Hong Kong Entertainment

Entertainment options in Hong Kong are heady and there is something of interest for every type of tourist, from the sleazy girlie bars of Wan Chai to the sophisticated bars and lounges of Central and its many theatres and opera houses. Add to that numerous expat hangouts, karaoke joints and colourful evening markets, and you could easily describe Hong Kong as a party city.

Nightlife

Hong Kong is loaded with nightlife options in many areas of the city. Central is the main district for nightlife, with its bohemian restaurants and bars, while Lan Kwai Fong (LKF) has numerous bars and clubs that are open to all types including tourists, expats and locals. Wanchai, past Central, is another very popular area; it is a little sleazy, with plenty of go go-type hangouts. Tsimshatsiu (TST) is a popular hangout for Hong Kong’s yuppie crowd, with its trendy bars. If you have lots of time on your hands, it may also be worth seeking out the Causeway Bay nightlife, which caters mainly to locals.

Theatre and music

The Peking-style opera is the most popular form of cultural entertainment in Hong Kong; a hectic type of opera with over-the-top makeup, costumes and acrobatics. The more laid-back Cantonese-style opera is also quite popular in Hong Kong and one of the best venues to see it at is the City Hall.

The busiest time of year for the performing arts is during the Hong Kong Arts Festival in February and March. You can hear live music nightly at a range of establishments city-wide including bars and cocktail lounges, although the music scene is not as established as in other great cities. There are more bars with dance floors and karaoke places than there are dedicated nightclubs in Hong Kong.

Festivals

Like anywhere else in China, Hong Kong puts on a good show on the festivals and events front, many of which follow the Western calendar. The following are the main festivals in Hong Kong:

• Chinese (Lunar) New Year: is the biggest event of the year in mainland China as well as on Hong Kong, and it sees numerous residents flocking to and from the city. Hotels are generally full during this time and many shops and restaurants are closed (January/February).
• Spring Lantern Festival: is held in Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island and is a very popular traditional Chinese festival featuring many beautiful lanterns (January/February).
• Cheung Chau Bun Festival: is centred on little Cheung Chau island and involves competitions and bun-snatching from bun towers (April/May).
• Mid-Autumn Festival: commemorates an uprising against the Mongols in the 14th century, when the rebels hid their revolt plans inside cakes (moon cakes). Today, moon cake-eating is a big part of the festival, as is the lighting of lanterns from high vantage points in the city (August).