From Rory Boland,
Your Guide to Hong Kong / Macau Travel.
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Considered the focal point of the city’s celebrations, the Chinese New Year parade in Hong Kong is truly spectacular. Winding through the streets of Hong Kong, the parade is a cavalcade of color and noise, packed with both home-grown floats and those from abroad. Seemingly half of Hong Kong turns out onto the streets for the Chinese New Year parade and the energy and enthusiasm of the parade is matched by the crowd.

When: 7th February, 8-9:30pm
Entrance: $180 - $300 spectator seating at Hong Kong Cultural Centre, free along route

We have heard reports of touts dressing up as stewards and attempting to charge tourists for watching from the parade route. There is no charge for watching the parade, anywhere along the parade route, except in seated areas, such as in Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

Route

While previously in Central, the parade upped sticks and moved to the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in 2007. The new location lacks some of the atmosphere of Central, however Tsim Sha Tsui is far more practical, offering bags of space for the endless crowds, as well as the ideal backdrop of the Central cityscape.

Start – Hong Kong Cultural Centre Plaza moving east along Sailsbury Road, turning on Mody Lane to return west along Sailsbury Road.

For a blow by blow of the parade route see the Hong Kong Tourism Board map.

Floats

2008 sees the usual buffet selection of nearly 40 floats, from eleven different countries. The floats listed below are some of those worth keeping an eye out for.

Hong Kong Disneyland, Hong Kong Ocean Park, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Frances Futuristic Ostriches, Australia’s Itchy Feet Pep Band, San Francisco 49ers Cheerleaders, Hong Kong Police Band.

Tips

• Arriving about two hours to an hour before the parade gets underway, depending on the area, should allow you to get near the front of the crowd. Arrive within the hour and you’re likely to be standing in a crowd up to four deep.
• While you could enjoy the parade from a seat at the parade ground, where the parade finishes, the best way to feel the energy of the parade is from the bustling streets that line the route.
• If you’re feeling faint or ill, contact one of the police officers who line the route, they generally speak English and are almost universally helpful.