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| Perspective drawing of the Halloween installation on Statue Square |
Halloween is about to get big in Hong Kong.
Starting on
October 17, five tourist spots in the city will be lit up and street parties
held, as part of Hong Kong’s bid to become Asia’s premier Halloween
destination.
In Central, a
giant Halloween-themed installation will be set up on Statue Square starting on
October 17, while a music and arts festival will liven up Chater Road from 3pm
on October 18. The celebration will culminate with a colourful Halloween party
on October 31.
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| Lan Kwai Fong will always be the go-to place for Halloween |
At nearby Lan Kwai Fong, organizers are planning not just one, but three, themed street celebrations with performers, music and photo spots for costumed revellers.
At Kai Tak Sports Park, there will be three weekends
of cosplay activities with Cantopop DJs playing music, and a pet photo area.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
In Mong Kok, there
will be a haunted red minibus installation while Tsim Sha Tsui East will have
DJ parties and a Halloween market.
Disneyland and
Ocean Park started offering Halloween treats and tricks at the start of the
month, and will carry this on until Halloween Day.
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| Perspective of an open-top bus for Halloween Month |
There will also be
free night rides to passengers in Halloween costumes on open-top buses and
party trams.
The open-top bus rides
will start
operating at 6pm on October 16-17, October 24-25 and October 30-31 - covering
two Saturdays, two Sundays, and Halloween Eve and Halloween Day.
Pick-ups will be every 45 minutes at four boarding
points: Statue Square in Central, Langham Place in Mong Kok, Kai Tak Sports
Park and Tsim Sha Tsui Centre.
The party trams will also operate on the same dates
and time along a designated route between Causeway Bay and Western Market in
Sheung Wan.
Free ride tickets will be given to passengers who
dress in Halloween costumes and spend the minimum amount set by participating
merchants.
The tickets can be redeemed on a first-come,
first-served basis at designated malls and venues operated by HKTB partners,
including Hongkong Land, Kai Tak Sports Park, Langham Place and Sino Group.
Also part of the festival is HKTB’s social media campaign,
which will call on the public to post Halloween photos in Hong Kong on Instagram,
Weibo, using designated tags and hashtags. Prizes will be given for photos that
will be selected.
The Halloween blitz is part of a new tourism strategy
announced in February’s budget that will focus on festivals that are less
prominent in mainland China, to attract more visitors in the city.
The Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival at Victoria Park which
has been extended until today, October 7, is also part of the new tourism
thrust.
