Catharina Cheung

Ever since it gained popularity in the 90s, Hongkongers have been obsessed with karaoke (or KTV, as is more commonly used by locals). From the rotten to the resplendent, we embrace anyone willing to grab the mic and have a crack. And while the city’s largest purveyors of karaoke, Neway and Red Mr, certainly dominate the scene, there are definitely a few other choices out there worth checking out if you’re looking for a break from the norm. RECOMMENDED: If you prefer watching others performing instead, visit these live music venues in Hong Kong.

One of our favourite things to do at the beginning of every Chinese New Year is to check our fortunes for the year ahead. Bookstores, newsstands, and even convenience stores will be selling almanacs that predict how the year will look for individuals – look out for bright red tomes, usually featuring a sage-looking Asian with arms akimbo – but these books can be hard to peruse, especially if you don’t know Chinese. Fret not, we’ve asked fortune telling and feng shui master Mak Lingling to break down the fortunes of each zodiac sign for us. Read on to find out what lies in store for you in the Year of the Snake! RECOMMENDED: 🐲 Your guide to Chinese New Year in Hong Kong🧧 The ultimate cheat sheet to Chinese New Year greetings🍽️ 50 best Hong Kong restaurants to try out

Having opened in 2023, Mesa by José Avillez has not been around for very long – certainly not long enough by industry practices for a complete overhaul, which they have recently undergone. Tablecloths have been brought in, chinaware has been redesigned, food presentation has been updated with a focus on sharing, the ceiling has been redone with brand-new displays that showcase animated magpie motifs, and the accompanying Mesa Bar has launched a new series of cocktails. “I think that every two years we should remodulate restaurants – that’s what I do in Portugal too,” chef José Avillez says. Most importantly, he has also overhauled the menu at this casual fine dining venue, with dishes that reflect the vision he has for the future of Portuguese cuisine.

As one of the best Asian cities ever with the second coolest street in the world, Hong Kong plays host to plenty of travellers who all need places to rest their heads. Whether you’re looking for a budget bed or ostentatious, heli-pad bedecked five-star luxury, there’s accommodation to suit every type of guest. From honeymoons to shoe-string gap years to swanky business trips – this is the definitive guide to staying in Hong Kong. RECOMMENDED: Check out the most incredible things to do in Hong Kong, the concerts and music events happening in town, and the best Cantonese restaurants to eat in Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured, we’ve based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Looking to impress your Cantonese-speaking friends? Or do you just want to get down with the cool kids and show off your knowledge of popular Canto sayings? Whether it's commonly used words or the latest new slang, we've got them all. Get started with this handy guide featuring our picks of Cantonese phrases you need to know! RECOMMENDED: Head into the city and discover the top attractions to visit in Hong Kong

We hate to burst your fishball-scented bubble, but just living and working in this city doesn’t automatically qualify you as a real Hongkonger. However, that’s not to say that you won’t ever become one. There are many common misconceptions about Hong Kong, but one thing’s for sure, we have some real peculiar quirks and habits that only a true Hongkonger would ever say or do. Read on and see how many you can tick off. RECOMMENDED: If you’re still relatively new to the city, be careful not to ask certain questions that will set us off. Meanwhile, get to know Hong Kong one bite at a time and check out these uniquely Hong Kong dishes you need to try at least once.

Preparing for Chinese New Year isn’t too difficult. Getting a haircut and buying new clothes? Hardly a struggle. Cleaning your house? It needed to be done anyway! But learning the set Chinese New Year greetings that every Chinese person knows? That’s arguably the most troublesome part of the festivities. Chinese children spend their formative years having these four-worded phrases drilled into them, but even if you haven’t had such training, never fear! We’ve formulated an easy guide to the most common Chinese New Year greetings and what they mean, so you can collect those lai see without feeling like you’re culturally cheating. RECOMMENDED: 🧧 Things you need to get done before Chinese New Year🧨 Chinese New Year displays to check out this year🥠 The best Chinese New Year menus in Hong Kong

While we’re sure that your Chinese New Year schedule will be packed with visiting family and friends, enjoying delectable meals around town, and checking out the festivities, another way to get into the festive spirit is by putting on a holiday film at home. If you’re planning on spending some quality time with your loved ones to greet the new lunar year, here’s our handpicked selection of the best flicks to watch during CNY.RECOMMENDED: Not in the mood for festive films? Check out the best Hong Kong movies of all time!

