The International Chinese New Year Night Parade & Float Display will be held for the first time in five years to usher in the Year of the Dragon. The parade will take place on the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui on February 10, 2024, after which the floats will be on display from February 11-25.
The parade and float display — one of the biggest events on the city’s Lunar New Year calendar — was last held in 2019. The 2020 edition was replaced with a four-day night carnival at West Kowloon Cultural District, and the event was not from 2021-2023 because of the city’s anti-Covid regulations that prevented large-scale gatherings.
The parade is traditionally held on the first day of the Chinese New Year, and the floats used during the event are kept on display for the following two weeks. As with previous editions, there will be a pre-procession party from 6pm onwards on the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui on February 10, during which performers will wow spectators with their skills in the run-up to the parade.
The parade will begin at 8pm at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, then proceed along Canton Road, Haiphong Road, Nathan Road, and Salisbury Road, and end outside Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel and Towers by 9.45pm. The floats used in the parade will be on view at the Urban Council Centenary Garden from February 11-25.
Several iconic Hong Kong events have made their post-pandemic return this year, such as the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance in September for Mid-Autumn Festival, and the National Day Fireworks on October 1. The city’s iconic New Year’s Eve fireworks show and Lunar New Year pyrotechnics display (traditionally held on the second day of the Chinese New Year) will also be staged again after five years.
Header image credits: Hong Kong Tourism Board, Michael Elleray via WikiCommons