Hop to it: Top Hong Kong's Luckiest Spots to Visit in the Year of the Rabbit
Now that Hong Kong is ready to welcome international visitors again, it’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate Chinese New Year in true Hong Kong style.
After all, nowhere blends time-honoured Chinese New Year traditions with modern energy quite like this buzzing metropolis. In honour of the Year of the Rabbit, here are five of Hong Kong’s most fortuitous experiences to fill your year with good luck, health and prosperity.
1. Take Instagrammable Photos with the ‘Lucky Rabbit’
Brought to you by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, a series of dazzling Chinese New Year checkpoints have transformed the harbourfront. For starters, a giant Lucky Rabbit is making its debut on the roof of the Central Pier. Visitors will also discover more hoppin’ displays – each with mesmerising themes, lights, music, and interactive elements – at Admiralty’s Tamar Park, the Wan Chai Temporary Promenade and Tsim Sha Tsui’s Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
2. Hop On Auspicious Harbour Tours
On the first day of Chinese New Year, it’s customary to usher in luck and prosperity by spending time outdoors. Visitors can embrace the tradition with a scenic Victoria Harbour cruise aboard a historic Star Ferry. Along the way, try to catch the Lucky Rabbit hiding on the ferry! Accrue more good fortune by exploring the Chinese New Year-themed harbourfront checkpoints in different ways, like a sightseeing tour on the antique Duckling junk boat or a pedal-boating adventure at the Wan Chai Water Sports and Recreation Precinct.
3. Experience Unique Hong Kong Chinese New Year Traditions
The Year of the Rabbit marks the return of many authentic Hong Kong Chinese New Year customs for visitors to enjoy! Among the must-try experiences, head to the Chinese New Year flower markets for festive shopping and take in good fortune as blooms signify wealth in Chinese culture.
Besides, stock up on luck at the Chinese New Year Raceday in Sha Tin, where epic horseraces, lion dance performances and holiday décor await. The energised activity can bring you a lucky start to the year with full power!
The Hong Kong Well-Wishing Festival in Lam Tsuen is another age-old Chinese New Year tradition. Simply jot down wishes on a notecard, tie it to a mandarin and toss it into a legendary tree. If the fruit catches a branch, the wishes may come true.
4. Indulge in Classic Dishes with Modern Twists
A time for connection, Chinese New Year brings families together over delicious meals symbolising longevity, fortune and wealth. Year after year, Hong Kong restaurants reinvigorate traditional Chinese New Year dishes with fresh ideas.
This year, Green Common has reinvented poon choi (or “prosperity stew” made with meat, seafood and veggies) using only plant-based meat alongside vegetarian ingredients. Meanwhile, Häagen-Dazs has transformed traditional nin gou (a sticky rice cake representing prosperity) into a Chinese New Year ice cream cake, which also comes with another option of a Chinese candy box (meaning togetherness and perfection).
5. Give Creative Gifts of Good Fortune
Throughout Chinese New Year, Hong Kong people bring gifts to family gatherings to spread goodwill and fortune with loved ones. Putting a spin on tradition, Dang Wen Li by Dominique Ansel has crafted mochi buns in the shape of mandarins – a symbol of good fortune – alongside a gift box brimming with sweet delicacies, which features a centrepiece decoration of a cute rabbit. On the other hand, The Cakery is whipping up adorable rabbit-themed fondant cookies that are perfect for the Chinese New Year.
