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The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China) is expected to welcome more than 7.5 million visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday.
The Hong Kong Immigration Department has cut the number of leave days for frontline staff to deploy flexible manpower, and opened more inspection counters and passageways to ease the flow of people and vehicles, facilitating customs clearance.
The 2024 Lunar New Year holiday in Hong Kong will be from February 10-13 and in mainland China from February 10-17. Special customs clearance arrangements will be made during the Lunar New Year holiday.
On the occasion of Lunar New Year, the Hong Kong government has organized a series of activities to create a vibrant atmosphere in the early days of Spring. For example, on the evening of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the float parade - a typical event on the first day of Lunar New Year in Hong Kong, temporarily suspended during the epidemic - returned with many attractive performances. With the theme "Hong Kong Dragon Welcomes the New Year", the event demonstrated the vitality of the Year of the Dragon with splendid and colorful floats and rich and diverse performances, bringing a grand feast to the people and tourists present in Hong Kong.
Next, Hong Kong held a fireworks display on the evening of the second day of the Lunar New Year after a five-year hiatus. Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu said in his opening speech that the dragon symbolizes goodness and vitality, and he believes that Hong Kong will prosper in the Year of the Dragon. The theme of this year's fireworks display is "In the Year of the Dragon, all industries are prosperous, China is strong in the prosperous era". To welcome the Year of the Dragon, this year's eight fireworks displays have been elaborately designed to send New Year wishes to all residents and tourists in Hong Kong.
For many years, the 20-minute fireworks display on the second night of Lunar New Year has been considered the highlight of the New Year in Hong Kong. After five years, the Lunar New Year fireworks display once again blossomed over Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour on the evening of the second day of the Lunar New Year. This year's fireworks display lasted 23 minutes and was divided into eight sections. Some 23,888 fireworks lit up the sky from both sides of the city's iconic Victoria Harbour to usher in the Year of the Dragon. The much-anticipated event lit up the entire harbour and provided an unforgettable visual feast for the audience. Viewers could feel the New Year atmosphere in the dazzling fireworks display while enjoying the unique urban landscape of Hong Kong.
Previously, the last Lunar New Year fireworks display in Hong Kong was in 2019, the Year of the Pig. The fireworks display has been an annual event during the Hong Kong Spring Festival since 1982, held annually on the second night of the Lunar New Year at Victoria Harbor. Starting in 2020, due to the impact of the epidemic, the Hong Kong government canceled this activity.
During the first days of the new year, temples and pagodas in Hong Kong are crowded with people praying for good fortune, peace, and smooth sailing for their families. Some famous temples and pagodas such as the Big Buddha or Che Kung Temple, Wong Tai Sin, Man Mo… are always crowded because they are not only sacred places for local people but also attractive tourist destinations. Right from New Year's Eve, many people come to the temples to burn incense and pray.
On this occasion, Hong Kong people also often flock to the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree in the New Territories to participate in the custom of throwing oranges with pieces of paper attached to them onto the tree in the hope that their wishes and aspirations for the coming year will come true, such as wishing for good health for the family and healthy children. This festival often attracts tens of thousands of locals and tourists from all over the world to experience the vibrant atmosphere of the new year. The 2024 Hong Kong Wishing Tree Festival will be held from February 10 (the first day of the Lunar New Year) to February 24.
In addition to the above activities, districts in Hong Kong organize a series of activities on the occasion of the New Year to bring a joyful Spring atmosphere to the people, thereby attracting tourists to return to this special administrative region.
