Cat lovers in the New Territories will not have to wait for December to get into the Christmas mood this year. From 7 November, MOSTown in Ma On Shan is turning its L2 atrium into a small European-style village, decorated with 2-metre Christmas trees, vintage street lamps and strings of warm lights that come on in the evening.
Cats are the theme throughout, and the project was created with House of Joy & Mercy, a Hong Kong animal charity hoping to rehome 10 of its cats.
The main attraction sits in the round plaza at the heart of the village. Measuring 8 metres from head to tail, the cat lies on its back in a tartan cape with its pink paw pads in the air. It also moves: when people come close, it gently shakes its head and its ears twitch with the sound.
What visitors can do:
- Photograph the giant cat: Free to visit and the obvious spot for a family picture.
- Brush the cat: On weekends and public holidays, visitors can groom the giant cat with a special comb and leave with an embroidered cat patch.
- Visit the cat hotel: The 6-metre-tall building has green walls, a red roof and a 1.2-metre butler cat in a tailcoat standing by a gold luggage trolley.
- Wait for the cat clock: Every 30 minutes, a window at the top of the clock tower opens and a cat wearing a red bow appears, making a heart sign.
- Take the cat MBTI quiz: A wall behind the hotel matches personality types with cartoon versions of the 10 adoptable cats, with QR codes linking to each one’s profile.
- Make a magnet: A machine prints a photo of you and your pet as a fridge magnet. Those without a pet can pick one of the 10 shelter cats instead.
- Play the feeding game: Players throw the right treats to win over a fussy cat, and high scorers get a folder.
- Join a cat toy workshop: On 28 November and 12 December, sessions from 3pm to 4pm and 4pm to 5pm show participants how to make a cat teaser or a fish-shaped toy from donated second-hand clothes.
Photo spots are free and open from 10am to 10pm daily. The games and the brushing run from 2pm to 6pm on weekdays and from 12pm to 8pm on weekends and public holidays, while the workshops and interactive areas require a same-day spend at the mall. The village is in the L2 atrium, close to Exit B of Ma On Shan MTR Station.
Under the clock tower, a small gallery shows playful cat paintings until 5 December. From 6 December, it switches to the winning designs of a Christmas pet fashion contest by students of the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, along with studio portraits of the shelter cats wearing them.
House of Joy & Mercy was set up in 2015 and runs 3 shelters with more than 300 animals, including dogs, goats, tortoises and emus as well as cats. Its work covers rescues, free vet care and neutering, adoption days and education.
Header Image Credit: Mostown