December is the perfect time of year to play around with your hair. Highlights and balayage can add a hint of brightness to heavier winter outfits, and a treatment will nourish your locks for the drier weather. Whether you’re looking to wow the crowds at your Christmas parties, or debuting a fresh dramatic look for the New Year, these hair salons around town will take care of you well. RECOMMENDED: Check out your guides to the best of Christmas in Hong Kong

Chinese New Year is one of the most important festivities in Chinese culture. Since it marks the beginning of the year according to the lunisolar calendar (as opposed to the Gregorian one that we mostly go by now), it is called the Lunar New Year (農曆新年) in Cantonese. In Mandarin Chinese, however, the season is referred to as the Spring Festival (春節) because it traditionally marks the end of winter. Whatever name you choose to call it by, there’s no denying that this major celebration is vibrant, heart-warming, and filled with moreish food, so here’s a guide on the history of Chinese New Year, the traditions upheld by Hongkongers, and how to take part in the festivities yourself.  RECOMMENDED: Make sure you complete all the things to prepare before Chinese New Year, and check out the best events happening around town.

Wondering where’s best to get your art and culture fix this year? You’ve come to the right place, as Time Out has done some research. Warhol and Pollock will be on display in New York, while retrospectives of sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth century female artists will be showcased in Rome. There’s an exhibition of Ukrainian art taking place in Berlin, digital sea explorations in Norway and glass sculpture displays in Australia – but there’s plenty more where that came from. Read on for the coolest exhibitions taking place all across the planet throughout 2025. RECOMMENDED:🛶The best things to do in the world in 2025🛍️ The coolest neighbourhoods in the world🎪 The world’s best music festivals for 2025🌃 The best cities in the world right now  

Hong Kong was once a manufacturing powerhouse with the ‘Made in Hong Kong’ stamp seen as a mark of quality around the world. While rising costs in the 1980s pushed many companies to relocate their production facilities elsewhere, some products have remained proudly made in this city. From plastic pails to cure-all pills, here are a few of our favourite locally made things. RECOMMENDED: Be sure to check out these local cultural gems that are on the brink of disappearing, and feed your nostalgia with Hong Kong’s oldest restaurants that you should visit.

The internationally acclaimed Cirque du Soleil is coming to town on the first stop of their Asia tour – this will be the troupe’s first appearance in Hong Kong since 2018. Their Kooza show first started in 2007 and toured in more than 70 cities across 23 countries before being relaunched in 2022 with new production elements. Expect to see high-flying acrobatics and whimsical characters amidst gorgeous sets, highlighted by the lavish costumes and powerful music that Cirque du Soleil has always been known for. This new production also includes a solo aerial silk performance, a repertoire of Icarian games, and a high-octane diabolo act with a triple world champion – all never seen before in Hong Kong.  Tickets run from $450 to $1,998 – VIP ticket holders can enjoy the exclusive bar and appetisers an hour before the show starts and during intermission. Early-bird discounts of 10 percent off are available from now until February 9.

This hit stage comedy tells the story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York socialite who sold out the famous Carnegie Hall in 1944 during the same week as Frank Sinatra – but here’s the kicker: she can’t even carry a tune in a bucket. In fact, Jenkins’ voice was so terrible that she gained a huge number of fans because of it, including famous artists like Cole Porter and Enrico Caruso. A cast of professional actors will join with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong to present this adapted version of the West End play with a selection of new music. Jenkins’ story has also been immortalised on the big screen by Meryl Streep in the 2016 film Florence Foster Jenkins, and is a great inspirational tale that sometimes you just should be delusional and pursue your dreams despite it all. Tickets to Glorious! are priced at $280 and $480, with concessions available.

