Hong Kong Sunday

Halloween in Lan Kwai Fong is a party like no other in Hong Kong, because it throws one of the biggest Halloween Street Parties in town! Lan Kwai Fong will entertain you with special street performances by the coolest ‘ghost’ and an enormous variety of restaurants and bars that will be filled with scary decorations. So make sure you come and join the fun to enjoy a chilled Halloween night out at Lan Kwai Fong.

Date / Time
30 – 31 Oct
7 pm – 10 pm

Ticketing Details
Free Admission

Enquiry Information
Tel: +852 2523 8010
Website: www.lankwaifong.com

Transport
MTR Central Station Exit D2. Walk along Theatre Lane and up D’Aguilar Street, about a five-minute walk to Lan Kwai Fong

The hands on the clock move ever onwards toward 12. The witching hour will soon be upon us. There are strange shapes in the shadows all around. What is happening? There is a distinctly evil presence and it seems to on moving closer, even closer, The scary noises intensity. What could it be that is marking that horrible noise? What is it? Help! Can anyone hear you scream?? You are alone! There are demons closing in on every side. Ghosts and monsters will be unleashed on the haunted Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui. Be afraid. They are out to get you and thrill you this Halloween.

Date / Time
30 Oct – 31 Oct
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Ticketing Details
Free Admission

Enquiry Information
Tel: +852 3118 3000
Website: www.avenueofstars.com.hk

Transport
MTR East Tsim Sha Tsui Station Exit J, and follow the signs

Madame Tussauds at the Peak is pround to present to you this year’s Halloween theme at “Scream”, featuring Hong Kong’s only permanent asylum for the criminally insane, this terrifically scary feature is filled with horrors that are guaranteed to make you scream! In addition, Halloween themed characters will take photos and play games with visitors. You may also try your luck in the lucky draw for a prize of free Halloween-themed make-up sessions. For great Halloween entertainment head over to Madame Tussauds.

Date / Time
25 Sep – 31 Oct (Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays)
Noon – 9 pm

Ticketing Details
HK$160 per adultTel: +852 2849 6966
HK$90 per concession (child aged between 3-11, senior citizen above 65)

Tickets available at:
1. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong Admission Counter
2. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong Kiosk at Lower Peak Tram Station, Garden Road, Central

Enquiry Information
Tel: +852 2849 6966
Website: www.madame-tussauds.com.hk

Transport
Go to the Peak Tower by taking the Peak Tram from the Lower Peak ram Terminus on Garden Road (bus 15C from the lay-by outside Central Pier 6 or walk from MTR Central Station Exit J2)

A dark force has been strengthening at Hong Kong Disneyland. Nobody knows its origins or intentions, but when it arises mysterious and frightening incidents occur. Expert predict that the dark force is building, but this time on an unparalleled level. Weird events are taking place, clues abound in the form of unknown signs and strange happenings that have been found right here in Hong Kong. These signs and sightings are an ominous warning of an unprecedented Alien Invasion and the epicenter of the attack will be at Tomorrowland, Hong Kong Disneyland. You are urged to stay clam. If you can!

Date / Time
18 Sep – 31 Oct
10:30 am – 8 pm (opening and closing hours will be extended on Friday, Saturday and some selected days.)

Ticketing Details
Various prices. Tickets available at:
1. Hong Kong Disneyland website
2. Hong Kong Disneyland main entrance
3. Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express in MTR Hong Kong Station
4. Designated Circle K convenience stores

Enquiry Information
Tel: +852 1830 830
Website: www.hongkongdisneyland.com 

Transport
MTR Disneyland Resort Station

Hong Kong’s creepiest spirits have risen from their crypts and found their way to Ocean Park this Halloween! Welcome to the Ocean Park Halloween Bash 2009! Come and re-live classic Hong Kong horror stories, with over 400 ghastly ghost sneaking out from under, determined to make a blast! Gear up for the gruesome darkness of “Haunt” Kong and be our bravest guest at the 20 unearthly scary haunt spots where you play your part in a full-blown night of Hong Kong horror! Join Asia’s freakiest annual Halloween paranormal celebration party as the spirits put on parade of spooks! It’s spine chilling! It’s breathtaking!

