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Header images courtesy of Lee Tung Avenue and West Kowloon Art Park
You know that Christmas is right around the corner when the city’s streets and shopping malls come to life with all manner of fairy lights, larger-than-life decorations, and festive markets. After two relatively quiet years, it looks like Hong Kong is bringing the holiday magic back in full force this season, delighting even the most jaded grinches among us with heaps of fun and extravagant festive happenings. Ready to get your holiday cheer on? Here are the best Christmas displays and markets around the city to check out!
Enchanting indoor photo spots, digital interactive games, and an outdoor Christmas market—Citygate Outlets is giving you a long list of reasons to visit this holiday season. Feel the festive spirit in the air at the “Jolly Christmas Market” indoor display, presented in collaboration with German handicraft company Wendt & Kühn.
Across the atrium of the mall, you’ll find a glittering Christmas tree garden, a giant glowing moon, festive installations of a colourful Christmas archway, European-style Christmas market booths, and more—all accompanied by Wendt & Kühn’s exquisite little angels!
After an unforgettable photoshoot sesh, head outside to The Piazza on the fourth floor to Citygate’s first-ever outdoor market for a Christmas shopping spree. Boasting over 40 stalls, the market showcases everything from homeware and handicrafts to designer accessories, hampers, and festive treats. As you explore the maze of stalls, there will be plenty of live music and entertainment to keep your spirits high!
Where: Citygate Outlets, 20 Tat Tung Road, Lantau Island
When: Now until 2 January 2022 (“Jolly Christmas Market”); 10 to 12, 17 to 19, 24 to 27 December 2021 (“Outdoor Christmas Market”)
Click here for more information.
Awash in a dreamy cotton candy colour palette and overflowing with European carnival-themed stalls and displays, the “Sweetmas Carnival & Market” at New Town Plaza is the winter wonderland escape you’ve been longing for. After a round of photos with the “rose planet” merry-go-round, pink Ferris wheel, and hot air balloon, make your way to the “Sweetmas Food Market” and stock up on all things delicious and homemade. From baked goods from LY Bakery and locally-made nut butters from Nuttie.B to wines and spirits from Barlove and bean-to-bar chocolate from JOL Cacao, foodies are in for a real treat this Christmas!
Where: New Town Plaza, 18–19 Sha Tin Centre Street, Sha Tin
When: 2 January 2021
Click here for more information.
Saddle up for an unconventional Christmas journey to the Wild West! Stanley Plaza’s highly anticipated Christmas market is making a welcome return for three consecutive weekends this December, and this year’s iteration is giving you the Old West experience with log cabin-style booths, cowboy décor, and a first-ever gold rush game with pure gold ingots as prizes!
Like its setting, the open-air market is equally a goldmine for Christmas shopping, bringing together over 60 stalls offering a wide range of handcrafts, and festive goodies and delicacies from coveted brands like Blue Bottle Coffee, Perfume Trees Gin, Honbo, Lifetastic, Marquise De Sevigne, and more! To help you get to the venue, there will also be free shuttle buses between Stanley and various locations across Hong Kong Island during the event period!
Where: Stanley Plaza, 23 Carmel Road, Stanley
When: 11, 12, 18, 19, 24 to 27 December 2021
Click here for more information.
Shangri-La Hotels is going all out with the holiday festivities this year, hosting Christmas markets at both their Kowloon and Island location! Spread across the hotels’ majestic lobbies, the Kowloon Shangri-La Christmas market channels nostalgic vibes with its locomotive-inspired decor and old-school kiosks with red-and-white-striped awnings, while its Island-side counterpart offers an unmistakably European Christmas market experience, coming alive with festive wooden chalets and a giant Christmas tree adorned with hand-painted ceramic ornaments.
Apart from beautiful, festive gifts and delectable treats, the markets are also offering a number of sustainable and eco-conscious products from brands like Slowood, as well as donating a portion of their proceeds to Heep Hong Society, a local non-profit organisation serving children in Hong Kong with diverse needs. What’s better than shopping for holiday gifts and giving back to the community at the same time?
