Hong Kong celebrates Year of the Dog

Hong Kong will be bursting at the seams with entertainment, activities and excitement from 16 February to 2 March, as locals and visitors unite to celebrate Chinese New Year, welcome the ‘Year of the Dog’ and wish for a prosperous twelve months ahead.

From dazzling fireworks and street parades to outdoor carnivals and vibrant flower market stalls, colourful festivities will light up the streets throughout Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Highlights include:

Chinese traditions will be celebrated in many places.

The Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees (pictured above) are another popular destination for Hongkongers during the New Year. Located in Lam Tsuen Village in Tai Po, New Territories, the original trees were believed to bring good fortune and villagers would tie joss papers to the branches in the hope their wishes would be granted. Every Chinese New Year the village is crowded with people from all over the city, waiting their turn to cast their wish.

There are also plenty of auspicious-sounding ingredients in Cantonese cuisine which become symbolic during the New Year period. For instance, tongyuen dumplings (pictured above) which sound similar to the word “reunion” in Cantonese, symbolise the coming together of family and are often served as a dessert during this time. Dried oysters (“ho si” in Cantonese) are phonetically reminiscent of “good business” and are popular with Hong Kong entrepreneurs. Glutinous rice cake or pudding (“neen go” in Cantonese) sounds like “tall year”, which can be roughly translated as “reaching higher skies each year”.

Of course, Chinese New Year will start off with a bang, courtesy of a spectacular not-to-be-missed display of pyrotechnics over Victoria Harbour. The 20 minute Hong Kong Chinese New Year Fireworks Extravaganza (pictured below) will light up the sky creating a kaleidoscope of colour. The show will run from 8pm on Saturday 17 February and the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront and Central Harbourfront will provide best viewing spots.

Join Hong Kong as it welcomes the Year of the Dog in spectacular style and colour.

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