The year’s most festive month is upon us and we’ve got some tips when visiting Hong Kong during this wonderful time of year. December is a great time to visit the city. The weather is cool and breezy, and the shops and streets are decked out in tinsel and colorful lights.
But Hong Kong’s major holiday attraction is HONG KONG TOURISM BOARD’s Christmas Town located at the West Kowloon Cultural District. Complete with reindeers, life-size colorful ornaments, and a dazzling 20 m-tall LED-adorned Christmas tree set against the scenic Victoria Harbour!
Did I mention the Entrance is Free?!
Pets are allowed! Dress your pawfriend in their favorite cozy Christmas costume and get ready to strike a pose.
Behind the Christmas Town, is the Art Park’s baywalk with a dramatic Harbor View that is not to miss. Ganda! Best to arrive early around 5pm to get a day shot of the scenic spot.
You can also try going up the viewing deck, where you’ll see the whole Christmas Town in full sight. I saw a couple of locals and tourists doing a time-lapse of Christmas Town from day to night as the lights slowly brightened the night sky.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Venue: Harbourside Lawn West, Art Park, West Kowloon Cultural District, Kowloon.
Taxi: Since we were staying in the Tsim Sha Tsui area, it was only a convenient 12-minute ride for us. (Base Fare starts at HKD 24)
MTR: Ride the MTR and get off Kowloon Station and Exit at E4 or E5.
Tips: Don’t follow google maps. We ended up at the wrong station (Austin Station) and had to take a very long 16-minute walk.
ENTRANCE: FREE
OPERATING HOURS:
Dates: 24 November 2023 – 1 January 2024
Time: (25 November-21 December 2023) 7:00pm–11:00pm (Last admission at 10:30pm)
(22 December 2023–1 January 2024) 11:00am – 11:00pm (Last admission at 10:30pm)
(24, 25 and 31 December 2023) 11:00am–1:00am (Last admission at 12:30am)
NEAR BY ATTRACTIONS:
M+ MUSEUM: (Book here M+ Museum Ticket)
If you want to explore your artistic side, you can visit this one in Hong Kong! West Kowloon’s largest museum of modern and contemporary visual art.
“M+ is a new kind of museum that reflects our unique time and place, a museum that builds on Hong Kong’s historic balance of the local and the international to define a distinctive and innovative voice for Asia’s twenty-first century.”
Dots Obsession—Aspiring to Heaven’s Love’ (2022) at ‘Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now’, 2022.
The installation by Yayoi Kusama is absolutely the highlight of this visit. Do note that you are only allowed 30 seconds in the mirror hall room for photos. (Minimum 1 pax, maximum 5 pax)
Tip: You are welcome to fall in line again over and over again until your satisfied with your experience.
Fascinating exhibit about Madam Song and how she influenced the fashion and transformation of China’s cosmopolitan that is today.
You’ll get to explore works of artists who push the limits and go beyond the traditional sense of art.
We regret that we did not allot enough time for this Museum, and will definitely go back, since we weren’t able to visit all the galleries.
Opening Hours:
- -Tuesdays to Thursdays and weekends: 10:00–18:00
- -Fridays: 10:00–22:00
- -Mondays: Closed
- (Last admission time is thirty minutes before closing)
BOOK HERE (affiliate link): M+ Museum Ticket
FINAL THOUGHTS
I highly recommend visiting here, instead of the Avenue of the Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui this Holiday Season for that iconic Harbor View shot, since you’ll only get disappointed at TST as only a small and the farthest portion of the baywalk is open, and converted into a runway for the Louis Vuitton Fashion Show. Plus, you’ll get to avoid the big crowds at TST, while the area here is pretty chill and less known to tourists.
Tip: If you really want to visit Avenue of the stars, double check when the runway installation will end, before deciding to visit.
Tip: There are plenty of stalls that sell snacks if you get hungry, while waiting and enjoying the scenic view.
Live an Awesome Life,
ABI of Team Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: We were media guests of Hong Kong Tourism Board and Klook. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.