Where: Island Shangri-La, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central
Kowloon Shangri-La, 64 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
When: Now until 26 December 2021
Click here for more information.
As one of the city’s foremost luxury shopping destinations, you know Times Square will be all dressed up in festive finery to usher in the holiday season. This year, they’ve joined forces with local artist and toy designer Pucky to bring you an enchanting Pucky-themed Christmas forest filled with over 50 glittering gold trees, a larger-than-life galactical cat installation, and over 300 Pucky space beanies.
Fans of the popular toy series can also head over to Pucky’s exclusive solo exhibition, where they will find hundreds of original artworks and six new, limited-edition Christmas Pucky characters. To give visitors a truly immersive experience, there will also be an exclusive Pucky AR experience along with ongoing musical light shows to boot!
When: Now until 2 January 2022
Where: Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay
Click here for more information
Christmas is already looking more magical this year with the arrival of Disney Plus; but to make things extra special, seven Sino Malls—including TMT Plaza, Olympian City, Citywalk, Tsim Sha Tsui Centre, Empire Centre, China Hong Kong City, and Sino Plaza—together with Lee Tung Avenue, are throwing an inter-mall festive extravaganza featuring all things Disney! Headlining the celebrations are Tsim Sha Tsui Centre and Empire Centre, which are switching on their Christmas LED wall and celebrating the season with mesmerising Disney-themed animations made with over 82,000 colour-changing LED bulbs.
Over at Lee Tung Avenue—one of Hong Kong’s most decorated streets during Christmas—Disney princesses are stealing the show as the whole avenue transforms into a ritzy Christmas ballroom with installations of 12 iconic Disney princesses. And of course, what’s a ball without music and entertainment? Enjoy after-dark light and music shows, and Christmas carols as you cruise down the stunning pedestrian walkway!
Across the different venues, you can expect loads of twinkly lights, pop-up shops, interactive experiences, and Instagrammable installations inspired by your favourite characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars!
Where: Sino Malls, locations across Hong Kong
Lee Tung Avenue, Lee Tung Avenue, 200 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai
When: Now until 2 January 2022
Click here for more information.
Mixing up the usual Christmas colours, Lok Fu Place is going bright and bold with its pop-coloured festive installations! As part of their “Unboxing Christmas” campaign, the shopping mall is showcasing a five-metre-tall Christmas tree complete with a colourful “treerapeutic” experience. Visitors are invited not only to pose and snap photos with the tree lit up in their choice of two favourite colours, but also to have the personality traits of the two chosen colours analysed by a psychologist.
Meanwhile, kids are sure to go gaga over the vibrant and whimsical installations adorning the outdoor leisure area. From a pastel candy room made up of doughnuts and lollipops to an iridescent neon light wall and backlit rainbow cottage, there’s enough eye candy to keep any Instagrammer happy and shopping-weary child amused!
Where: Zone B, Lok Fu Place, 198 Junction Road, Wang Tau Hom
When: Now until 2 January 2022
Click here for more information.
Missing snowy scenery and enchanting atmosphere of Japan during the wintertime? Beloved Japanese cartoon character Crayon Shichan and local creative brand Chocolate Rain are taking you on a tour through six of Japan’s most iconic winter sights at MCP Central. Visitors will be able to climb up the iconic Mount Fuji, take photos with the Oshi Castle in Satama Prefecture, explore a fairy tale village in Shirakawago, and more!
Continue revelling in the wintery vibes at MCP Discovery, which has been turned into a snowy, ski-resort wonderland featuring characters from Crayon Shichan and Chocolate Rain. What’s more, members can even participate in exclusive interactive games like the “snowball fight” and “curling challenge,” and get a chance to take home limited-edition gifts.
Where: L1 Atrium, MCP Central & MCP Discovery, 8 Mau Yip Road, Tseung Kwan O
When: Now until 2 January 2022
Click here for more information.
