Hong Kong City Guide - events

Chinese New Year
When it comes to Chinese New Year celebrations, nobody does it better than Hong Kong. The streets are jammed with dragon dancers, street performers and illuminated floats. Doors are hung with colourful messages of good fortune and lights are draped over all the city's skyscrapers. The highlight of the festivities is the glittering night parade that is complemented by special lighting effects and concluded by traditional fireworks over the harbour, which is said to scare away demons and ensure good luck. The forthcoming year (2008) is Year of the Rat.
Venue: Wan Chai Harbour front; parade route in Tsim Sha Tsui
Date: 7-21 February 2008
Website: www.discoverhongkong.com

Hong Kong Arts Festival
As a major international arts festival and the city's premier arts event of the year, the Hong Kong Arts Festival presents a fabulous assortment of music, theatre, dance and a wide range of creative visual arts by top international and local performers. The festival is renowned for the richness and diversity of its programme, ranging from classic entertainment to modern and innovative forms of performing arts. The festival is opened with the Piazza Party that is a special open-air extravaganza of music, dancing and free entertainment.
Venue:
Date: 14 February to 16 March 2008
Website: www.hk.artsfestival.org

Cheung Chau Bun Festival
The tiny island of Cheung Chau hosts the world's only bun festival in honour of the God of the Sea, Pak Tai, to ensure fair weather and a good catch at the start of the fishing season, as well as protection against evil spirits. Three days before the festival a vegetarian diet is adhered to. Spectacular bun towers, 60ft (18m) bamboo structures covered with iced buns, are erected in front of the Pak Tai Temple as an offering, and the blessed buns are handed out to believers at the end of the festival. A colourful street procession with floats, dragon and lion dancers, acrobats and young children in rich costumes make it one of Hong Kong's most vivid and intriguing festivals.
Venue: Cheung Chau Island
Date: 12 May 2008
Website: www.cheungchau.org

Dragon Boat Festival (Tuen Ng)
The Dragon Boat festival commemorates the death of a national hero, Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in protest against the corrupt rulers of the 3rd century. Legend has it that the villagers threw rice dumplings into the river and beat drums to scare the fish away from his body in an attempt to rescue him. The main festival activities today bring to mind the event, as rice dumplings are eaten and teams of local and international racers compete in fast and furious dragon boat races to the pounding of drums, as well as other various water-based activities. The elaborately carved, brightly painted dragon boats are the highlight of the festivities, combining heritage, sport and spectacle. For more information email the Hong Kong Tourism Board info@discoverhongkong.com
Venue: Shing Mun River, New Territories
Date: 8 June 2008
Website: www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/heritage/festivals

. Mid-Autumn/Moon Festival
One of the major festivals celebrated in Hong Kong, the Moon Festival is also one of the most widely celebrated festivals for Chinese all over the world, and is traditionally a time for family reunions. At this time of year the moon is thought to be the biggest, brightest and most beautiful, and to celebrate this sighting colourful lanterns in a variety of traditional shapes are lit and all open spaces and hilltops are crowded with families and bright lanterns, watching the full moon rise and eating traditional sweet moon cakes. As with many Chinese celebrations there are numerous ancient myths and legends to explain the festival. For more information contact the Hong Kong Tourist Office Association on +852 2807 6543 or email info@www.hkta.org
Venue:
Date: 14 September 2008
Website: www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/heritage/festivals

Hungry Ghost Festival (Yue Lan)
It is believed that the gates of the underworld open for a month, once a year and the discontented and vengeful ghosts of those who died without proper funeral rites, who met a violent death, or whose living relatives neglected their after-life spirits, roam the earth looking to satisfy their hunger for attention and peace. The purpose of the festival is to prevent these ghosts from inflicting harm on the living in order to gratify their needs, and so elaborate religious parades with food offerings fill the streets, and roadside fires are built to burn gifts of money and crafted paper objects such as cars or furniture to appease the wandering ghosts. Various types of entertainment also take place to keep them happy. For more information contact the Hong Kong Tourist Office Association on +852 2807 6543 or info@www.hkta.org
Venue: Various. Popular venues are King George V Memorial Park, Kowloon and Moreton Terrace Playground, Causeway Bay
Date: 14 August 2008
Website:

Tin Hau Festival
The birthday of Tin Hau, Goddess of the Sea, is the most important day of the year for the fishermen who earn a livelihood from the sea. They gather at dedicated temples to pray for full nets, calm seas and protection from shipwrecks and sickness. The festival is a colourful event, and in addition to the traditional rites, there are float processions and lion dances through the streets.

The many waterways become crammed with gaily decorated boats, full of people, shrines, paper lanterns and streamers as everyone heads for one of the many temples.
Venue: Various
Date: 28 April 2008
Website: www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/heritage/festivals

. Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong Sevens is one of the biggest sporting events in the city and one of the most exciting rugby events on the international calendar. Top teams compete in this famed event while enthusiastic spectators whoop it up in the stands, particularly in the legendary South Stand party, where the music blares and the beer flows among the outrageously dressed fans intent on enjoying the rugby as well as having a good time.
Venue: Hong Kong Stadium, Causeway Bay
Date: 28-30 March 2008
Website: www.hksevens.com

Hong Kong Summer Temptations
Hong Kong is synonymous with shopping, so it is only fitting that they would choose to dedicate a festival to it. Special offers are in abundance, from retailers to restaurants across the city. The diverse shopping experience features a host of summer events and promotions.
Venue: Throughout Hong Kong
Date: 1 July to 21 September 2008, TBC
Website: www.discoverhongkong.com