From shopping enthusiasts to art lovers, little kids to grandparents, photography buffs to connoisseurs of rare liquors, party-goers to homebodies, Hong Kong is the right destination that will surely bring a memorable holiday for all.
UniChristmas @ Harbour City
Start the day with a romp through the whimsical UniChristmas landscape of Harbour City. Iridescent unicorns amid sparkling Christmas trees and carousels will enchant even the scroogiest sceptics.
Grow a pair of wings or ascend the throne – life-size props that level up your photography game – and become part of the magic! When hunger hits, head to restaurants with unicorn-themed drinks and delicacies to continue the adventure.
Joyful nostalgia reigns elsewhere in Harbour City with Merry Streetmas scenes featuring the Sesame Street crew. For heartwarming photos, cosy up to goofy Christmas trees that look like Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird. Get ready to click away in sports mode when the kids dash excitedly to life-size cutouts of Bert and Ernie sledding and playing in the snow.
You will also receive Hong Kong-themed welcome gifts from Harbour City. Pay it forward and swing by the Charity Pop-Up Store for unicorn-themed souvenirs or get a ticket to create sweet memories in the Charity Photography Zone. Proceeds benefit the Hong Kong Blood Foundation.
Little ones can soak in the festive atmosphere beneath the starry ceiling of the Unicorn Merry-Go-Round Palace. Harbour City stays open till 12.15am and is a great place to watch the New Year’s Eve countdown and light show at Victoria Harbour across the waters – read to the end for details!
JAJA
Your tummies – and eyes – will thank you for making a beeline to modern vegetarian eatery JAJA. For the holidays, up the instagram-worthy ante with their adorable high tea sets. Good vibes are guaranteed with the Pink-Mas Festive tea set and the Pink-tastic Festive tea set from 3pm to 5.30pm.
Treat yourself to the picture-perfect, Decadent Festive 3-course dinner set from 6pm to 10pm. Wintry delights, like the Snowman Cheese Ball and Christmas Breadsticks Twist, are just as fun as they are delicious to eat. And who can resist the seasonal cocktails, like Holy Mulled Wine, and alcohol-free mocktails, like Christmas Crime? Remember to make your reservations for tea and dinner sets at least 2 days before the dining date.
Tick Tock, Tick Tock
Open to the public 24 hours a day, no reservations are needed for the outdoor Tick Tock, Tick Tock exhibition at the iconic Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower. The largest of street artist WhIsbe’s Vandal Gummy series, this gummy’s incarnation as a hybrid dinosaur-bear begs the question: is Big Red a prehistoric ancestor that has time travelled to the present?
Embark on a digital escapade with the first, future-forward gummy exhibition. Featuring interactive elements, such as Instagram filters that transform users into gummy bears and an augmented reality app that lets the gummy bear sculpture travel with you to Hong Kong iconic landmarks, let Tick Tock, Tick Tock be your personal timekeeper this New Year’s Eve.
Sky 100 Observation Deck
If a bird’s eye view of the Hong Kong skyline is more your speed, perennial favourite Sky100 is the observation deck par excellence. Once you catch your breath from whooshing up 100 floors in the high-speed lift, your jaw may drop again at the magnificent 360-degree view. The magic of watching clouds cast shadows over the city and being immersed in the golden light of the setting sun is matched only by the city lights flickering to life after dusk.
Day-time admission ends at 8.30pm
Christmas Town @ West Kowloon Cultural District
Come nightfall, enjoy a stroll around the West Kowloon Cultural District where a twinkling Christmas tree as tall as a building takes pride of place on the west lawn. Part of Winterfest, reindeer figurines and vintage-style lamp posts make lovely backdrops for old-school, black and white photography. Traipse to the east lawn and enter different worlds through the Christmas-themed lodges, including a snow-clad kingdom, candy house and colourful childhood home.
Christmas Wonderland stays open till 1am, making it a great spot to catch the New Year’s Eve countdown under the stars.
Darkside
Over by the Kowloon waterfront, above the Avenue of Stars, glamorous cocktail bar Darkside – ranked 13th of Asia’s 50 best bars – opens its doors from 9pm. Saunter onto the outdoor terrace and be greeted with an epic view of the Hong Kong Island skyline. Take your time to imbibe from a menu of rare, dark spirits, like rum, whisky and calvados, or sample Darkside’s contemporary takes on the classics and cocktails inspired by Hong Kong flavours.
As you dance the night away and usher in 2023, a live band will keep spirits high and the party going till 1am.
Hong Kong’s New Year’s Eve celebration
If bidding adieu to 2022 while snuggled up in bed is more appealing to you, tune in to the live television broadcast or online livestream of Hong Kong’s New Year’s Eve celebration on our official YouTube channel. Get set for an energetic line-up of performances, including renowned piano prodigy Niu Niu (Zhang Shengliang), local taiko drumming group Gekko Taiko and many more, to usher in the new year!
At the stroke of midnight, a dazzling laser-pyrotechnic display will light up the buildings and landmarks along the island side of Victoria Harbour in an enhanced edition of “A Symphony of Lights”. Marvel at the dancing lights and a colourfully-lit Star Ferry fleet playing music at Victoria Harbour, which will be open to the public.
With the announcement of the removal of Amber Code, Hong Kong welcomes 2023 with sheer excitement to showcase its range of diverse and riveting experiences and culinary offerings.