In the blink of an eye, Art Month in Hong Kong is once again almost around the corner. Art Basel, one of the cornerstones of the city’s annual art events, has updated its roster of exhibitors and programs – and it looks like Asia’s artsy crowd is in for a treat. 242 galleries from 42 countries and territories around the world will gather to showcase their best in contemporary art. 23 of these galleries are new to the fair, hailing from India, Australia, Kosovo, Guatemala, the US, the UK, Germany, and more. Over half of the participating galleries in Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 are from the Asia-Pacific region and, for the first time ever, the fair is also collaborating with local independent art institution Para Site to curate the film program titled ‘In Space, It’s Always Night’. Look out for galleries with exhibitions focusing on a single artist, like P420’s retrospective of the German-Italian artist Irma Frank and her work intersecting writing and drawing; deep dives of themes and periods in art history in the Insights sector; and local galleries making their Art Basel debut, such as SC Gallery with Chow Chun-fai’s work on socio-political shifts from a Hong Kong perspective. Film art by Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen will also be shown on the façade of M+ as a tribute to our city’s vibrant film culture. Interestingly, this work is constantly being re-edited by an algorithm, showing how history and memories can be dynamic while generating new visions of the future.  Art Basel

House and electronic music series Magic Room has always been popular among Hong Kong’s rave and party crowd, and they’ve just announced their upcoming events for this year. Valentine’s Day will see the Big Top at the AIA Carnival turned into Magic Room x SuNKen, with the circus venue transformed into a dance floor. English electro artist Nic Fanciulli will be headlining, supported by Hong Kong’s Nodes Crew, along with producer Leon (FR), Mo-Shi, Milam, Bruno Roth, with Wilkhinho. Tickets for SuNKen are going for $580. Looking ahead at their schedule, Magic Room’s second major event of the year will be on March 22 – the only information we have right now is that the headliner will be from Ibiza’s renowned Pacha club. Keep an eye out on our page for when we learn more.

In collaboration with the new Cézanne and Renoir exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA), the museum’s restaurant Hue Dining is offering an afternoon tea with nibbles inspired by the Impressionist works currently on show. As its name implies, this afternoon tea set ($680 for two) is a clear nod to the fruit still life paintings from both Paul Cézanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and therefore incorporates plenty of fruit flavours. Expect sweet and savoury bites such as burrata on sourdough with torched peach and cherry tomatoes; scallop ceviche with pear, dill, and curry crème fraîche; tea-smoked duck leg slider with gherkins and orange gravy; dacquoise with coconut and calamansi curd; a lovely tarte tatin made with pink lady apples and vanilla anglaise, and more. Of course, there are also scones, but Hue presents their baked treats with another stroke of inspiration – the fluffy scones come in a painter’s box, complete with little sketchbooks and some colouring pencils to complement visitor’s artistic journeys. Diners are also encouraged to create their own Cézanne-inspired still life arrangements by posting their photos on social media. The best artistic photographers can win a brand-new vivo V40 smartphone or dining vouchers for Wooly Pig HK restaurants. A vivo x200 series phone will also be available to borrow at Hue for photos if you’d like to make use of its pioneering camera capabilities. Check out Hue’s Instagram for competition details. The Apples & Orange af

Soho House is bringing the flavours of Greece to town as Roc House Mykonos takes over the 28th floor of Hong Kong’s House for two months. Chef Leyteris Lavdas has created an all-day menu featuring traditional Greek dishes such as Tarama with creamed cod roe, crispy feta cheese with tomato marmalade, and handmade Greek sausages with smoked yoghurt, Mpougiourdi padron peppers, and Mykonian cheese. For mains, choose from pork kebab paired with ginger yoghurt and tomato jam, flat-roasted chicken with charred lemon and Greek yoghurt chives sauce, or the vegetarian option of charcoal aubergine with hummus. As for desserts, go for Portokalopita orange syrup cake or the half-baked cookie to finish on a sweet note. This pop-up restaurant will also offer exclusive Greek wines and cocktails, such as the Roc House Spritz and Emerald Isle – though more traditional palates might prefer the classic Greek ouzo. Members and their guests can drop by the Roc House Mykonos pop-up from January 18 to March 30, from 12 noon to 11pm. Starting on January 18, there will also be a monthly Night Feast, featuring a buffet, DJ sets, and party vibes – the next events after will be on February 15 and March 8. Soho House members can make a reservation by emailing reception.hongkong@sohohouse.com.