Korean cartoon icon Kakao Friends are helping to spread the holiday cheer at Plaza Hollywood’s atrium! Decked out like a festive carnival, the “Kakao Friend Christmas Wonderland” features an array of installations and check-in spots themed around classic amusement park rides—all designed with a Kakao Friends twist.
Among them, the two-metre “Ryan Galleon” slide and “Apeach Teacup” trampoline are not only great photo ops, but also interactive games that kids can take part in. After burning off some energy at the Christmas wonderland, head over to the “Kakao Friends Pop-up Store” and take home a few trendy Kakao Friends goodies!
Where: Stars Atrium, Level 1, Plaza Hollywood, 3 Lung Poon Street, Diamond Hill
When: Now until 2 January 2022
Click here for more information.
Whether you’re looking to take a trip down childhood memory lane or entertain kids of your own, there are oodles to get excited about at Landmark’s “Christmas Joy House.” Designed like a cosy home, the giant display is brimming with iconic oversized toys from across generations, in addition to a 28-metre-long Christmas train suspended mid-air, a giant Slinky Slide, and four interactive experiences.
Embark on a Christmas-themed mission with the “Dinoshaun Challenge” ($280) or try to put the star on top of the Christmas tree in a “Star Dash” VR challenge ($80). Landmark’s beloved Toy Friends, including Teddy Paws, Dinoshaun, Pink Bobos, and Coco, will be there to join your fun-filled adventure and cheer you on!
Where: Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central
When: Now until 2 January 2022
Click here for more information.
Pacific Place always has something exciting up its sleeve during Christmas, and this year’s alpine resort-themed display does not disappoint in the least. Start your magical winter adventure by dropping by Santa’s lodge and sharing a magical experience with your loved ones in a one-of-a-kind AR experience—and don’t forget to pick up a jar of Christmas cookies on your way out!
Proceed to follow the footsteps of the Yeti family into their icy igloo, where you can take dreamy pictures and enjoy a crafted gift (upon $1,000 same-day purchases) courtesy of the Yetis. Lastly, before you leave, head over to the “Super Ski” zone and soak in the exhilarating joy of weaving through the snowy alps with a unique digital skiing experience!
Where: Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
When: Now until 2 January 2022
Click here for more information.
Get lost in a Christmas fairytale inspired by Colmar, a historic and enchanting little town in France. For the first time ever, West Kowloon Art Park is putting up a massive 20-metre Christmas tree on its picturesque harbourside, alongside an eye-catching showcase of European-style lodges, antique lamposts, and other festive decorations draped in twinkly lights. Take a stroll along the dazzling waterfront with your nearest and dearest as you listen to festive music and get mesmerised by special flashing light effects, which have a particularly stunning impact on Victoria Harbour’s night skyline.
Where: West Kowloon Art Park, West Kowloon Cultural District
When: Now until 2 January 2022
Click here for more information.
Get into the holiday spirit with Mike and Sulley from Monsters, Inc.! In celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the beloved Pixar movie, Cityplaza is spreading the Christmas cheer with an interactive Monsters, Inc-themed Christmas display. Help Mike and Sulley harvest joy and laughter to save a power outage by completing a series of fun online and offline challenges in a gift delivery operation.
After accomplishing the mission, don’t forget to bring a slice of the joy home by picking up some limited-edition souvenirs from the Disney Pixar pop-up shop! You’ll find there over a hundred Monsters Inc. products, ranging from stationary and clothes to power banks and more!
Where: Cityplaza, 18 Taikoo Shing Road, Quarry Bay
When: Now until 2 January 2022
Click here for more information.
A wanderer, chronic overthinker, and baking enthusiast, Beverly spent much of her childhood in the United States before moving to Hong Kong at age 11 and making the sparkling city her home. In her natural habitat, she can be found baking up a storm in her kitchen, journalling at a café, or scrolling through OpenRice deciding on her next meal.
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