Your Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide
For many people around the world, it doesn’t feel like Christmas until there is snow on the ground. But don’t let the palm trees and mild climate fool you – Christmas is coming in Hong Kong and there is lots to do to prepare for this sometimes chaotic but always wondrous holiday. We can’t help you baste the turkey or put up the tree, but we can be of assistance when it comes to that perennial question: what do I get my husband/sister/mum/friend this year?
Why not go a different route and eschew the boring socks and ties (your dad has enough of them, trust us) and add a unique touch with Hong Kong-themed gifts? If you’re going home for the holidays, presents with a Hong Kong flair are a great way to share a taste of your home with friends and family.
Even if you’re staying in town this season, you will no doubt be attending a few yuletide dinners. Gifting your host some distinctive glassware by a Hong Kong designer or handing over a bottle of locally-produced wine is a nice alternative to the Marks & Spencer holiday food basket you’ll inevitably pick up en route to the party. Take a peek at these and more great gift ideas in our Hong Kong Holiday Gift Guide for 2015. (All prices in HK$).
Thinq Hong Kong has you covered with adorable gifts for kids and adults, each one uniquely Hong Kong. Their stainless steel ornaments in classic Hong Kong images come in a pack of three and double as bookmarks. Your family will get a kick out of having a silver basket of dim sum dangling from the Christmas tree branches ($150).
Kids can learn a bit about Hong Kong and play at the same time with Dragons and Ladders, a special Hong Kong edition of the beloved Snakes and Ladders game. The playing pieces come in the form of a red taxi, tram, Star Ferry, lion dancer or junk, and the game board is comprised of a map of Hong Kong featuring various local images. An accompanying booklet describes the pictures as they whiz around the board ($150).
If your child enjoys puzzle models, these 3D puzzles of Hong Kong transport will delight, complete with rubber wheels to race their completed creations around. There is no need for scissors or glue to assemble a Hong Kong mini bus or taxi covering all areas of the city –in blue, green and red ($80).
More puzzles, this time from the creative minds at local Lion Rock Press. The Ah Ming & Friends Hong Kong Puzzle consists of three puzzles of 12, 16 and 28 pieces of Ah Ming and his friends doing quintessentially Hong Kong things like having dim sum or sailing across the harbour. Each puzzle has a different colour on the reverse so the pieces don’t get mixed up ($120).
They also make HK-themed Christmas tree decorations, these ones hand-painted versions of city transport with a pretty red ribbon for hanging ($350 for a set of four). The glittery My HK Heart ornament features a carved-out city skyline in a heart-shaped motif ($85).
Inspire your children to develop their building skills and be creative with Unit Bricks. Using sustainably grown wood and produced with the kindest earth friendly processes, Unit Bricks will spark imaginations and enable children to develop their understanding of construction, mathematics, weight, gravity and more. Sets range in price from $348 right up to over $3,000 and are available to buy online here.
A novelty gift idea for those who love their noodles, Homeless offers a ceramic Noodle Cup for sale that has a retro feel and can be used again and again, unlike those flimsy polystyrene containers we’re so used to ($135).
This gift idea is especially handy for newly arrived expat families, whose children are learning to use chopsticks. Homeless has Chopstick Kids, fun silicone rubber hinges which make wielding chopsticks easier for little hands. When they get the hang of it eventually, the chopsticks can be removed from the hinges and used on their own. Each set comes in a sleek box for easy wrapping ($85).
And for the adults, forget the cheap, disposable kind you encounter at the markets and for a nice gift that will actually get used, pick up these bamboo chopsticks from Hong Kong-based brand Bamboa. Buy them in several attractive designs and feel good doing so: their products are made from locally harvested bamboo produced by communities across Asia, and they donate partial sale proceeds to environmental projects ($180).
If you have new babies to buy for this year, what could be better than these cute personalised onesies by Wee Birdy. Available on Sooq Central and priced at $230 they are also perfect to send to family and friends overseas. We also love these adorable Christmas themed vests from Baby Hero, where each purchase will also see a neonatal and maternal health pack donated to rural communities in India. $195 and available to buy here.
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