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1. Chinese New Year
Hong Kong's most celebrated festival is a riot of neon and noise. Skyscrapers on both sides of the harbour are lit up to varying degrees depending on the vicissitudes of the economy, fireworks explode over the harbour, shops shut down and doormen suddenly turn nice, hoping for a handout of lai see (lucky money).
- Three days from the first day of the first moon, usually late Jan or early Feb
2. Spring Lantern (Yuen Siu) Festival
Also known as Chinese Valentine's Day, this festival marks the end of the traditional Lunar New Year celebrations. Canoodling couples take to the parks under the gentle glow of lanterns and peeping Tom arrests surge.
- The 15th day of the lunar calendar (end Feb)
3. Tin Hau Festival
This is the big one if you make your living from the sea. Fishermen make floral paper offerings to Tin Hau, the goddess of the sea, hoping for fine weather and full nets. (Her views on overfishing and dragnetting aren't clear.) Try the temples at Stanley, Joss House Bay or Tin Hau Temple Road.
- The 23rd day of the 3rd moon (Apr)
4. Cheung Chau Bun Festival
Talk about a bunfight. Young men used to scale 8-m (26-ft) towers covered in buns until in the 1970s they started falling off and the practice was banned. They still erect the odd bun edifice.
- The 6th day of 4th moon (May), Cheung Chau
5. Ching Ming
Also known as the grave-sweeping festival, ching ming literally means "clear and bright". Chinese families visit the graves of their ancestors to burn "Hell money", which resembles Monopoly money.
- First week of Apr
6. Dragon Boat (Tuen Ng) Festival
Drums thunder and paddles churn the less-than-pristine waters of Hong Kong as garish craft vie for top honours. The festival commemorates Qu Yuan, a 3rd-century poet-statesman who drowned himself to protest against corrupt rulers.
- The 5th day of the 5th moon (early June), various venues
7. Hungry Ghost (Yue Laan) Festival
From the first day of the seventh moon, Chinese believe the gates of hell are thrown open and the undead run riot on earth for a month. Lots more "Hell money" goes up in smoke, as do various hillsides. Not a good time for hiking.
- Roughly Jul, various locations
8. Mid-Autumn Festival
One of the most picturesque of Hong Kong's festivals. Families brave the most appalling traffic jams to venture out into the country parks to burn candles and feast on yolk-centred mooncakes. Unfortunately, the intricate paper lanterns have increasingly been supplanted by glowing, blow-up Hello Kitty, Doraemon and PokÉmon dolls.
- The 15th night of the 8th moon (Aug); try Victoria Park
9. Chung Yeung Festival
Put on your hiking boots. This festival commemorates a Han Dynasty scholar who took his family up a hill and came back to find the rest of his village murdered.
- The 9th evening of the 9th moon (usually mid- to late Oct); visit any hilltop
