Hongkongers staying home for Christmas holiday beat the chill with Victoria Harbour pyrotechnics, snake soup and bargain hunting
- Hong Kong logs net outflow of more than 662,000 trips in festive period between Friday and Sunday, as those staying in city enjoy reduced hustle and bustle
- Victoria Harbour hosts pyrotechnics show, with shoppers during the day visiting products expo for bargains or trying warm bowls of snake soup in Sham Shui Po
Hongkongers beat the chill on Christmas Eve by watching a pyrotechnics show at Victoria Harbour, queuing for warm bowls of snake soup and hunting for bargains at a products expo, even as others opted to travel across the border and overseas for the festive break.
Thousands of revellers packed both sides of the harbour to watch the 10-minute pyrotechnics show at 8pm, which featured the letters “HK” displayed in the sky. The festive show will be held every night until December 26.
Immigration figures, meanwhile, showed Hong Kong had processed 2.7 million inbound and outbound trips between Friday and Sunday as of 9pm, resulting in a net outflow of more than 662,000 trips.
The city had handled more than 905,000 inbound and outbound trips on Sunday alone as of 9pm, with a net outflow of 248,724 trips.
Among the hundreds of people on Sunday night enjoying the fireworks and embracing the festivities near Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai was Lam Chi-ching, who said he was thrilled to bring along his three-year-old twin boys.
“They have never seen fireworks before,” the 42-year-old business owner said. “I’m excited to see their faces when they see something shining bright in the sky and how they react to people next to them chanting.”
The Harbour City shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui expected 280,000 visitors would enjoy the festivities on Sunday, while 2,000 car parking spaces were filled earlier in the day.
Over in the bustling district of Sham Shui Po during the day, more than 30 people queued outside Shia Wong Hip, an eatery known for serving snake soup, a Chinese delicacy that is believed to improve blood circulation.
Homemaker Cheung Fung-ying, 43, said she had lined up with her husband and 11-year-old son after getting a craving for the dish amid the cold weather.
“Just drinking hot stuff isn’t enough when you are cold,” she said. “After having snake soup, there is a lasting feeling of warmth and a rush of energy that can stay with you all day.”
The eatery sells large portions for HK$85 (US$10.9) or smaller ones for HK$53.
The Post observed five staff busily tending to walk-in diners and those waiting for takeaway, while taking the time to twice refill a large serving pot at the door.
Store owner Chow Ka-ling said business at the eatery usually picked up on cold days as some patrons opted for similar staples.
“I haven’t stopped running errands in the store since early this morning,” she said. “I also received some gecko soup orders from customers while serving diners at the store.”
Lui Keung, 68, a retiree and neighbourhood local, said the soup helped him stay young and strong.
“I am still energetic and can endure the cold without any issues at my age,” he said. “Young people should try this traditional treasure to stay vibrant.”
Hong Kong’s cold spell entered its sixth day on Sunday morning, with temperatures in some parts of the New Territories falling to 2.9 degrees Celsius (37.2 Fahrenheit), before the mercury climbed as high as 19.6 degrees in the afternoon.
The chilly weather will spill into Christmas Day on Monday, reaching between 11 and 17 degrees, before temperatures begin to warm slightly.
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Among those staying in the city despite the cold was former finance chief John Tsang Chun-wah, who he said preferred the comforts of home over the current bustle of travelling overseas.
“When many people choose to travel abroad, it is good to go to less-crowded places such as Harbour City mall or Causeway Bay,” he said. “My family and I are able to relax and walk around comfortably, shop and dine out.”
Thousands flocked to Causeway Bay’s Victoria Park for the Hong Kong Brands and Product Expo amid the long Christmas weekend.
Organisers put up signs at around 3pm on Sunday telling shoppers of extended waiting times as hundreds shuffled into the event. A Post reporter waited about 30 minutes to get inside.
Retiree Winky Ho said she was making the first of two planned visits to the expo and was hoping to spend HK$2,000 on dried seafood in preparation for the Lunar New Year.
“I didn’t bring my trolleys today,” she said. “I’m here to familiarise myself with the stalls today so I know my way around when I come back on the final day for larger discounts.”
Ho, who is in her fifties, said the turnout was much bigger than she had expected.
She said that as an expo regular, foot traffic this year appeared to be back at pre-pandemic levels.
Crowds also descended on the West Kowloon Cultural District, where revellers could shop at a seasonal market for treats and souvenirs, as well as go dancing or listen to carol singing around a 20-metre (66-foot) Christmas tree.
As part of the festivities, the MTR Corporation also installed two retired train carriages along the Wan Chai waterfront to lure in rail fans and those looking for iconic photographs.
Advertising agency employee Amanda Wong Tze-kiu, 34, was among those taking pictures at the new landmark and said she had decided to spend the holiday in the city with her four-year-old son.
“It is the first Christmas that my son doesn’t have to wear a mask,” she said. “He is also a little train fan, so the installation is just perfect with surrounding space to run and burn off his energy.”
American expatriate Jake Jones, 38, who works in investment banking, said he was enjoying some quality time with his five-year-old daughter at the waterfront.
“My wife and I need to come up with new places with our girl this year because we are not going back home for the holiday,” he said.
“The train is good but she also loves the slides around. [A dog shelter] is also having an adoption event nearby. She’s on cloud nine. She loves animals.”
To manage crowds, the Transport Department sealed off or diverted traffic from 2pm in areas such as Lan Kwai Fong in Central, Tsim Sha Tsui and West Kowloon Cultural District.
Public transport, such as most MTR train services, will run around the clock on Christmas Eve while trams, known as “ding dings”, will operate until 1.15am on Monday. Start Ferry services will also run until 1am.
Additional reporting by Emily Hung
