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Wondering how to celebrate Chinese New Year 2025 in Hong Kong? We’ve rounded up Year of the Snake events like parades and flower markets, CNY menus and dining deals, staycations and more!
We may be about a month into 2025 but the real big deal in Hong Kong is Chinese New Year! Once you’ve learnt the traditional customs, sorted out the perfect festive fit and gathered lai see to give out (I’m talking to you, newlyweds!) — you’re ready to celebrate the biggest festival of the year. We’re talking Chinese New Year fireworks, the Cathay CNY parade and so much more for the Year of the Snake. Plus, we’ve rounded up some tasting menus and staycations, so you can ring in the Lunar New Year in style. This is your ultimate guide to Chinese New Year 2025 in Hong Kong.
Read More: Plan The Perfect Chinese New Year Outfit
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When Is Chinese New Year?
What To Do
What To Eat & Drink
When Is Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year celebrates the start of the Chinese lunisolar calendar year, tending to mark the end of a cold, dark winter and welcome spring. This year, the first day of that calendar will fall on Wednesday, 29 January, 2025, welcoming the Year of the Snake — a creature that symbolises wisdom, agility and transformation in Chinese culture.
Traditionally, the festival could be celebrated over up to 15 days, starting from its Eve through to the Spring Lantern Festival (not to be confused with the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival). We get three statutory public holidays for the Lunar New Year in Hong Kong, so Chinese New Year holidays will fall on Wednesday, 29 January, Thursday, 30 January and Friday, 31 January this year.
Read More: Public Holidays In 2025 – How to Maximise Your Annual Leave
CNY Events: How To Celebrate Chinese New Year 2025 In Hong Kong
Lee Tung Avenue — Traditional Dragon & Lion Dance
On the first four days of the Lunar New Year, the iconic avenue will become full of life with traditional lion dance performances. Traditional festive food will be also distributed to spectators to drum up the joyous atmosphere. On 7 February, the Dragon and Lion Dance Spectacular will return with breath-taking pole jumping performances and the parade of a golden dragon!
When: Wednesday, 29 January to Saturday, 1 February, 2025 and Friday, 7 February, 2025
Where: Lee Tung Avenue, 200 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
How much: Free entry
Discovery Bay Chinese New Year Market 2025 — Handmade Hong Kong
And make sure to also pencil in Handmade Hong Kong’s annual Chinese New Year Market in Discovery Bay! Again, beautiful handmade offerings from local vendors will be on offer, like art, jewellery, candles, activewear, apparel, sweet treats, savoury eats and so much more.
When: Sunday, 19 January, 2025; 11am to 6pm
Where: DB Plaza, 1 Discovery Bay Road, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong
How much: Free entry
Chinese New Year Flower Markets 2025 — Victoria Park & More
Heading to a Chinese New Year flower market in Hong Kong is almost synonymous with the festival. We’re expecting a total of 15 2025 Lunar New Year fairs and flower markets across the city, with the biggest at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. Fairs will open on Thursday, 23 January, giving you plenty of time to get ready for the new year — stock up on festive flowers, lucky kumquat trees, CNY decorations and Year of the Snake plushies and toys, while munching on Hong Kong-style eats and other treats.
When: Thursday, 23 January to Wednesday, 29 January, 9am to 12am
Where: 15 locations across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories and Outlying Islands, at various parks and playgrounds — see the list here
How much: Free entry
2025 Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade
Cathay’s Chinese New Year Night Parade is back! Expect a procession of stunning floats to spread auspiciousness and luck across Tsim Sha Tsui, and plenty of musical and dance performances before, during and after. Buy tickets for spectator stands or find somewhere along the parade route to view for free — make sure to check the parade route map!
When: Wednesday, 29 January, 6pm (pre-parade performance); 8pm to 9:45pm — see full timings here
Where: Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. From Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, 10 Salisbury Road through Canton Road, Haiphong Road and Nathan Road — see the parade route map here
How much: Free if you head to a spectator-friendly spot along the parade route. You can also buy tickets for spectator stands from the Hong Kong Tourism Board Kowloon Visitor Centre located in the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier — see pricing here
Lam Tsuen Well-Wishing Festival, Wishing Tree & New Night Market
Visit Lam Tsuen’s Wishing Tree to participate in Hong Kong’s Well-Wishing Festival — the age-old custom of writing your hopes and dreams for the year ahead on joss paper and throwing them into the wishing tree’s branches in Tai Po. If your paper stays on the tree without falling back down, it’s believed that your wish will come true! This year, we’re expecting lotus lanterns, golden mandarins, food stalls, a couple of performances — and a planned night market in Tai Po as part of the government’s “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign.
