Fake snow but real ice for Christmas

Ice and snow will coat part of the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront this Christmas - but while the ice will be real, the snow will be fake.

At an Ice Wonderland to be set up in the Centenary Garden from November 25 to January 1, visitors will be able to don skates and glide around a rink while fake snow falls around them. The Tourism Board, which announced the project yesterday, hopes it will attract more travellers to Tsim Sha Tsui East to enjoy its Christmas lights.

At the rink, next to the Kowloon Shangri-La hotel, about 75 visitors an hour will be able to skate round an area about a quarter the size of a public swimming pool. Skates can be rented for HK$15 a pair in the afternoon and double that after 6pm.

Board chairman James Tien Pei-chun said he was confident such Christmas celebrations would help the city meet its target of 40 million visitors this year.

Tien said arrivals had exceeded 34 million in the first 10 months of this year, 16 per cent more than last year.

Mainland visitors drove arrivals, with their numbers rising by 24 per cent to 22.7 million over the same period. Decorations will adorn Central as well, including an 18-metre Tiffany & Co Christmas tree in Statue Square. A carousel and photo booth will be set up, and visitors can buy Tiffany postcards with customised stamps.