Hong Kong Welcomes 2022 with First-Ever Arts Spectacular at Victoria Harbour

Featuring the city’s flagship Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra alongside the recently opened M+, with countdown lights on its facade, radiant harbour lights and more to ring in the New Year

Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations 2021-Skyline-M+-West Kowloon  Photo Kevin Mak. Courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

Hong Kong’s iconic Victoria Harbour promises to offer an electrifying experience this New Year’s Eve, with a three-part countdown spectacular presented by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) that brings the city’s thriving art scene right to the global centre stage. From around the world, viewers can enjoy the dazzling live concert and exciting countdown moment via live-streaming at https://www.discoverhongkong.com/countdown.

The newly opened M+ will amplify the brilliant lights around Victoria Harbour as Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District lends its 216-feet-tall LED facade for a grand visual countdown display. Starting in the evening on New Year’s Eve, the facade will showcase a sweeping, high-contrast visual tale created by talented local digital artists as a homage to the city’s various landmarks, neighbourhoods, and vibrant arts and culture scene.

The M+ Facade will be transformed into a countdown clock that travels across the rich cityscape of Hong Kong during the final minute of 2021, building perceptible excitement about the year ahead. As the clock strikes midnight, the numerals “2022” and New Year greetings will be splashed across the screen to deliver blessings to the world. The site of the newly opened M+ in West Kowloon is also the centrepiece of the WinterFest celebrations with dazzling views of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline and a Harborfront Park transformed into a storybook Christmas Town. This year, the six-story tree has been relocated from Central to West Kowloon for the first time.

The dazzling light art extravaganza, featuring the facades of numerous prominent skyscrapers along the entire Victoria Harbour, will be further enhanced by an outdoor concert in the West Kowloon Cultural District, led by the city’s flagship orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil). Winner of the prestigious Gramophone Orchestra of the Year award in 2019, the HK Phil will perform energetic and jubilant music for a global audience to build anticipation as Hong Kong celebrates the New Year.

For more information about the Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations, please visit https://www.discoverhongkong.com/countdown.

Photo BrandHK

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How Hong Kong is Spreading Joy This Christmas Season

Christmas is just around the corner, and Hong Kong is one of the best cities at celebrating this special season, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Events and activities are resuming in this vibrant city with preparations in full swing. There is a myriad of unique shopping, dining, and entertainment experiences to be discovered in the festive season from near and far.

Christmas Town in the West Kowloon Neighborhood: The site of the newly opened M+ in West Kowloon is Hong Kong’s newest cultural hotspot. It is the centrepiece of the WinterFest celebrations with dazzling views of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline and a Harbourfront Park transformed into a storybook Christmas Town. This year, the six-story tree has been relocated from Central to West Kowloon for the first time, putting the cultural district in the spotlight.

Shopping Spectacular: Hong Kong has an enviable reputation as a shopper’s paradise, and with a burgeoning scene for independent artisans, it’s easier than ever to find stylish, creative, and unique gifts, which you can also find online, to remind you of a trip, past or future.

Decorate Your Tree, Hong Kong Style: A gift company inspired by Hong Kong, The Lion Rock Press began as part of a 120-year-old family business specializing in paper and printing. It offers beautiful heirloom Christmas ornaments inspired by local culture.

Hearty Delicacies: Hong Kong winter cuisine offers signature dishes like Claypot Rice, Roasted Goose and Hotpot. On your trip you will want to try these at traditional and modern locales:

Hong Kong celebrates the return contemporary art fair

Art Basel is officially scheduled to take place from 21 to 23 May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). More than 100 galleries from Asia, Europe and the Americas have confirmed their participation (Photo courtesy to Art Basel)

When event venues shut down globally during the pandemic, people flocked online in record numbers to satisfy their deep craving for art and culture. As the world cautiously looks to resume international travel and bring back events, it is fitting that art is a driving force to make this happen, with Hong Kong paving the way in the hope of safely staging large-scale events again.

In May, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) rolled out the ‘Arts in Hong Kong’ campaign to promote a series of major events, in both physical and digital format, organised by fair organisers and cultural institutions around town. It ensures that audiences can reconnect with art and the vitality of Hong Kong, whether here in person or abroad.

Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), welcomes Hong Kong-Singapore Air Travel Bubble

 HKTB Chairman Welcomes Agreement to Relaunch Bilateral Hong Kong-Singapore Air Travel Bubble 

Dr YK Pang, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), welcomes the agreement between the Governments of the Hong Kong SAR and Singapore on relaunching the bilateral Hong Kong-Singapore Air Travel Bubble (ATB).

Dr Pang said, “Relaunching the Air Travel Bubble with Singapore is the first step in Hong Kong’s resumption of international travel, and a milestone for preparing the city for gradually welcoming more visitors back. We expect that travellers at the early stage of the launch of the ATB are those who travel for family visits or other essential reasons, and leisure travellers will return successively.”

Meanwhile, the HKTB will continue to work with the tourism-related sectors in enhancing Hong Kong overall anti-epidemic measures in the city, including a standardised hygiene protocol launched last year for hotels, restaurants, transportation, shopping malls, tour operators and other tourism-related sectors, establishing a healthy and safe tourism image for Hong Kong. 

