A very Hong Kong Christmas
Updated: 17/12/2021
It’s the month of December and you know what that means! Whether you’re a tinsel-loving ginger-bread baking romantic or maybe a well-meaning scrooge who isn’t too big a fan of the caroling and extra calories. Whichever one you are, when Christmas is in the air - we can all feel it and love it or hate it, it’s a warm feeling that reminds us of home just knowing that the world gets a little brighter for a month and we’ll soon be filling our bellies with all sorts of yummy treats from Christmas pudding to turkey to mulled wine. As a girl hailing from the South Asian subcontinent, Christmas isn’t something religiously observed to a great degree at home. It’s more of a cultural colorful time of the year where everyone gets into the holiday spirit and the city streets get covered in more fairy lights than you can possibly count. In sophisticated and trend-savvy Hong Kong it’s somewhat similar. Only we’re not just talking about Christmas trees and sparkling lights, nope, they really go all out in keeping with religious family traditions as well as the fun cute tourist-y things that make the season so jolly, like the endless Christmas markets but we’ll get to that in a bit :))
Big shoutout to Brian Chi Yan Cheng for his awesome recommendations on the festive events happening around the city for the holidays!
Move over New York city. When in Hong Kong for the holidays, anything could happen ;)
Ever wondered why this cosmopolitan shopper’s paradise is such a cool place to be for the month of December? The city hosts one of the world’s grandest celebrations in the world FYI. CNN actually listed the Hong Kong Winterfest 2020 as one of the world’s top ten places to spend Christmas holidays. If you’re looking at all of East Asia, it might literally take the cake! There’s even a special street that sells the most magical-looking Christmas trees just for the season. In case you are shocked about Hong Kong’s star power, we’ve suggested a travel itinerary for you for a day in Hong Kong during the most wonderful time of the year. Let us know if we’ve convinced you!!
HOW WAS YOUR FLIGHT? AND WHERE TO GO FIRST?
Touch down at Hong Kong Airport in the afternoon. When you’re done zipping through the baggage counter, it’s time to try to find your bearings a little. Heads up though on the airport crowds - it can be nuts making your way towards the fresh air exit especially during the peak season. Don’t worry though, there’s more than one way to get to the city centre. If you’re heading for Finance Street to your sumptuous hotel room at the Four Seasons then it’s always better to book a taxi. Not the cheapest way to go but the most convenient and not too hard on the wallet either - around 46HK$.
Check-in and maybe grab a short siesta in your Bvlgari-furnished suite overlooking dazzling Victoria Harbor all dressed up in the usual laser light illuminations to shake off those traveling jitters. At this point you’re probably realizing that you set the bar way too low! Definitely not a compromise on those Asian bougie holiday vibes you wanted so bad!
HUNGRY IN HONG KONG
Let’s be honest, Christmas is also the time we want to get sloshed at the bar! How about a refreshing aperitif or a Single Origin Negroni at Argo cocktail bar before an early lunch at the legendary Caprice restaurant? Rumour has it that the Racan Pigeon will not disappoint - a three Michelin stars food establishment for good reason, we promise. Chef de cuisine Guillaume Gallot brings the French savoir faire and a little bit of heat and you can tell when your hot and cold onion soup reaches your table - such a classic. You’ll also love the wine list and terrific assortment of artisanal cheeses (seriously prepare to be amazed). Then again less is also more so let’s dig into some casual eats now. Hong Kong is big on food so if you leave without at least tasting some Dim Sum, you should probably consider that a personal offense to the nation (kidding of course!). But it isn’t something we’d say you should easily miss out on!! Duddell’s is all about art and fancy preparations of beloved eats like pork dumplings and steamed buns but if you want that traditional experience for the holidays Lin Heung Tea House really hits the spot!
FUN THINGS TO DO IN BETWEEN 🎄🎄🎄
Here’s a couple of events that are going down in and around the harbor city area. Brian, thanks again! Something that really must be said about Hong Kong is its anime culture and kawaii craze which it gets from its East Asian friend Japan. It’s really in the details, like some of these fun fairs and over-the-top Christmas stalls where you can buy all kinds of cute fluffy gifts to take back home plus one-of-a-kind pieces from toys and treats to DIY Christmas presents that scream “I love you”.
In the WKNDTRP app, we’ve worked hard to best reflect Hong Kong’s obsession with food and artistic gastronomy as one of the world’s best chef and restaurateur scenes out there. But we also love the cheaper thrills in life that breathe the soul of any city! Here’s a couple of fun shopping mall events Brian told us about.
Market Fairish Balloon Gala Christmas Market in iSquare.
Miffy European Village in MOKO.
Sweetmas Market in New Town Plaza.
The Winter Wonderland in the AsiaWorld-Summit (Hall 2) - it will be the biggest European style indoor Christmas market in Hong Kong.
Stanley Christmas Market.
Hong Kong Food Festival.
You could also get your hands on the most exquisite Christmas cards from friendly street vendors dotted throughout town. Some people prefer those special cards created using the Chinese craft techniques. It’s really up to what you’re into - so go for it!
Hong Kong is cosmopolitan and diverse and so is a melting pot of cultures. It is famous for its blessed religious observances of its Chinese Christian population like the pretty Nativity scenes decorating people’s homes, churches and other public places in and around the city. These charming scenes really reign in the spirit of Christmas and those Poinsettias flowers placed delicately everywhere bring so much color to the corporate commercial concrete jungle of this hi-tech city center.
CHRISTMAS DINNER AND HOLIDAY SHENANIGANS
All through the month the Christmas menus will always have you salivating for days. Buffets, brunches, lunches dinners, street eats, sweet treats galore, it’s sin city over here. We love the baked clams, hot and sour soup, different varieties of meat broths, freshly grilled prime ribs and of course the swanky Turkey Christmas Dinner at The Landmark restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental.
There’s also the Hong Kong WinterFest of course. This gigantic winter party really puts Christmas into high gear with its signature lights and usual loud Christmas cheer, streets decked generously in tinsel, glitter balls, fairy lights and festive decorations everywhere you look! Nothing beats the regal WinterFest Christmas tree though standing proudly in Statue Square - stop to take a photo or two or a million. The tree is seriously competing for height with the nearby skyscrapers, super impressive.
If you’re traveling as a couple, don’t forget to participate in the “Love Locks” ritual along the railings where couples seal their romance with a special Christmas blessing.
Heading back to the Four Seasons, and that’s a wrap for Day 1 and you’re already bouncing off the walls from the amount of Christmas goodies you’ve stuffed yourself with at the Stanley Christmas market. On the way why not stop to hear the carol singers in the brightly lit Hong Kong streets.
Hope I gave you enough reasons to maybe spark a thought to visit this beautiful city! The awesome thing is the amount of places, activities and things you can enjoy here, even a lovely cruise or even windsurfing along the iconic Victoria harbor is on the cards! The best part is that planning a trip to Hong Kong doesn’t have to be stressful. WKNDTRP’s exclusive trip planner feature is designed to make your travels as simple as possible - we’re looking at minimizing e-reservation time too. If you want to see how you can book your trip in just minutes, check out our tutorial here!
