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Kung Hei Fat Choy! 12 Ways to Celebrate the Year of the Goat

By Sophie Pettit 2 February 2015
The Lunar New Year is Hong Kong's biggest celebration, filled with dazzling fireworks and parades to hidden deals around the city. Here's a rundown of what not to miss as you wave goodbye to the horse and welcome the goat this February. bangGo out with a bang! Watch the most impressive fireworks display of the year over Victoria Harbour alongside thousands of fellow Hong Kongers at 8pm on February 20th. Completely free and totally mind-blowing to watch, the 2015 Lunar New Year Fireworks Display will likely be the best you’ve ever seen! Join the night parade. Celebrate the New Year in the buzzing streets of Tsim Sha Tsui at the International Chinese New Year Night Parade on February 19th. Watch as the entire harbour-front becomes a giant outdoor party with performers from Hong Kong and overseas. It's free to attend and is quite literally the biggest party of the year. Don’t miss it! Watch a 3D light show. Enjoy the spectacular Hong Kong Pulse 3D Light Show with exciting audiovisual effects coinciding with the Hong Kong Chinese New Year celebrations. Fantastic images will come to life on the blank canvas of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre during 15-minute shows from February 12th to March 18th (except February 18-20). This is also totally free and sure to get you in the festive spirit. [caption id="attachment_22983" align="alignright" width="311"]sheep Photo courtesy of Landmark[/caption] Count sheep! Luxury shopping and dining destination LANDMARK is hoping to take visitors by surprise with an impressive display of 185 brightly coloured sheep, lamb, and rams as part of its ‘8 Celebratory Colours, 1 Name’ campaign from February 6th-25th. The fanciful flock (pictured) encircle a majestic blossom tree under a layer of fluffy clouds, symbolising the dazzling promise of a bright, fortunate, and prosperous New Year. To spread more joy and luck shoppers will also receive a Landmark Mandarin Oriental gift certificate valued at $500 upon the purchase of $50,000 or above on the same day at LANDMARK. Hit the shops! Seek good fortune. What better way to round off the year than by giving thanks for the past 12 months and praying that the next year is full of fortune. Join fellow locals at one of Hong Kong’s beautiful temples and enjoy taking part in traditional Chinese New Year rituals. There are dozens of popular places to choose from, including Man Mo Temple, Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple, and the enchanting Wishing Trees and Tin Hau Temple at Lam Tsuen. Good luck! Pick flowers. Follow this age-old Chinese tradition and visit one of the many flower markets dotted around the city from February 13th-19th. Soak up the fragrant atmosphere and find the perfect petals to bring you good luck for the year ahead. There are fifteen markets to choose from, including Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island and Fa Hui Park in Mong Kok, Kowloon, but be prepared for the crowds. [caption id="attachment_22655" align="alignleft" width="299"]-3 Photo courtesy of Sense of Touch[/caption] Go to Vietnam on a massage table. You don’t need to jet away to far-flung lands to feel like you’re on holiday. Treat yourself to the Good Morning Vietnam massage at the new Sense of Touch spa in Sai Ying Pun (pictured) and you’ll feel a million miles from Hong Kong’s urban jungle. Get silky soft and rejuvenate your mind and body with an invigorating ginger and awakening lime scrub, followed by a relaxing steam shower with wild crafted Indonesian ginger and a deep tissue massage. By the end of it you'll feel like you just spent a week chilling on a beach in Hoi An. Trust me, I tried it. Absolute bliss! Build something. Stuck for ideas on how to entertain the little ones this holiday? Fill all that extra playtime by treating them to a fun day camp. Bricks 4 Kidz is offering a unique Chinese New Year Break Camp 2015 designed to spark the imagination of your kids through LEGO model building, with exciting themes such as Ninjago, Angry Bird, and Superhero. Held in the mornings and afternoons in Causeway Bay (February 16th-25th) sessions range from $480 to $520, with a 10% early bird discount if you enroll before February 6th. So head on down and get building! Go racing. See how much luck the year will bring you by placing your bets at the Chinese New Year Race Day at Sha Tin Raceourse on February 21st. Only $10 to enter, it’s well worth the visit, with a festive programme bursting with entertainment. Traditional lion dances and forecasts from a renowned feng shui master are guaranteed to thrill you (or scare you) depending on the outcome. [caption id="attachment_23010" align="alignright" width="192"] Photo courtesy of Jean-Paul Hévin[/caption] Eat gold. Can’t afford to buy your loved ones real gold treats this Lunar New Year? Do the next best thing and give them chocolate. Award-winning French chocolatier, Jean-Paul Hévin has created special Golden Ingot munchies, symbolising wealth and fortune, as part of its Chinese New Year Collection. We've tried these little nuggets and trust us, they're divine. There's a whole range of other treats to choose from, such as macaroons and truffles, to Chinese New Year Bon Augure bonbons imprinted with the character ‘Luck’ atop a bright red surface. Beautifully packaged in striking Chinese style gift boxes featuring a pack of five elegant Laisee packets these chocolates that are so rich in flavour that you may just make them last the whole year. Bon appétit! Crack open a bottle. Celebrate Chinese New Year with great value wines from Adelaide Cellar Door. Whether you’re stocking up for a party or looking to give the perfect gift, there’s dozens of worldly wines and bubbly to choose from at discount prices. So go ahead, order online and enjoy a bottle (or two). [caption id="attachment_22995" align="alignleft" width="192"]Screen Shot 2015-01-27 at 10.28.24 AM Photo courtesy of Boqueria[/caption] Feast like the Spanish. Enjoy a Chinese New Year meal which combines the essential ingredients of both a Chinese and Spanish feast at tapas restaurant Boqueria. The popular venue is honouring the occasion with a set menu of classic Spanish tapas inspired by traditional and auspicious Chinese cuisine perfect for sharing with friends and family from February 16th-22nd for $488 per person. Indulge in delicious Chinese-style seafood with a Spanish twist as well as popular Spanish favourites such as chorizo, paella, and a sumptuous dessert of churros with hot chocolate. Round it off with a bottle of Spain’s best bubbly. However you decide to celebrate the Lunar New Year, we wish you a healthy, happy and fortunate year ahead. Kung Hei Fat Choy!          

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Sophie Pettit

Editor-in-chief

Sophie is always on the lookout for a great story and her next big adventure and loves nothing more than discovering the city’s hidden gems—and most delicious cocktails. When she’s not exploring new places, she’s off travelling and ticking countries off her bucket list.

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