Date / Time
26-27, 30 Sep;
1-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25, 29-31 Oct;
1 Nov (25 Sep sold out)
5:30 pm – midnight

Ticketing Details / Enquiry
Various prices. Ticket available at:
1. cean Park Halloween Bash website
2. Ocean Park Ticket Offices
3. 7-eleven stores along MTR rail line (except Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Station)

Enquiry Information
Tel: +852 3923 2323
Website: www.halloweenbash.com.hk

Transport
Citybus 629 from MTR Admiralty Station Exit B 

Tian Tan Buddha (simplified Chinese: 天坛大佛; traditional Chinese: 天壇大佛; Mandarin Pinyin: Tiān Tán Dà Fó; Jyutping: tin1 taan4 daai6 fat6), also known as the Big Buddha, is a large bronze statue of a Buddha, completed in 1993, and located at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, in Hong Kong. The statue is located near Po Lin Monastery and symbolises the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion. It is a major centre of Buddhism in Hong Kong, and is also a popular tourist attraction.

The statue is named Tian Tan Buddha because its base is a model of the Altar of Heaven or Earthly Mount of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. It is one of the five large Buddha statues in China. The Buddha statue sits on a lotus throne on top of a three-platform altar. It is surrounded by six smaller bronze statues known as “The Offering of the Six Devas” and are posed offering flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music to the Buddha. These offerings symbolize charity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom, all of which are necessary to enter into nirvana.

The Buddha is 34 metres (110 ft) tall, weighs 250 metric tons (280 short tons), and was the world’s tallest outdoor bronze seated Buddha prior to 2007. It reputedly can even be seen from as far away as Macau on a clear day. Visitors have to climb 268 steps in order to reach the Buddha, though the site also features a small winding road to the Buddha for vehicles to accommodate the handicapped.

The Tian Tan Buddha appears serene and dignified. His right hand is raised, representing the removal of affliction. His left hand rests on his lap in a gesture of giving dhana. The Buddha faces north, which is unique among the great Buddha statues, as all others face south.

In addition, there are 3 floors beneath the Buddha statue: The Hall of Universe, The Hall of Benevolent Merit, and The Hall of Remembrance. One of the most renowned features inside is a relic of Gautama Buddha, consisting of some of his alleged cremated remains. There is a huge carved bell inscribed with images of Buddhas in the show room. It was designed to ring every seven minutes, 108 times a day, symbolising the release of 108 kinds of human vexations.

History

The Tian Tan Buddha was constructed beginning in 1990, and was finished on December 29, 1993, the birthday of Gautama Buddha, the historic Buddha. The statue was formed out of 202 separate pieces of bronze. In addition to the exterior components, there is a strong steel framework inside the statue to support the heavy load and wind pressure. The construction costs of the giant Buddha were estimated to be up to $68 million.

When the statue was completed, monks from around the world were invited to the opening ceremony. Distinguished visitors from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the United States all took part in the proceedings.

On October 18, 1999, the Hong Kong Post Office issued a stamp depicting the Tian Tan Buddha. The MTR corporation has also issued a tourist souvenir ticket featuring a photograph of the statue.

Visiting and access

Po Lin Monastery and the Buddha are open to the public between 10:00 and 17:45. Access to the Buddha is free of charge.

Visitors may also see the nearby monastery, known as the “Buddhist Kingdom in the South,” which serves as an international Buddhist retreat, and is one of the largest and most well known in Hong Kong. The monastery was built by three Zen masters in 1920. The main temples have painted vermilion interiors with dragons and many other different Chinese mythical figures on the walls and ceilings. Visitors often spend time in the attached tea garden, the only tea garden in the territory. A five minute walk past the tea garden leads to the “Wisdom Path” – a very large wooden inscription of the Heart Sutra set within a figure 8 to symbolise infinity.

One of the main attractions of this Buddha statue is climbing 268 steps and circling the platform (the lotus) where the Buddha sits.

Also nearby is Lantau Peak, the second highest mountain in Hong Kong.

Bauhinia × blakeana (Chinese: 洋紫荊) is an evergreen tree, in the genus Bauhinia, with large thick leaves and striking purplish red flowers. The fragrant, orchid-like flowers are usually 10-15 cm across, and bloom from early November to the end of March. Although now cultivated in many areas, it originated in Hong Kong in 1880 and apparently all of the cultivated trees derive from one cultivated at the Hong Kong Botanic Gardens and widely planted in Hong Kong starting in 1914. It is referred to as bauhinia in non-scientific literature though this is the name of the genus. It is sometimes called Hong Kong orchid tree (香港蘭).

The Bauhinia double-lobed leaf is similar in shape to a heart, or a butterfly. A typical leaf is 7-10 cm long and 10-13 cm broad, with a deep cleft dividing the apex. Local people call the leaf “clever leaf” (聰明葉), and regard it as a symbol of cleverness. Some people use the leaves to make bookmarks in the hope that the bookmarks will bring them good luck in their studies.