The famous Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris have collaborated with the Hong Kong Museum of Art to present this special exhibition on two of the greatest masters of the Impressionist art movement: Paul Cézanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.  This is the first large-scale exhibition of the two Impressionists in Hong Kong, showcasing 52 masterpieces on loan from France. See how the pair found innovative ways to reinvent the art of their time, how they viewed the world, and how they captured the rapidly changing times around them. Cézanne and Renoir were also longtime friends and likely influenced each other’s works, as well as later becoming beacons of inspiration for later painters such as Spanish surrealist master Pablo Picasso. The Cézanne and Renoir exhibition will run from January 17 to May 7. Tickets are priced at $50, with concessions available. Note that the Hong Kong Museum of Art is closed on Thursdays as well as the first two days of Chinese New Year (January 29-30). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Hong Kong (@timeouthk)

The Hong Kong Space Museum is now screening a new 3D dome show at its Space Theatre, immersing viewers into the Arctic wilderness through the year’s seasons, offering intimate glimpses of its wildlife such as polar bear, seals, and walruses, and bringing awareness to the impacts of climate change. Follow walruses as they go through their annual molt during summer, made more difficult by ever-increasing temperatures; young harp seals as they grow from white furry bundles into sleek swimmers; the indigenous Inuit people as they make their increasingly dangerous journeys with sled dogs across the thinning sea ice; and more. Unless you’re the Steve Irwin type, this is probably the closest immersive experience you’ll get to being in an animal documentary. This Arctic 3D show will be screened from January 15 until October 13, at 2pm and 6.30pm on weekdays, and 12.30pm and 5pm on weekends and public holidays. Tickets are priced at $30 for front stalls and $40 for stall seats. There’s lots of time to catch this immersive show, but note that the Hong Kong Space Museum is closed on Tuesdays, unless it falls on a public holiday.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) has announced that it will be hosting seven exhibitions this year under three key themes, one of which is ancient civilisations. Those of us who devoured the Horrible History books as children might be glad to know that one of these special themed exhibitions will be centred around the ancient Egyptian king Tutankhamun. Tentatively titled ‘Tutankhamun and the Secrets of Saqqara’, this exhibition is set to be the largest and most comprehensive collection of treasures from ancient Egypt in Hong Kong in recent decades. Approximately 250 artefacts will be on loan from seven important cultural institutions in Egypt, including the Egyptian Museum and the Luxor Museum.  And what is Saqqara, you ask? Located near Cairo, this is a burial ground for Egyptian royalty and the necropolis for the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis. New archaeological discoveries have been made at the large tombs of Saqqara, and the life of the pharaoh Tutankhamun will be illustrated through statues, coffins, and animal mummies found in this pyramid-dotted village. Having been in preparation since last June, this Tutankhamun exhibition was first held in Shanghai, and the most famous exhibits there will also be shown in Hong Kong. Not many details of this exhibition have been announced yet, but it is set to run from late November to late August, 2026. Keep an eye on our website for more information when we know more.

After much teasing and speculation, BTS member J-Hope has officially announced that he will be embarking on a solo world tour. From February onwards, the rapper-dancer-producer will make his way across Asia and North America – including performing two nights in Macau. The ‘Hope On The Stage’ tour marks his first major event on the cards since J-Hope, real name Jung Hoseok, was discharged from mandatory military service back in October last year. There has been no confirmation yet, but we might well be seeing new music to accompany this world tour. Ticketing details have yet to be announced, but for now, Hong Kong and Macau ARMYs can mark their calendars for May 17 and 18. View this post on Instagram A post shared by jhope (@uarmyhope)

