The Hong Kong Chinese New Year Parade is a hallmark of the Lunar New Year festivities, featuring colorful floats, marching bands, troupes of acrobats, lively dragons, traditional Chinese dancers, international troupes from all over the world, drummers, Chinese lions, and of course, firecrackers...
It is held on the evening of New Year's Day and winds through the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui on an hour and a half extravaganza of lively music, dance, acrobatics, folklore, martial arts and well-wishing to greet the new year.
The parade normally features over 30 floats and performing troupes from the many organisations, which in the past has included Cathay Pacific, the parade's sponsor, Disneyland Hong Kong, Ocean Park and Ngong Ping 360 among many others.
Parading are the traditional lion dancers along with the colorful dragons, and there are as well a number of international guest performers which are invited to participate in the parade, originating from all over the world... Peru, Thailand, the Czech Republic, Japan... It is one big street party.
When is the Chinese New Year Parade?
When?: On Lunar New Year's Day, official start time of the parade is 8:00 pm. The pre-parade festivities start at 6:00 pm
Where?: Streets of Tsim Sha Tsui, See Parade Route and Map below
How Much?: FREE!
Special spectators stands are set up for this event by the Hong Kong Cultural Center Piazza, the start point of the parade, and along some of the streets. There is an admission charge for these reserved seats. Otherwise, viewing along the parade route is free. Beware of "official looking" people that might try to charge you a "show fee" along the free parade route.
Admission for the spectator stands: HK$480 / $450 / $300 per person for seats at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza stands and HK300 for seats at the Canton Road and Nathan Road stands. Stands open as early as 5:45 pm.
Tickets go on sale a couple of weeks before the parade and are available on a first-come-first-served basis. They normally sell out the very first day. You can buy the stand tickets at the HK Tourism Office at the Star Ferry in TST (Opening hours: 8am to 8pm daily) and there is a limit of 4 tickets per person. Call the Visitor Hotline for inquiries: +852 2508 1234. Latest news at the official site: HK Tourism Board
Regardless of the official start time, you want to make sure to come at least a couple of hours earlier and get a good spot as you can expect the streets will be filled to capacity.
Anyhow, the entertainment begins way before the start of the parade. As early as 6:00pm you are likely to see the roving performers entertaining the early birds along the parade route with their lively shows, anything from dragon dances, acrobats in stilts, drummers, etc.
There will be street closures on the day of the parade as stands are being set up and near the time of the parade the route will be roped off.
The first floats start from the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza at 8:00 pm and the rest will follow for the next hour and a half or so.
The last floats will
reach the end point at around 10:30 pm.
Viewing the Parade from the Spectator Stands
Hong Kong Chinese New Year Parade Route and Map
The Parade circles through the popular Tsim Sha Tsui Area, starting at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre near the waterfront. It then follows north along Canton Road, turning on Haiphong Road, and then South on Nathan Road to arrive finally back on the waterfront by Salisbury Road, ending in front of the Sheraton Hotel.
This map gives you an idea of the parade route, exact beginning and ending points as well as the actual route may change at the last minute, but you can tell by where the streets are being roped off and the stands set up.
Getting there is quite convenient, MTR stations (Tsim Sha Tsui or East Tsim Sha Tsui) and Star Ferry are nearby.
Hong Kong Chinese New Year Parade Tour
These tours make it super easy and convenient, no figuring out where to go or dealing with sold-out stands. Let them handle the details, get picked up at one of several convenient spots/designated hotels and have a reserved seat at the spectator stands for the parade. And what's more, the tours combine some sightseeing, either around town or in the New Territories to check out some more of the celebrations in the countryside.
Chinese New Year Parade and Dinner
- Pick-up from the Kowloon Hotel in Nathan Road, tour starts at 2:30 pm
- Visit the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree in the New Territories
- Dim sum at Tim Ho Wan, a Michelin one-star restaurant for 10 consecutive years
- Reserved Seats at Chinese New Year Parade Stands Zone C
- Tour ends at the Parade grounds
When?: On New Year's Day
How Much?: US$ 87
›› More Info and Booking: Hong Kong Chinese New Year Parade and Dinner
Colorful Floats one after the other... The Happy Hong Kong Float
And troupes of international performers, Thai dancers at the parade
The Cathay Pacific Float, the official sponsor
Acrobats, Dancers, Clowns...
Mickey and Friends at the Hong Kong Disneyland Float
And the Ocean Park float
Troupes of Lion Dancers make their way...
Stunning colorful costumes...
Dancers and performers parade amongst the floats...
...And Marching Bands...
If you missed the parade on New Year's Day, the floats are normally on display at the well Wishing Festival at Lam Tsuen Wishing Square in Tai Po after Lunar New Year's Day and throughout until the Lantern Festival.
The Hong Kong Chinese New Year Parade together with the Fireworks are two of the city's most anticipated Chinese New Year events, don't miss them if you are in town!
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