Photo HKTB

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Celebrating Chinese New Year the Hong Kong Way

Even though this year’s Chinese New Year (CNY) is likely going to be a little different, Hong Kong is set to welcome the festival in its own style by bridging traditional elements with innovative ideas, making the Year of the Ox a blissful and enjoyable year to remember.

Take part in one of the annual CNY traditions in Hong Kong with a visit to the city’s renowned flower market in Prince Edward, Kowloon, where locals shop for seasonal flowers and plants that symbolize various good wishes.

Paying respect to the deities is another customary practice among locals. During CNY, thousands of locals visit one or more famous temples, such as the Che Kung Temple, Wong Tai Sin Temple and Man Mo Temple, to pray for health and prosperity in the coming year. These temples are architecturally beautiful, with brightly decorated shrines, all making the spiritual excursions the perfect way to ring in CNY.

Fai chun, a traditional decoration in doorways and on walls, is also an essential item to create a joyful festive atmosphere and to bring good luck and prosperity.

Cathay Pacific Group announces corporate restructuring that will see more than 5900 jobs lost

  

The Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific Group has released details of corporate restructuring as the airline group struggles to cope with the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation market.  

Part of the major changes will see approximately 8,500 jobs being axed - around 24% of its established headcount. Through a recruitment freeze and natural attrition, the Group has been able to reduce this to 5,900 actual jobs (or 17% of its established headcount).

The restructuring will enable the Company to secure its future, so it can protect as many jobs as possible, whilst meeting its responsibilities to the Hong Kong aviation hub and its customers.

The Group will create a more focused, efficient and competitive business. It will do this by harnessing Cathay Pacific’s strengths and unparalleled customer experience while leveraging the potential of its low-cost carrier, HK Express.

HKTB Welcomes Announcement of In-principle Agreement to Establish Bilateral Hong Kong-Singapore Air Travel Bubble

Hong Kong and Singapore have reached an in-principle agreement to establish a bilateral Air Travel Bubble (ATB). This milestone arrangement will help revive cross-border air travel between the two aviation hubs in a safe and progressive way.

Hong Kong and Singapore enjoy strong trade, investment, finance, tourism and people-to-people ties. Both cities are major aviation hubs, and the international air route between the two cities was among the busiest in the Asia-Pacific region before the pandemic. Travel links between Hong Kong and Singapore are important for both cities.

In conjunction with this announcement and to inspire visitors to explore Hong Kong from all angles, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has launched 360 Hong Kong Moments – opening up the city virtually by way of wholesome and immersive content, designed to remind the world what a wonderful and all-encompassing destination Hong Kong is.

Hong Kong still closed to foreigners

Hong Kong will continue to be closed to foreigners, extending the initial two-week entry restrictions on non-residents indefinitely, reports AP.

Non-residents coming from overseas to Hong Kong by plane will be denied entry, and those coming from mainland China, Macao and Taiwan will be barred from entering if they have been overseas in the past 14 days.

The move to continue shutting out foreigners was announced by the government on Monday and comes as the number of COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong rose to 915. Hong Kong has seen a rise in the number of imported cases in the city, and its confirmed cases has more than doubled in the last two weeks.

Hong Kong is the latest destination for Qantas 787 Dreamliner aircraft

The first Qantas Dreamliner service from Australia to Hong Kong took off on Thursday, December 13th, marking the first destination in Asia to be served by the airline’s Boeing 787-9.

QF29 pushed back from Melbourne just after 10am this morning and is scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong at 4.15pm (local time) later today.

The launch follows the arrival of Qantas’ eighth Dreamliner in November, joining the national carrier’s A330 and A380 aircraft that also fly to Hong Kong.

Customers travelling on selected Qantas flights to Hong Kong from Brisbane and Melbourne, and from Sydney, next March will experience the Dreamliner’s next generation seating in Economy, Premium Economy and Business class cabins.

Hong Kong joins Los Angeles, New York, London and San Francisco as international destinations served by the Qantas Dreamliner, as the more efficient aircraft gradually replace the 747 on key routes.

Qantas has also re-timed one of its two daily flights from Sydney to Hong Kong from 31 March 2019, offering customers the choice of a midday or evening departure from Sydney.

QF117 will operate overnight and arrive into Hong Kong in the morning, providing more options for onward connections to other destinations in Asia, including those operated by Qantas’ new codeshare partner Cathay Pacific.

Dazzling Masterpieces Light up Hong Kong’s Winter Sky

There is no better time to visit Hong Kong than this winter, as its skies and shores will become even more radiant than ever during the holiday season, thanks to a sparkling lineup of light-filled festivities organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) running now through February 24, 2019.

Visitors will be treated to an eye-opening visual feast during the inaugural edition of Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival 2018, which is the largest open-air light festival in Hong Kong. From the enhancement of “A Symphony of Lights” light-and-music show featuring more skyscrapers and special effects, to brilliantly lit installations by artists from across the globe, the dazzling artistic light displays ensure Asia’s World City will shine brighter than ever this winter.

The first Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival turns the city into a playground of luminous artworks