Hong Kong in fear of New Year’s Stampede

Lan Kwai Fong is a neighbourhood full of steep streets with many cafes in which people will be celebrating New Year’s.

The Christmas celebrations in Hong Kong lasted until Boxing Day, as far as the Chinese are concerned. All shops and stores were open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day and the shopping malls were packed full. Christmas decorations are all around the city, apart from one exception – on Boxing Day, Christmas decorations were replaced by traditional red ornaments in chopping malls for the Chinese New Year. It is believed that the colour red brings luck. Next year, the Chinese New Year falls on January 26. 

The Chinese do not celebrate much the calendar New Year, but there are various events in the city to mark the ushering in of the New 2009.The two most popular locations are Victoria Harbour and Lan Kwai Fong.

A symphony of lights

The Victoria Harbour is located in the centre of Hong Kong  and is known for its spectacular light show. Every night at 8 o’clock, there is a light show called The Symphony of Lights. The symphony includes 44 buildings from both sides of the harbour which, with their colourful lights and laser beams, harmonised with the music, is truly a sight not to be missed.

Every night, almost 400,000 people come to see the show. This spectacular multimedia show got its place in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest light and sound show. During special occasions, such as the New Year, the usual programme is enriched by impressive fireworks from Two IFC and nine other main buildings, as well as the countdown to the new year. One of the ways for you to take a good look at the light show is from a ferry which has a special new year’s offer with dinner and champagne at midnight.

Lan Kwang Fong is the most popular place for the celebrations

Lan Kwang Fong is the usual spot for going out and partying in Hong Kong. The neighbourhood, which has several streets, has many cafes, an occasional restaurant and clubs that only admit elite clientele. Almost every night hundreds of young people, mostly westerners, are there in front of the 7Eleven store or on the terraces of cafes. The music is often too loud, so the music overlap, along with the noise of the masses. This part of the city is also the usual spot for celebrating the New Year. Cafes usually have special offers for their guests, from special New Year’s menus, to happy-hours or simply a glass of champagne at midnight.

Unfortunately, this type of celebration ended in tragedy 15 years ago. The area is relatively small, the streets are very steep and there are just too many people wanting to have fun. In 1993, on New Year’s Eve, a stampede occurred due to the huge numbers of drunk people. People fell on the steep streets and were trampled to death. Some 20 people were killed. Since then, the number of people there is being strictly controlled and the number of people celebrating on one location has been limited. It has been only the last couple of years that people have started going back to Lan Kwang Fong to celebrate.

Celebration in Hong Kong

Although the Chinese love food and celebrations, and most of all the combination of the two, the calendar New Year is not too special an occasion for them. The young will probably go to their favourite spots in the city, the tourists and the elderly will go to the harbour to watch the fireworks, while many will stay at home with their television sets.

In Hong Kong, you can find everything – from Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean and Indian cuisine, to French, Italian, American, Mexican cuisines and so on.. But the Chinese still prefer Chinese food, especially sea food, and Dim Sum. Dim Sum can be translated “from the heart”. They can be scampi in rice pasta, or spring rolls. There is no local specialty for the New Year celebration. The Chinese people usually go to one of the local hotels or restaurants that have buffets. When they celebrate the Chinese New Year or their other specific holidays, then there is festive food prepared for them.

Sun nien fail lok – Happy New Year! – in Cantonese.