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Chinese New Year HK 2015

Chinese New Year HK 2015

Old Aug 31, 2014, 9:02 pm
  #1  
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Chinese New Year HK 2015

I'm currently planning an itinraery for a trip to Asia next year, and by coincidence it looks like I will land in Hong Kong at 9pm on the 19th Feb which is of course Chinese New Year.

Firstly, can I expect issues from the airport to a city centre hotel? Is the 19th February itself going to be a big celebration or will the main events be either side of this date? I've checked accommodation prices and they are currently affordable, so I'm not worried about that.

Also a completely different question for those in the know - I may fly from HKG-TPE using some Avios and I have the choice of Business or First on CX. Is the First Class section of The Wing considerably better? Considering the short flight time I can't imagine I will notice too much difference on the flight itself, although the airport experience would be a big consideration for me.
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Old Sep 1, 2014, 4:59 am
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Since it is a multiple day holiday many business might be closes; especially the local neighbourhood eateries.

CNY is a time for family so the city will be quite except for the "shopping" areas. The firework shows are a must do/see.

Most Hong Kongers will be on vacation and there will be the usual large influx of visitors/shoppers/smugglers from China.

Just a note from your other post in the Asia forum, CNY is a busy flying season in SE Asia, plan accordingly.
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Old Sep 1, 2014, 5:24 am
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Originally Posted by tentseller
Since it is a multiple day holiday many business might be closes; especially the local neighbourhood eateries.

CNY is a time for family so the city will be quite except for the "shopping" areas. The firework shows are a must do/see.

Most Hong Kongers will be on vacation and there will be the usual large influx of visitors/shoppers/smugglers from China.

Just a note from your other post in the Asia forum, CNY is a busy flying season in SE Asia, plan accordingly.
Thank you for the heads up. If we arrive on the 19th around 9pm, will the fireworks be on that particular evening? Are eateries etc likely to be closed in the days immediately after the 19th? I guess we're likely to be in HK from the 19th til the 22nd so I need to make sure we're not going to miss out on the usual things such as the eating/drinking and main tourists sights!
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Old Sep 1, 2014, 8:16 am
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3-4 days holidays is the tradition, down from 7 from way back.

However due to the dependency on tourism dollars many are opening day after, 20th, especially in China tourist gathering spots.

Firework is traditionally on the second day of the new year, best if you have a wide view of the harbour.
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Old Sep 1, 2014, 7:43 pm
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Parade on the evening of Feb 19 in Tsim Sha Tsui. But if you land at 9, it'll be all over by the time you get to the city. However, if you're staying at a Tsim Sha Tsui hotel, vehicle access may be an issue if your flight is early and you get out of airport early.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 8:44 pm
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Don't miss the fireworks.
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Old Sep 4, 2014, 1:37 pm
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Originally Posted by allset2travel
Don't miss the fireworks.
Is there a definitive date yet for the fireworks? We land on the 19th at 9pm so afraid we might miss out..
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Old Sep 5, 2014, 5:34 pm
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I believe the fireworks are on the 2nd day of CNY (Friday, Feb 20th), starting at 8:00PM and lasting roughly 1/2 hour.
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Old Nov 24, 2014, 10:29 pm
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I'm arriving on 17th Feb and staying a week so beyond the fireworks can anyone else offer some CNY suggestions not to miss? Should I be buying tickets to some events now? If so which events?
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:17 am
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Originally Posted by tcook052
I'm arriving on 17th Feb and staying a week so beyond the fireworks can anyone else offer some CNY suggestions not to miss? Should I be buying tickets to some events now? If so which events?
Only thing requiring a ticket is the parade on night of 19th, and only if you want a seat in the grand stand and not just standing by the roadside. But it is really nothing when compared to parades like those in NYC or Pasadena.

Most other things are free - like the flower markets or visiting Che Kung Temple. Just have to line up with the crowds.
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 3:00 am
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If you can find time in the late afternoon take a trip on the "ding-ding" buses from central. Get a seat up top at the front. Great for photos.
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Old Jan 18, 2015, 2:11 am
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Ok, it now seems official that the fireworks will be on the 20th Feb which is great considering we land on the 19th!

Any advice on where we should go for the fireworks? Do we need to get there super early to queue? We're staying very close to Victoria park on Hong Kong island.
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Old Jan 18, 2015, 9:23 pm
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Best place to see them is on the TST side facing the harbour, but the crowds will be huge. If you do want to go for it there, get there very early, perhaps eating lunch nearby and then staying close.

There are other places in Wan Chai and Central that might be a little less packed (but only compared to TST, in general terms, everywhere that has a good view will be jammed).
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Old Jan 18, 2015, 10:22 pm
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I plan on arriving TST early and staking out a decent spot for the fireworks and then staying around for the Hong Kong Pulse 3D Light Show hoping the crowd thins out and I can head back to Courtyard HK before MTR shuts down.

Last edited by tcook052; Jan 18, 2015 at 10:48 pm
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Old Jan 19, 2015, 4:00 am
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Will it not be possible to get a good view from the Hong Kong island side? For example this photo I found taken from the island appears to give quite a good view of the harbour and skyline http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsim_Sh...n_Panorama.JPG.

We only have 2 full days in HK and so we can't really afford to spend half a day staking out a spot to view the evening fireworks.
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