When: Wednesday, 29 January 10 to 12 February, 2025
Where: Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree, Lam Tsuen Wishing Square, Lam Tsuen Heung Kung Sho Road, Lam Tsuen, New Territories, Hong Kong
How much: Free
2025 Lunar New Year Fireworks Display In Hong Kong
Catch the annual Chinese New Year Fireworks show from either side of the Victoria Harbour; watching a guaranteed-to-be big, beautiful, display as Hong Kong ushers in the Year of the Snake with a bang. The best places to watch the fireworks in Hong Kong will be along the shores of Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Admiralty and Wan Chai — see our top fireworks vantage spots here.
When: Thursday, 30 January, details have yet to be announced
Where: Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong
Chinese New Year Food: What To Eat Over Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year Specials At The Astor
There’s no better way to ring in the new year than with seasonal Chinese ingredients — think chicken soup, wolfberry and whelk, pork knuckle, braised sea cucumber, fried abalone and oyster with bamboo shoot!
When: Wednesday, 29 to Friday, 31 January, 2025
Where: The Astor, B1, Eaton HK, 380 Nathan Road, Jordan, Kowloon, Hong Kong
How much: lunch starts at $538; dinner starts at $778 — book here
Read More: The Best Hong Kong Dim Sum
The Cakery’s Vegan Afternoon Tea
The Cakery and MAYA Bakery at K11 Musea are offering a decadent vegan afternoon tea for two, exclusively during Chinese New Year! From no-added sugar sweets to a wide selection of teas, the tea set is both indulgent and guilt free.
When: Saturday, 10 to Saturday, 7 February
Where: Shop 217, level 2, K11 Musea, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
How much: $328
Read More: The Best Afternoon Tea & High Tea Sets In Hong Kong
Yong Fu Hong Kong Chinese New Year Specials
Five new year-inspired dishes are presented by the one-Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant Yong Fu, including clams in ginger and wine sauce, braised sheep belly, crispy Sichuan chicken and steamed brown croaker!
When: Sunday, 12 January to 29 January, 2025
Where: Yong Fu Hong Kong, Shop 2, G/F & 1/F, Golden Star Building, 20-24 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
How much: A la care speciality dishes start at $358 — book here
Read More: The Best Steakhouses In Hong Kong
Mott 32 Unveils Chinese New Year Menu
Out of all the delicious speciality new year’s dishes, a must-try is the lobster and abalone lo hei salad, which not only features symbols of abundance and good fortune, but also has a perfect blend of freshness and umami.
When: Wednesday, 29 January to Wednesday, 12 February, 2025
Where: Mott 32, Standard Chartered Bank Building, 4-4A Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong
How much: A la carte items range from $88 to $1080— book here
Chinese New Year Pici x The Chilli Lab Collaboration
This limited edition festive collaboration adds a little bit of Chinese sweet and spice to your traditional Italian pasta, with dishes like The Chilli Lab Salsiccia, Shaoxing Haa Jung Ravioli and Tim Aap Tagliolini!
When: Monday, 13 January to Friday, 28 February 2025
Where: various locations across Hong Kong
How much: A la carte items range from $88 to $160
Duddell’s Chinese New Year Set Menu
An eight-course set menu at Duddell’s, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant in Central, offers traditional dishes like chicken soup with fish maw, abalone with shiitakand dried black moss, fried rice with scallop and red bean cream dumplings.
When: Monday, 20 January to Wednesday, 12 February, 2025
Where: Duddell’s, Level 3 & 4, 1 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong
How much: $1588 per person (plus $450 for a Hennessy drink pairing, inclusive of three cocktails!) — book here
Main image, images 1, 6, and 7 courtesy of Lee Tung Avenue, image 2 courtesy of Handmade Hong Kong via Instagram, image 3 courtesy of Ayla Leung via Unsplash, image 4 courtesy of Discover Hong Kong, image 5 courtesy of Lam Tsuen, image 8 courtesy of The Chinese Library, image 9 courtesy of Ho Lee Fook, image 10 courtesy of aqua, image 11 courtesy of Salisterra, image 12 courtesy of Shake Shack, image 13 courtesy of Khuan Loke Dragon & Lion Dance Association via Facebook, image 14 courtesy of The Upper House.
