Breathe a long, cool sigh of relief – Hong Kong’s long, hot summer is finally over. October has arrived and with it comes cooler days and a plethora of new things to see, eat and do. It’s a great time to head outside to explore some of Hong Kong’s best hikes and camping spots – and of course, there are Halloween celebrations to look forward to. To help you make the most of your time, we put together a list of the best things to do in Hong Kong this October.
Have a Spooky Halloween
There’s no shortage of ghoulish events to attend for Halloween in Hong Kong this year. Ocean Park’s Halloween Fest has been a fixture of the city’s Halloween celebrations for the last 20 years – and to mark the anniversary, they’re presenting ‘20 Years of Horror’ – an exhibition of two decades’ worth of spooky costumes. You can also unravel murder mysteries set in old Hong Kong, embark on treasure hunts or attend the Wedding of the Undead. Over on Lantau, Hong Kong Hong Kong Disneyland is hosting ghostly events – including a spooky street parade and the Let’s Get Wicked musical – where Disney’s greatest villains finally get their time in the spotlight.
Visit Central Market
If you haven’t yet visited the newly opened Central Market, now is the perfect time to do so. The initial crowds have started to subside, bars and restaurants have seats available, and the venue’s events are starting to pick up. Grab breakfast at artisan coffee shop I-O-N then enjoy the Story of Central Market and Designing Central exhibitions, which follow the development of the market and surrounding neighbourhood over the years. There’s a regularly updated schedule of workshops, live music events and outdoor shows – check the site for more.
Take a Hike, At Last
Thanks to the increasingly cool (by Hong Kong standards) climate, October is the perfect month to head outside and take advantage of Hong Kong’s many hiking trails. For an all-day event, head to one of the lesser-visited outlying islands such as Po Toi or Tung Lung Chau, both of which offer less crowded trails. For a more family-friendly option head to Kowloon’s Kam Shan Country Park, better known as Monkey Hill. The troops of rhesus macaques are endlessly entertaining to watch – but take care not to feed them or wave your snacks around, as these mischievous monkeys are notoriously light-fingered.
Check Out Veggie ‘Chicken’ Creations
Tindle’s plant-based ‘chicken’ claims to recreate all the things you love about the bird – while using less land, water and CO2 than the real thing. This month they’ve partnered with 10 bars and restaurants across Hong Kong, challenging them to create unique bar bites and booze pairings. A couple of our favourites: Acquasala will be serving up a Tindle Pizzaiola paired with a mojito or orange lemonade and Poem will be offering their Indonesian-style Tindle Rica Rica Bao paired with their signature cocktail, Passion on the 5th. Don’t miss your chance to try these delicious, one-off dishes.
Take in New Exhibitions
Head to Ora-Ora’s new gallery space in Tai Kwun this October for Living with Botero, a unique kind of solo show from Fernando Botero. The Colombian artist’s exaggerated, rotund figures are a whimsical delight, and the gallery itself has been designed to mirror his New York apartment – with walls hung with never-before-seen-in-Hong Kong drawings and paintings, most of which are his personal favourites.
Hauser & Wirth’s two new exhibitions this month span artists working in unexpected media. On the lower floor, Drawing on the Mind, curated by Zhang Enli, showcases sketches and studies by contemporary masters including Pablo Picasso and Louise Bourgeois, offering a glimpse into the creative process. Upstairs, Henry Moore is best known as a creator of large-scale bronze sculptures – but he also worked in tapestry, and you can see five of them in the Tapestries exhibit, on show for the first time in Asia.
In a similar – but more modern – vein, Hong Kong artist Michael Lau is best known as the man who took vinyl toys from kids’ playthings to hypebeast collectables. But he’s also a painter and sculptor. Woaw Gallery’s MAXX HEADROOM exhibition charts the 22-year evolution of his comic series Gardener and its hero Maxx, from his very first sketches to his most recent paintings.
Cheer on the Runners of the Hong Kong Marathon
It was postponed from January, but the Hong Kong Marathon is finally going ahead. Show your support for the athletes as they make their way around Hong Kong on 24 October. Runners line up on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui for a 6am start and follow the West Kowloon Highway to Ting Kau, before heading back via Stonecutters Bridge, through the Western Harbour Tunnel and finally along the Connaught Road West Flyover and Hennessy Road, before ending in Victoria Park. Grab a spot along the route and cheer on the competitors as they race to the finish.