No reality dating show so far has hit the same since The Boyfriend launched on Netflix last summer. Regardless of how you felt about Shun and his rather acerbic and withdrawn personality, we’re sure you still were rooting for him to get together with the sunshine boy Dai. Well, the couple are still happily dating in real life since the Japanese show’s conclusion, and they’ll soon be holding a fan meeting in Hong Kong. Tickets range from $888 to $1,888, and all attendees will receive an official signed poster and a group photo opportunity in increasingly intimate groups according to ticket tiers. Dai and Shun will also personally deliver a signed photo and a $200 lunar new year red packet to each fan. This means everyone will get an opportunity to be up close and personal with the boys regardless of ticket tier. Apart from these, VIP ticketholders will also get sound check access, a hi-touch session, a signed calendar, and other goodies.

South Korean indie rock band Wave to earth is currently on the Asia leg of their world tour after selling out their North American shows, and Hong Kong is part of their schedule. In an industry of heavily produced and commercialised music groups, this three-piece band do all the work themselves, from recording, mixing, and mastering, to their album art, video, and fashion concepts. With a lo-fi, indie sound based on jazz drumming, Wave to earth released their latest album ‘play with earth! 0.03’ last September, which ranked number five on Spotify’s global top debut album chart. If you like a dreamy, evocative atmosphere in your music, then catch them on their one night in Hong Kong. Tickets range from $799 to $1,699, with the more affordable tiers as seated attendance and the rest as standing. The top two ticket tiers can access VIP experiences, such as entry to the pre-show soundcheck, an exclusive merch gift, priority lanes for merch, and a pre-show group photo with the band themselves for the highest VIP ticketholders.

Update, January 24: The date for our giant panda cubs’ first public appearance has finally been confirmed! Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee announced recently that the twins will be ready to meet the public at their Ocean Park home on February 16. The baby pandas’ debut comes just one day after they turn half a year old. There will be a ceremony to unveil the twins and officially welcome them into joining the four other giant pandas who are currently homed in Ocean Park. According to the theme park and animal sanctuary, the two cubs have recently started playing in their enclosure, crawling around in the grass and climbing up onto rocks – hopefully they’ll be equally lively when meeting Hong Kong citizens for the first time! Photograph: Courtesy Ocean Park Hong Kong Ever since our giant panda Ying Ying gave birth to her twin cubs last August, the city has been inundated with panda decorations and everyone has been waiting to catch a glimpse of the baby bears for themselves. Chief executive John Lee announced on Tuesday, January 14, that the two young pandas will be making their public debut next month. So far, the cubs have been living quietly with their mother in Ocean Park. The Hong Kong public has only been able to catch glimpses of them on social media, and during a previous livestream of the pair being fed during their 100-day celebration last September – but we’ll soon be able to view the twins in person. Photograph: Courtesy Ocean Park Hong Kong Both cubs are n

Playing mahjong is an essential part of Chinese New Year for a lot of families, and McDonald’s is releasing a limited-edition mahjong set just in time for the Year of the Snake. Keeping with their recent 50th Hong Kong anniversary celebrations, this special mahjong set will also be a nod to McDonald’s past, featuring old-school characters like the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie, Mayor McCheese, and the Fry Kids. Photograph: Courtesy McDonald's Hong Kong The mahjong tiles feature a translucent bright red back bearing the fast food chain’s iconic golden arches logo. Expect to find the icons on the tiles infused with a good deal of whimsy, featuring glimpses of McDonald’s food and mascots, like googly eyes, packets of fries, and some of their lesser-known (but no less nostalgic) characters. Everything comes encased in a red and gold trunk, again decorated with the characters from McDonaldland. Photograph: Courtesy McDonald's Hong Kong There will only be 1,850 of these special mahjong sets released – and we all remember how wildly popular the Hello Kitty mahjong was, don’t we? – so get ready to snap them up. From 11am on January 23, customers can go through the McDonald’s app to purchase this nostalgic mahjong set for $988 (discounted from its usual retail price of $1,888). Each customer can only buy one mahjong set. What’s more, each purchase will also include five $20 McDonald’s vouchers. Best of luck! Recommended reading: The Chinese New Year fireworks display returns next we