It is sterile (does not produce seed), and is a hybrid between Bauhinia variegata and Bauhinia purpurea. Propagation is by cuttings and air-layering, and the tree prefers a sheltered sunny position with good soil. As it is only known in cultivation, it can also be named as a cultivar: Bauhinia ‘Blakeana’.

Bauhinia blakeana was adopted as the floral emblem of Hong Kong by the Urban Council in 1965. Since 1997 the flower appears on Hong Kong’s coat of arm, its flag and its coins; its Chinese name has also been frequently shortened as 紫荊 (洋 means “foreign” in Chinese, and some may consider this would be deemed inappropriate by the PRC government), although 紫荊 refers to another genus called Cercis. A statue of the plant has been erected in Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong.

Although the flowers are bright pinkish purple in colour, they are depicted in white on the Flag of Hong Kong.

The endemic plant of Hong Kong was introduced to Taiwan in 1967. In 1984 it was chosen to be the city flower of Chiayi City, in southwestern Taiwan.

Hong Kong Time (abbreviation: HKT ; traditional Chinese: 香港時間) is the time in Hong Kong. The time is UTC+8 all year round. Owing to the longitude in which Hong Kong is located, HKT is in the same time zone as used by the time standards in the rest of the People’s Republic of China – Chinese Standard Time (also known as Beijing Time or Beijing Standard Time), and Macau Standard Time in Macau. It also shares the same time zone as Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Central Indonesia and West Australia.

From 1941 to 1979, Hong Kong adopted daylight saving measures, but in 1980 the government found these unnecessary as Hong Kong is at a relatively low latitude, and decided to eliminate the practice.

Greenwich Mean Time was adopted as the basis in 1904, and UTC was adopted as a standard in 1972. Before that, local time was determined by astronomical observations at the Hong Kong Observatory using a 6-inch Lee Equatorial and a 3-inch Transit Circle.

A Symphony of Lights (Traditional Chinese: 幻彩詠香江) is a synchronised building exterior decorative light and laser multimedia display, featuring 44 buildings on both sides of the Victoria Harbour of Hong Kong accompanied by symphonic music. The technology was developed by Australian firm Laservision and cost approximately 44 million HK dollars. It has attracted over 4 million visitors and locals so far. Guinness World Records has named A Symphony of Lights the world’s largest permanent light and sound show.

Background

Organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Displayed every night with good weather at 8pm Hong Kong Time, the show is an orchestration of music, decoration lights, laser light displays, and pyrotechnic fireworks. The multimedia light and sound show lasts for about 14 minutes.

The best vantage points include the “Avenue of Stars” on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, on the waterfront promenade outside the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai and on sightseeing ferries (i.e. Star Ferry) running across the Victoria Harbour. The Show’s music and narration live at the “Avenue of Stars” and the promenade outside the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai every night. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the narration is in English, while it is in Mandarin on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and Cantonese on Sundays.

Special pyrotechnic fireworks will be added to the show on the rooftop of participating buildings on both sides of the habour or stages off at the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. It will be added on special events or holidays, example like Chinese New Year and Christmas.

When Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No.3 or above or Red/Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is issued by the Hong Kong Observatory at or after 3pm on the Show day, the Show will be suspended. No show will be staged even if the Signal is removed before 8pm on that day. The show may also be suspended in emergencies without prior notice.

Themes

The Show comprises five major themes, taking spectators on a unique journey celebrating the energy, spirit and diversity of Hong Kong:

The first scene “Awakening” begins with flashes of laser lights that give life to a nucleus of light-energy which gradually illuminates participating buildings using an array of dancing lights and rainbow colour. This scene symbolises the genesis and powerful growth of Hong Kong.

The second scene “Energy” is represented by the display of rising colour patterns and the sweeping of the lasers and searchlights energetically across the night sky, signifying the vibrant energy of Hong Kong.

In the third scene “Heritage”, traditional lucky red and gold colours are displayed across buildings on both sides of the Harbour, complemented by the introduction of music using Chinese musical instruments, symbolising Hong Kong’s colourful heritage and rich cultural traditions.

The fourth scene “Partnership” features a display of laser beams and sweeping searchlights scanning across the Harbour, representing an illuminated connection with the opposite side. Beams reach out to symbolically connect the two sides of the Harbour into one greater and unified partnership.

The finale “Celebration” brings out a powerful rhythmic display of swirling, kaleidoscopic patterns of lights and beams dancing lively across the Harbour. The exciting final scene signifies the celebration of the close partnership between the two sides of the Harbour and represents an even brighter future for Asia’s world city – Hong Kong.