Thunderroad

We may visit Hong Kong next year adount the time of Chinese New Year. I know there have been a few threads on this, but would still appreciate any advice on whether NCY is good time to be there. The general impression I get from the threads is that it's a bit quieter than usual and that big festivities consist of fireworks over the harbor. Are my impressions correct? And does a bit quieter mean a bit less crowded than usual?

Also, how would late January-early February be in terms of weather. A weather/climate site I visited makes it seem pretty nice, albeit on the cool side--maybe 55-65 degrees F and fairly dry. Does that sound correct?

dtsm

CNY was wet and cold (relatively speaking, around 10 C) this year. If no rain, great temp!

HK is usually still busy - lots of out of town Chinese visit here (while locals visit elsewhere)....but streets, stores, etc. all opened as usual.

rkkwan

It's an issue if shopping and dining (outside the hotels) are your main reasons of your visit. Some of the local-owned, local-run ones may be closed for 1-3 days.

Also a lot of locals traveling to China and Macau during those times, so it'll be crowded and inconvenient if you're trying to do the same.

kingalien

Was just there in February for the New Year festivities. Rained 2 out of the ten days I was there. Otherwise, cool to cold weather. As rkkwan said local shops were closed for about three days. Large department stores were closed for two days. Convenience stores, i.e. 7/11, were open and of course hotel restaurants. It's quiet only because stores are closed but as the day progresses and the festivities get into high gear it will be very crowded.

Also did the Macau thing. Was there over a weekend too and it was an absolute zoo.

LRD

I'll be in HK January 26/27 and I'm looking for a schedule of events (especially parades) during those days.

I checked the events calendar of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, WhatsOnWhen, and a dozen other sites but cannot find events with specific dates/times.

Anyone have a good source?

sbm12

That HKTB link shows the fireworks on the night of the 27th. If they match last year's schedule that would mean that the parade would be the night of the 26th.

rkkwan

Here's the page you're looking for, though I admit not the easiest to find:

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/cny/.../overview.html

LRD

Perrrrfect!

Many thanks!

sbm12

The pictures on the parade page are from last year's parade. I have a few that are very similar.

LRD

Many thanks!

Would you care to suggest a good viewing location?

rkkwan

It was so cold last year that my uncle and aunt decided not to go even though my cousin-in-law got them VIP tickets for the parade.

Anyways, I have never seen it myself. It's a pretty new event, put together after SARS a few years ago to get more tourists to visit Hong Kong during the holidays.

sbm12

I viewed from the public area pretty much at the end of the parade route, just before the final grand-stands. It was very crowded, but I staked out a bit of space and was able to keep it OK. The down-side of my choice is that it was a bit of a hike to get there, though I think that helped keep the crowd down. I also tried to find a location under a streetlamp to help with adding some light for my photos. The parade was fun, but it didn't strike me as particularly "authentic" of anything. The San Francisco 49ers cheerleaders participating may have had something to do with that.

If you want great seats for the firework on the Kowloon side you have to get there VERY early. You'll see lining up against the railing of the promenade starting around 3pm or so. At 6pm they close access in to the promenade. The fireworks don't start until 8pm. I had space at the railing and spread myself out expecting another FTer to join me. He bailed (stuck in Macau) and so I ended up sharing with some other folks in the area. It was not too crowded at all, but it did mean about 3-4 hours of down time waiting around. Lots of folks around me had picnics set up (and some tried to feed me ). I read a book and relaxed. It was completely worth it. The fireworks over the harbor were amazing!!

ORDnHKG

Can you get in there two three days earlier ?

Every year Victoria Park has a huge market selling traditional chinese new year flowers/plants and local chinese new year goods, the market is up til the night before chinese new year.