We all know that vocal accents are not created equal. Influenced as we are by popular culture, social stereotypes, and other factors, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t prefer the posh, rounded tones of Benedict Cumberbatch over the rasps of the ‘roadman’ accent. Language learning app Preply has conducted a survey on the most attractive accents to Hongkongers, and the results speak for themselves. The British accent has been voted as the sexiest foreign accent when speaking English, with just under 50 percent of all respondents picking it as their top choice. (They must’ve just been thinking about the BBC received pronunciation (RP) accent, or the Queen’s English from binge-watching The Crown, because have these people heard a Scouser? The Mancunian accent? The Glaswegian accent??) To no one’s surprise, the French accent comes in as the next sexiest among the foreign accents with 31 percent of votes, followed by the American accent with 28.4 percent of votes. What’s most interesting in this survey is that the Hong Kong accent has been ranked the highest among the Asian accents for being the sexiest while speaking English. With 43.1 percent of votes, this puts our local sultry tones firmly in the second spot for the world’s most attractive accents, ahead of other foreign tones like Italian, Japanese, and Korean. There’s a bit of a gender divide when it comes to preferences. While the British and Hong Kong accents were consistently ranked first and second for bot

Does anybody remember the period of chaos after Elon Musk bought Twitter, rebranded it to X, and ‘bird app refugees’ flooded to other text-based platforms like Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon, and even LinkedIn? It looks like the same thing is happening now with a mass exodus from another social media giant. The US Supreme Court passed a legislation last year that required ByteDance, the parent company of popular social media platform TikTok, to sell its US operations to non-Chinese owners or face a national ban. Ahead of the law’s January 19 deadline, its 170 million American users seem to be scrambling to find a new home for their ‘get ready with me’s, hot takes, travel itineraries, food recipes, and memes. Photograph: Jenny Leung / Xiaohongshu Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote or abbreviated as XHS online, is a Chinese social media platform that has rapidly surged to take first place under social networking in the US Apple app store. Often described as Instagram, Pinterest, and Reddit combined, Xiaohongshu is also an e-commerce platform with short video and livestreaming functionalities. Over the past month, XHS users have noticed an influx of American users creating accounts, with hashtags such as #rednote and #TikTokrefugees going viral. For the most part, XHS’ native users have been amused and generally accepting of the newcomers, with some accounts who are bilingual in English and Chinese stepping up to help translate. Chinese users are jokingly introducing themselves to

The Henley Passport Index recently released its global mobility report for 2025, which charts how easily different passports can grant access to other countries without visas. Asia dominated the top three ranks, with Singapore at number one, offering visa-free access to 195 countries; Japan at number two with 193 destinations; and South Korea tied at number three with 192 destinations. Hong Kong comes in a bit lower down the list, at number 18, with visa-free access to 171 destinations worldwide. We are tied at this ranking with passports from Andorra, Brazil, and San Marino. The rest of the top 10 powerful passport rankings are mainly Europe-dominant, along with Australia (sixth place), Canada (seventh place), and the US (ninth place), among others. The UAE is the first Middle Eastern country to ever make it onto the uppermost ranks of Henley’s report, and is one of the furthest climbers on the index over the past decade. Another significant jump comes from China’s passport, which has increased its visa-free tally by 40 destinations and ascended from 94th place in 2015 to 60th in 2025. The Henley Passport Index looks at 199 different passports and cross-references their access to 227 travel destinations across the globe, and has been compiling its annual global passport rankings for 19 years. See below for the top 10 most powerful passports of 2025, and visit the Henley & Partners website for more details. The most powerful passports of 2025: Singapore Japan Finland; France

