Chinese (lunar) new year night market in Hong Kong

Hong Kong never ceases to amaze me how energetic and vibrant it is. We call it “the city that never sleeps” for a good reason. Literally, it doesn’t sleep. There are shops, companies, programs, restaurants and transportation that operate around the clock.

I’m the type of person who doesn’t celebrate special occasions much – be it Christmas or birthday. For some reason, I am a bit excited about Chinese New Year this year and I think it’s because I haven’t spent Chinese New Year in Hong Kong for a while. I’m looking forward to seeing family and friends I haven’t seen for a while; enjoying authentic Chinese New Year delicacies that I couldn’t quite get when I was overseas; and receiving lai sees (red packets with money in it, traditionally given from married people to singles for good luck) from married people (that’s the best part). Another ritual that Hong Kong people do before Chinese New Year is to visit the lunar night market or flower market in search of the auspicious flowers or plants for the home or office. This is also the time when locals go for some quirky holiday shopping items like weird animal hats, as the photo below shows.

I went to the one at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, which is one of the biggest and oldest flower markets with lots of young people trying to get a taste of entrepreneurships or politicians vying for attention. It was hectic and packed, to say the least. Most of the flower markets in Hong Kong never sleep before Chinese New Year, including this one. This lunar night market runs 24 hours, though some stall owners prefer not to.

Tomorrow will be a completely different scenery when everything will quiet down and locals get ready for the Year of the Dragon. Happy Chinese New Year and wish you all the very best!