Hong Kong Chinese New Year Parade
Welcoming the Year of the Monkey in 2016!
The Hong Kong Chinese New Year Parade is a classic 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 traditionally 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 features over 30 floats from the many groups, which in the past has included Cathay Pacific, the official sponsor, Disneyland Hong Kong, Ocean Park and Ngong Ping 360.
There will be traditional lion dancers along with the colorful dragons. There are as well a number of international guest performers anywhere from Peru, Thailand, to the Czech Republic and Japan. It is one big street party.
Colorful Floats one after the other... The Happy Hong Kong Float
The Cathay Pacific Float, the official sponsor
Acrobats, Dancers, Clowns...
Mickey and Friends at the Hong Kong Disneyland Float
Troupes of Lion Dancers make way to the Dragon
Traditional Local Costumes as well as international ones are well represented
The Parade circles through the popular Tsim Sha Tsui Area, starting around 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.
New this year is a DJ station which will be set up on Canton Road, and local band O.U.R. Works Music will offer live music performances.
Hong Kong Chinese New Year Parade Route
This map gives you an idea of the parade route, and where the nearest MTR stations are to get there. Exact beginning and ending points as well as the actual route may vary from year to year, but you can tell by where the streets are being roped off and the stands set up.
Special spectators stands are set up for this event along Nathan Road, Canton Road and the HK Cultural Center and 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.
When is the Chinese New Year Parade 2016?
On Lunar New Year's Day, February 8, 2016, the official start time of the parade is 8pm but you want to make sure to come at least a couple of hours earlier and get a good spot as you can expect everybody and their cousin will be on the streets that night.
Anyhow, the entertainment begins way before the start of the parade. As early as 6:30pm 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.
The first floats start from around the HK Cultural Centre 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.
Admission for the spectator stands: TBA, last year the fee is HK$480 / $450 / $300 per person. Tickets go on sale a couple of weeks before New Year and normally sell out the very first day. You can buy the stand tickets at the HK Tourism Office at the Star Ferry in TST and there is normally a limit of 4 tickets per person. Stand Tickets for this year's parade will be on sale on TBA. Call the Visitor Hotline for inquiries: +852 2508 1234.
If you missed the parade on New Year's Day, the floats are normally on display at the Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees, where the Well-Wishing Festival celebrations will be well on their way and the groups that performed at the New Year's Parade will also be performing at the festival.
The Parade is together with the Chinese New Year Fireworks, a most anticipated of Chinese New Year celebrations in Hong Kong, if you happen to be around, don't miss them!
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