We’re one step closer to the high-tech life that sci-fi dreams are made of. Autonomous vehicle tech company Pony.ai, which is based in Guangzhou, is looking to launch its robotaxi services in Hong Kong as part of its global expansion plans.  The Hong Kong Airport Authority has recently announced that driverless cars will be in operation within the airport, hopefully by the end of 2026. Pony.ai will bring its sixth-generation fully unmanned robotaxis for airport staff to commute within the airport grounds. They plan to then take this opportunity to gradually extend its services into the urban areas of Hong Kong. Photograph: Courtesy AFP Currently, the company is already operating an autonomous driving shuttle service at Beijing Daxing International Airport, and has been carrying out test drives along the expressway leading in and out of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in preparation for future passenger services. Pony.ai is the first autonomous driving company in China to obtain driverless travel service licenses in the four first-tier cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. The NASDAQ-listed company has not provided a specific time frame for its launch in Hong Kong, but they do join Chinese tech giant Baidu in eyeing up our market. In late November 2024, the artificial intelligence and technology MNC was granted a license to test their Apollo Go Robotaxi service in northern Lantau Island. Apollo Go is already operating in several mainland Chinese cities

According to the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), an intense winter monsoon is expected to reach the southern coast of China tomorrow, which means a temperature plunge for Hong Kong with a rather large temperature difference between day and night.  Thermostats are going to fall appreciably starting from later in the day on Thursday, January 9. The coldest days will be Friday and Saturday, with temperatures hovering around 12 degrees Celsius in urban areas and dropping to approximately seven degrees Celsius in parts of the New Territories. Neighbourhoods in the New Territories such as Tai Po, Sheung Shui, and Ta Kwu Ling might experience single-digit temperatures.  As the monsoon gets replaced by an easterly airstream, temperatures will then start rising slightly early next week, though there’s still a cold weather warning for Sunday, January 12. This warning for the period ranging from Friday to Sunday is the first of 2025, though not for the winter season, as HKO had previously issued its first cold weather warning this winter for December 20, 2024. Keep an eye out for more weather information on the HKO website. Recommended reading: HK Express has been named the world’s fastest-growing airline An old abandoned mine in Robin’s Nest is now an open museum Join a three-day-long tea festival for free at PMQ this January Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news and updates on what's going on in the city.

Leading data platform for the global travel industry OAG has named HK Express as the world’s fastest-growing airline in its 2024 air travel statistics report. According to OAG’s analysis, which measures the growth of flights year-on-year, the Hong Kong-based budget airline has increased its number of flights in 2024 by 46 percent.  Having made just over 35,000 flights in 2024, HK Express expanded its route network and fleet last year. The Cathay Pacific subsidiary airline also hit a milestone when it welcomed its six millionth passenger on New Year’s Eve, awarding six round-trip tickets to a lucky traveller who was on her way to Fukuoka.  Elsewhere in OAG’s aviation report, Hong Kong to Taipei has been named the busiest international route of 2024, with a 48-percent increase in capacity. Shanghai Pudong International Airport is the fastest-growing airport, with seat capacity increasing by almost 10 million seats from the previous year, as well as expansion projects both completed and in the works. See more statistics from OAG on their website. Along with Hong Kong International Airport’s ongoing plans to establish a three-runway system, let’s hope this new year will see us all being able to travel more at budget-friendly prices. Recommended reading: An old abandoned mine in Robin’s Nest is now an open museum Join a three-day-long tea festival for free at PMQ this January World-renowned illusionist Franz Harary extends Hong Kong show to February Follow us on YouTube, Facebook

In the northeastern New Territories, the Robin’s Nest Country Park is home to an old mine that has recently been opened to the public as a museum. Hike along the Lin Ma Hang trail and up approximately 900 steps to find the Lin Ma Hang lead mine, a remnant of Hong Kong’s mining industry that has been hidden for approximately 70 years. Dating back to the 19th century, Lin Ma Hang was once the largest lead mine for galena, sphalerite, and silver in Hong Kong. Beginning with the government’s mining lease in 1925, mining activity in the territories boomed from mid- to late-30s, before this mine ceased operations in the late 50s due to decreases in lead prices. After long years of being quietly reclaimed by nature, the Lin Ma Hang lead mine has now been reinforced and stabilised, and reopened as an open museum dedicated to Hong Kong’s mining history and local biodiversity. Photograph: Courtesy Information Services Department What makes Lin Ma Hang interesting is that in its years of abandonment, the mine has become a sanctuary for bats. According to the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department, the bats recorded living within the caves account for approximately 40 percent of species in Hong Kong. These include the lesser bent-winged bat and the Chinese horseshoe bat. The deserted mine complex comprises five levels and multiple tunnels stretching over 2,100 metres in length, but access to several of these areas are restricted, partially to protect the bats’ roosting sit

