offer a weekend of fast-paced, exciting rugby, attracting fans from around the world. Teams from 24 nations compete, including all the world’s rugby majors. For many regular visitors, the close of play on the pitch each day marks the start of a long night – head to Wan Chai and Lan Kwai Fong to join the party. Hong Kong Stadium www.hksevens.com March Hong Kong World Festival The largest mobile carnival and funfair in the world is in Hong Kong until March and features over 70 rides, rollercoasters and games. Open from 11.00 - 23.00 there is a variety of food, drink and merchandise available and guarantees a fun day for the family. Visit the website for location and ticket price details. Tamar Site, Admiralty www.hkworld carnival.com Until March Horse Racing Whether or not you are a horse racing fan, you should visit the races at least once to see Hong Kong’s passion for gambling in action. Races are held on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Most weeks only have racing on one or two of those days, though, so check the fixtures calendar on their website to be sure. Major races include the Chinese New Year Race Meeting, the Hong Kong Derby, and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Happy ValleyRacecourse & Sha Tin Racecourse www.hkjc.com September - July International Arts Carnival Aimed at helping keep children busy over the summer vacation, there is fun for adults too. If your kids want to sit back and be entertained, there are performances by acrobats, and mime and comedy to choose from. If the performances inspire a more active approach, check the long list of workshops covering everything from mime and puppets to singing and clowning. Various Locations www.hkiac.gov.hk July - August Lan Kwai Fong Julyfest As Hong Kong’s bar & club centre, you probably don’t need an excuse to visit Lan Kwai Fong. Still, on this day things go that bit further, with stalls on the street serving food and drinks from lunchtime onwards. In the afternoon there is a variety of performances and competitions to keep you busy, with the party carrying on late into the night. Lan Kwai Fong www.lankwaifong.com July Mid-Autumn Festival The public holiday is the strangely named ‘ The day following Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival’. The reason is that on the evening of the actual festival children head to open spaces carrying lanterns, hoping to see the full moon. It’s a late night for all, so the following day is a public holiday. It’s a pretty sight to see all the lanterns lit up, so make the effort to get out for a walk in a park that evening – Victoria Park and the Peak are good bets. Various Locations October (Lunar calendar date) Oxfam Trailwalker Teams of four aim to finish the 100km-long MacLehose hiking trail in under 48 hours. The fastest teams run it, and finish in under 14 hours. For most people the goal is simply to finish, regardless of the time taken. All teams are sponsored, raising money for Oxfam’s various poverty alleviation and emergency relief projects. MacLehose Trail www.oxfamtrail walker.org.hk November