Chinese New Year 2022 in Hong Kong: Here comes the year of the Tiger

Chinese New Year is a very important celebration for many Asian countries. The prosperous festivities leading to one of the most important events in Chinese culture are extravagant and enjoyed by all family members. This year, Hong Kong presents a colorful and ‘new normal’ joyfulness to welcome the auspicious Year of the Water Tiger.

Chinese New Year traditions in Hong Kong

To kick off the activities during the Chinese New Year festival and start the year with good fortune, many Hong Kongers visit the temples to pray for blessings and seek religious guidance.

A favorite place of worship is Wong Tai Sin Temple, the busiest and probably best known temple in Hong Kong. Many devotees flock to the temple to pray for health blessings from the Taoist deity Huang Daxian. People would visit the temple to pray for various things, but most commonly better luck and good fortune for the coming 12 months.

This year, Wong Tai Sin Temple provides an online praying platform where worshippers who are not able to visit the temple can still pray and send their wishes. Those who wish to send in their prayers can fill out the form which will then be collected and included in the regular Taoist rituals at the temple.

Chinese New Year traditional dishes

Sharing delightful, hearty meals among family members is another key feature of the Chinese New Year celebration. Traditional dishes prepared during the New Year celebration are believed to bring forth many blessings beyond their delicious taste.

One popular auspicious food enjoyed during Chinese New Year is Poon Choi, believed by many Hong Kongers to bring abundance and wealth in the new year. This Cantonese dish consists of various exquisite ingredients such as pork, beef, chicken, duck, abalone, shrimp, dried mushrooms, fishballs, squid, and vegetables.

These Poon Choi dishes are served at Dong Lai Shun and The Royal Garden Chinese Restaurant in The Royal Garden Hotel in Hong Kong.

These four variations of Poon Choi dishes are prepared exclusively during the festive season. The Classic Mutton Poon Choi consists of four types of mutton along with 18 other ingredients. For vegetarians, the Golden Vegetarian Poon Choi primarily consists of carrots and tofu, along with 19 other premium vegetables that leave a delicious taste not too heavy on the stomach. The Sichuan Spicy Seafood Poon Choi is served with signature Dong Lai Shun hot sauce and is made with 18 kinds of seafood, perfect for those with a love for all things spicy.

The last dish is truly a Chinese New Year menu item: the Royal Garden Supreme Poon Choi, created by Chef Ho Wai-shing from 16 auspicious ingredients, including braised abalone, fish maw, whole scallop and more.

Chinese New Year 2022 exclusive treat: Joyous ladybug dessert in a box

Packaging the sentiments of a prosperous and joyous new year alongside their delicious treats, Dang Wen Li by Dominique Ansel presents the Joyous Spring Ladybird Gift Box lucky dessert set, a limited Chinese New Year set for their patrons.

The delectable treat comes in a ladybug-shaped drawer box, a symbol of good luck in both western and eastern beliefs. When you spread out the ladybug’s wings, you will be treated to specks of gold and lustrous black from the chocolate pieces contained within.

The second layer of the box contains Almond Milk Rice Pudding, which has a light yet firm texture—the perfect blend of traditional and modern desserts. To top it off, the set also includes Mandarin Mochi Buns—made with soft brioche bread stuffed with mochi and mandarin marmalade that will bring both deliciousness and good luck to the recipient during the Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year delights: Roar into the new year with a magnificent tiger pattern gift set

The Peninsula Boutique in Hong Kong offers a unique Chinese New Year spin for its luxurious gift sets, especially designed to welcome the Year of the Tiger.

Inspired by the traditional “tiger head shoes” worn by children in the old days for good health and prosperity, the Robust Tiger Gift Set is a gift everyone would love to receive during this special time of the year.

Inside are ten smaller boxes filled with delicious surprises that range from chocolates and candies to Chinese tea, packed in a patterned openwork package that can be reused and hung as decorations.

Chinese New Year celebration can truly be felt all around, from old traditions that continue to this day, to the many treats and gifts shared with friends and family. Despite not being able to celebrate the new year in Hong Kong, there are a lot of other ways to ring in the Year of the Tiger from our homes.

Follow news about Hong Kong tourism and catch features on favorite local spots at Discover Hong Kong.

Featured image: The Peninsula Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

All images: credit to Hong Kong Tourism Board

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