2024 has certainly been a busy year for Hong Kong. We saw major sporting events, several popular foods, a good dose of nostalgia for old Hong Kong, and some failed government schemes. Here are some of the topics that you were all interested in, as well as things that were popular enough to be trending worldwide. Photograph: Shutterstock Messi My my, it was certainly a Messi situation. Football legend Lionel Messi was supposed to play a friendly match with Inter Miami CF against Hong Kong’s First Division League stars, so of course, the city was whipped into a frenzy with tickets rapidly selling out. Unfortunately, the Argentine footballer never even made it onto the pitch, citing health reasons. Luis Suárez, who was also widely namedropped in the promotions, was also benched the whole time, and Hong Kong’s football fans were left sorely disappointed. The match organiser, Tatler Asia, ended up having to issue an official apology and issue partial refunds in efforts to quell the public outrage. Photograph: David Gray/AFP Badminton This innocent racquet sport much beloved among East Asian schoolchildren acquired a whole new NSFW meaning this year. In August, sex education teaching materials for Secondary 3 students suggested that instead of giving into sexual urges, students should “play badminton together” instead. So much for teaching about sexual health in a productive and useful way. Needless to say, the whole thing immediately became a laughingstock in Hong Kong, with p

Bhutan Airlines has announced the launch of direct flights between Hong Kong and Paro, the valley town with Bhutan’s only international airport, starting from January 27, 2025. Before this flight route, travellers could not fly directly from Hong Kong to Bhutan, and would have to layover in either Singapore, Kathmandu, Bangkok, or India. There will be 16 fixed-departure flights annually between Paro and Hong Kong, timed to align with peak travel seasons. According to Bhutan’s newspaper Kuensel, tickets prices will be approximately $7,404 for economy class and $9,586 for business class. This direct route means travel time to Paro can be cut down from eight to nine hours to a three- to four-hour flight. Paro International Airport is serviced by Bhutan Airlines and Drukair, but the latter does not offer routes to Hong Kong yet. Bhutan has long been seen as a unique travel destination, with its beautiful scenery, ancient places of worship, and a pervading sense of spirituality, in a corner of the world that often still feels untouched by urban modernity. Hong Kong travellers can soon visit this exclusive and mystical country with much more convenience. Recommended reading: The MTR will run overnight on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve Hong Kong bus fares will increase in the new year Japan’s TruffleBakery just opened its first overseas store in Hong Kong Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news and updates on what

The MTR railway corporation has announced that trains will run overnight on December 24 and 31 to make travel easier for Hongkongers joining festive celebrations. Approximately 2,200 additional train trips will be added to the schedule on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve this year. Eight of the MTR’s major lines will increase their train frequency from 3pm onwards on December 24 and 31, with overnight services provided. Apart from these overnight arrangements, train services will also be gradually enhanced from Friday, December 27, to January 1, 2025. The exceptions to these increased services are the Airport Express, the Disneyland Resort Line, and the railway section between Sheung Shui, Lo Wu, and Lok Ma Chau on the East Rail Line, which will be operating on normal hours. The Hong Kong government has already submitted requests to the mainland authorities regarding the extension of service hours at the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau border checkpoints on New Year’s Eve. There’s a possibility that Lo Wu will operate until 2am, but confirmation details have yet to be announced. Recommended reading: Hong Kong bus fares will increase in the new year Japan’s TruffleBakery just opened its first overseas store in Hong Kong Ride-hailing platform Tada beta launches in Hong Kong Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news and updates on what's going on in the city.