The Sound Hits You First
You hear it before you see anything — firecrackers rattling off somewhere down a side street, the thump of a bass drum warming up for a lion dance, a vendor shouting prices for kumquat trees. Hong Kong during Chinese New Year is loud before it’s beautiful. The 2026 celebrations run January 29 to 31, which is the Year of the Horse, and the city does not hold back.
I should note upfront: this is not a relaxing holiday trip. The crowds are real, the MTR is packed, and hotel prices do something genuinely alarming around these dates. But if you can handle the chaos, there’s nothing else quite like it.
Fireworks Over the Harbour
The main event, for most visitors, is the fireworks display over Victoria Harbour on the second night of the new year — that’s January 30 in 2026. It lasts about twenty-three minutes, give or take, and the setting is hard to beat: pyrotechnics exploding between the skylines of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, reflections doubling everything in the water below.
The classic viewing spots are the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront promenade and the Avenue of Stars. Golden Bauhinia Square on the Hong Kong Island side works too, though the angle is slightly different. Here’s the thing nobody tells you in the tourist brochures: people start claiming spots by early afternoon. Not 6 PM, not 5 PM — like 2 or 3 PM, with folding chairs and blankets. If you show up at 7, you’re standing behind several rows of heads.
There are alternatives. Some restaurants along the harbourfront offer dinner packages with window seats — not cheap, but you skip the pavement camping. A few harbour cruise operators run special fireworks viewing trips. Worth looking into if standing for five hours doesn’t appeal to you.
One practical note: phone signals basically collapse after the show ends. Too many people trying to post photos at once. Plan your meeting point with friends beforehand and don’t rely on being able to call anyone for about thirty minutes after the finale.
The Night Parade Through Tsim Sha Tsui
The Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade happens on New Year’s Eve — January 28 this year, the night before the first day. The route runs through the streets around Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, starting around 8 PM.
It’s a big production. Floats, marching bands from various countries, lion and dragon dance troupes, acrobats, performers in elaborate costumes. The quality varies — some floats are genuinely impressive, others look like they were assembled the night before. The dragon dances are consistently good though. There’s something about seeing a fifty-foot dragon weave through a crowd of thousands under neon signs that just works.
Get there by 7 PM at the latest if you want a barrier-front position. The spots along Canton Road closest to the harbour fill up first. Families with kids tend to cluster near the start of the route. The atmosphere is festive but pushy — elbows will happen.
Victoria Park After Dark
The flower markets are, honestly, my favourite part of the whole thing. The biggest one takes over Victoria Park in Causeway Bay for about a week before New Year’s Day. Hundreds of stalls selling kumquat trees (for prosperity), orchids, peonies, lucky bamboo, and just about every auspicious plant you can name.
But it’s not just flowers. There are snack stalls, toy vendors, calligraphy artists, and people selling those inflatable hammers that kids use to whack each other. The vibe after about 9 PM is genuinely chaotic — shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, haggling getting louder, the smell of egg waffles and fish balls mixing with the scent of chrysanthemums.
On the final night before New Year’s, prices drop dramatically as vendors try to clear inventory. There’s an art to timing your visit. Go too early in the week and selection is better but prices are firm. Go on the last night and you might get a kumquat tree for a third of the price, but the good orchids are gone.
Smaller flower markets pop up in other districts too — Mongkok, Sha Tin, Wong Tai Sin. Less overwhelming if Victoria Park’s crowds feel like too much.
The Parts That Aren’t in the Brochure
Some things to know before you go:
The MTR runs extended hours during the holiday period, which helps. Get an Octopus card — it works on buses, trams, the Star Ferry, and convenience stores. Way easier than buying individual tickets.
Hotel prices spike significantly. I’ve seen rooms that go for HK$800 on a normal week listed at HK$2,500+ during New Year. If you’re flexible on location, places in the New Territories or along the Tung Chung line tend to be more reasonable. Book early regardless.
Weather in late January is Hong Kong’s coolest season — expect somewhere around 15-19°C during the day, cooler at night especially near the water. Not cold by northern standards, but if you’re standing on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront for hours waiting for fireworks, you’ll want a jacket.
If you’re invited to any local gatherings or dinners, bring red envelopes (lai see) with crisp, new bills inside. It’s a meaningful tradition. Banks actually stock extra new bills before the holiday for this purpose.
Temple visits are a big part of the local celebration too. Wong Tai Sin Temple gets extremely crowded on New Year’s Day as people come to pray for good fortune. Interesting to visit but prepare for long queues and heavy incense smoke.
Getting There and Getting Around
Hong Kong International Airport connects to the city centre via the Airport Express in about 24 minutes, or you can take the cheaper bus options. During New Year, some bus routes have schedule changes, so double-check if you’re arriving on the holiday itself.
The Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour is worth taking at least once — it’s one of those experiences that costs almost nothing (HK$4 or so) and gives you waterfront views that rival any paid attraction. During New Year it runs slightly modified hours, but it operates through the holiday.
For getting to the fireworks, the MTR is your best bet. Tsim Sha Tsui station on the Tsuen Wan line puts you right at the waterfront. Just be prepared for the crush on the way back.
Before You Book
Hong Kong’s Chinese New Year isn’t subtle. It’s crowded, it’s noisy, it’s commercial in places, and the logistics require some planning. But when the first firework goes up over the harbour and the whole waterfront gasps at the same time, you get why people keep coming back.
For activities and day trips, KLOOK has a decent selection of Hong Kong experiences — harbour cruises, temple visits, food tours, that sort of thing. Useful for booking stuff that might sell out during the holiday rush. Accommodation-wise, Booking.com is probably the easiest way to compare hotel prices across districts, especially if you’re trying to find something that hasn’t tripled its rates. And if you want to bundle flights, Trip.com sometimes has package deals for Hong Kong that work out cheaper than booking separately — worth checking, at least.
I walked back to my hotel the last time through Tsim Sha Tsui after the parade. The streets were still covered in confetti, a few lion dance drums were being loaded into a van, and someone had left a half-eaten egg waffle on a bench. The city was already cleaning up, but you could still smell the gunpowder.
