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SCMP Reporter

Christmas may have come and gone but 2025 is just around the corner. Why wait until January 1 when you can start celebrating the new year in Hong Kong this weekend?
Here are five ideas for you to consider.
1. AIA Carnival
The annual funfair is back. Contained within the 36,000 square metres (388,000 square feet) of the Central Harbourfront is everything you need to tap into your inner child, from carnival games and thrilling rides to selfie installations and roving performers.
There are jaw-dropping circus acts, as well as an astonishing array of soft toys to be won.

This year, the attractions include 28 rides, 30 games, a community stage and the World Circus – produced by the 150-year-old Gandeys Circus from the UK.
The reaction from carnival-goers this holiday season has been positive.
“As soon as they walk in, they let go of whatever it is in life that’s maybe troubling them. They come in here, and they know that they’re in a safe place where they’re going to be entertained and they’re going to have fun together,” says Michael Denmark, whose company, Great Entertainment Group, organises the carnival.
“It’s an emotional, loving connection that everybody has here.”
AIA Carnival, Central Harbourfront, until February 16, 2025.
2. A fond farewell to Ying Fat Cafe
After the closure of Hung Wan Cafe in Prince Edward just before Christmas, another old cha chaan teng will serve its final meals on December 31.
Ying Fat, established in Kwun Tong in 1972, is a favourite in the neighbourhood for its freshly baked pastries – egg tarts, pineapple buns, cocktail buns – as well as its French toast.












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A post shared by 上海榮華川菜館 (@shwingwah)



Being in an industrial district such as Kwun Tong, Ying Fat has long been serving workers in the area from early morning until evening; its signature dish of braised spaghetti is pure comfort food.
16 Fu Yan Street, Kwun Tong
3. Squid Game season 2


As seismic cultural events go, Hwang Dong-hyuk’s death game spectacle Squid Game (2021) was something special, blowing past everything else on the Richter scale.
Three years later, the record-obliterating Netflix show is back for another round of Korean childhood games with a gruesome twist.
Squid Game season 2 features more recognisable names in its cast and it reportedly boasts a vastly higher budget than its predecessor, yet this new set of episodes is also richer and more cohesive than what came before, without ever betraying the roots of where it came from.

The first Squid Game season ended with Lee Jung-jae’s Seong Gi-hun, or Player #456, bitterly triumphing against 455 competitors and claiming the 45.6 billion won prize.
This raised several problems in creating a sequel. Most of the characters – many of them fan favourites – perished in the games, and given the traumatic experience Gi-hun has undergone and his payday, who would expect him to return?
Remarkably, the show manages to replicate the first season’s trajectory, bringing us through the same alleys and subway platforms, and reacquainting us with the feelings of desperation that originally primed us for the carnage. Read our full review
Squid Game 2 is streaming on Netflix.

4. Vegan cooking class at Olive Leaf
With January – also known as Veganuary, to encourage people to give up meat, dairy and other animal products for the month – just days away, there is no better time to take a vegan Mediterranean cooking class.
Israeli chef Ayelet Idan will share her recipes and techniques at private kitchen Olive Leaf in Pak Kok village on Lamma Island in a class on Sunday, December 29.
It includes a welcome snack and drink – hibiscus cold tea, dates and nuts, Turkish coffee, tea, a glass of sparkling wine – as well as lunch, which you will learn to cook and may have a hand in making.

Idan will teach how to prepare items such as date cookies with orange blossom; flatbread; coarse hummus with chilli sauce; cauliflower, lentil and pomegranate salad; and stuffed cabbage.
The cost is HK$800 per person. If you have questions, or to book your spot, contact Idan on Whatsapp on +852 9723 0459. See the Olive Leaf Facebook page for more details.
To get to Pak Kok in time for the class, Idan suggests taking the 11.15 ferry from Aberdeen, which takes 20 minutes.
After the leisurely class, you can take a ferry back at 3.50pm.
5. Ravipa at K11 Musea
Lisa of K-pop group Blackpink is said to be a fan of Thai jewellery brand Ravipa, which opened in K11 Musea this month. Its Reminder Collection, Golden Twine, is now available there.
The collection features seven themed designs inspired by gods and goddesses – Ganesha, Naga, Vessavana, Lakshmi, Krishna, Brahma and Trishakti – each symbolising unique blessings, from success, love, luck, wealth, wisdom to protection.
Opening Hours: Daily 10am-10pm. K11 MUSEA, 18 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui.
Find this useful? Look out for our recommendations every Friday online.
Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.


5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, December 27-29, including carnival

Hong Kong’s AIA Carnival and the super fans whose love of games goes to the next level

Where a plant-based chef eats in Hong Kong, from fun burgers to ‘pure nostalgia’ snacks

11 new Hong Kong restaurants for January 2025 from Korean barbecue to Chiu Chow and Basque

What to do in Hong Kong

People enjoy a ride at the AIA Carnival on the Central Harbourfront Event Space, one of our picks of the best things to do in Hong Kong on the weekend of December 27-29, 2024. Photo: Elson Li

People enjoy a ride at the AIA Carnival at the Central Harbourfront Event Space. Photo: Elson Li

Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game season 2. Photo: No Ju-han/Netflix

A vegan cooking class at private kitchen Olive Leaf on Lamma Island on Sunday will feature this cauliflower, lentil and pomegranate salad and several more Mediterranean dishes. Photo: www.instagram.com/oliveleafhk

Chef Ayelet Idan will share her recipes. Photo: Jonathan Wong

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The AIA Carnival is back, a beloved cafe closes, you can learn about vegan cooking and there’s some Thai jewellery to shop – Lisa’s a fan


The AIA Carnival is back, a beloved cafe closes, you can learn about vegan cooking and there’s some Thai jewellery to shop – Lisa’s a fan.
