Top Reasons Why You Should Visit Hong Kong in January 2019

Hong Kong Travel

Is January a good month to visit Hong Kong? It’s the driest month of the year with the fewest rainy days, making it great for sightseeing and outdoor activities. But serious cold snaps are also common. Here’s a quick guide to January weather and scheduled activities.

News Flash!

Home? is an interactive exhibition inviting the public to answer what “home” means to them.  It is being held at various venues around Hong Kong this month.

Home? is the first outdoor multimedia exhibition of the 2nd Edition of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s New Arts Power by GayBird, a renowned Hong Kong multimedia artist and composer.

The installation will be presented in either a crowded, concentrated, or structured setting at each location.

Year of the Pig

In celebration of the upcoming Year of the Pig, the Home? installation in Central is featuring a 1.8m-tall giant pig with a face of mirror reflecting the identity of the audience themselves, leading to an open discussion around the concept of home.

You are invited to upload a photo of yourself or a selfie taken at the pig installations to  Facebook or Instagram with the following hashtags:

• #JCNewArtsPower
• #HomebyGayBird2019,

Set the post as public. The deadline is 11.59 pm, 23 January.

At Central Pier No. 9 on Hong Kong Island until 22 January. At Russell Street in Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island from 16 to 18 January.

Hong Kong Art Book Fair

The first ever “Booked: Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Hong Kong Art Book Fair” will be held this month in Hong Kong., organizers have just announced.

The three-day event will provide a platform for art book publishers and artists from Asia, Europe, and North America to display and sell a diverse range of art books, such as photography books, art albums, art historical and theoretical texts, zines, and artists’ books.

Talks, workshops, displays, and musical performances will also take place.

“Booked: Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Hong Kong Art Book Fair” will present a wide range of art books for the public to enjoy and to use as resources for learning and research,” says Tobias Berger, Head of Arts at Tai Kwun.

“This will be the first time in Hong Kong for approximately 60 art publishers and artists from Asia, Europe, North America, as well as Hong Kong to attend such a book fair.”

Artists’ Book Library

Some of the books on  display will be from the Artists’ Book Library at Tai Kwun (pictured above).

“As a new international art book fair, ‘Booked: Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Hong Kong Art Book Fair’ underscores Tai Kwun Contemporary’s dedication to presenting contemporary art programmes in support of Hong Kong’s expanding art ecosystem,” Tobias says.

“We are delighted to help ignite the public’s interest and appreciation for artists’ books while providing a strong platform for local, regional and international artists and designers who use books as a medium of artistic expression. With this first edition of the fair, we invite everyone in Hong Kong to come and engage with these distinctive works of art as a source of learning and enjoyment.”

At Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts in SoHo near Central on Hong Kong Island. From 11 to 13 January.

Other Things to Do in Hong Kong in January 2019

From sporting events to cultural activities, January offers a full schedule of both indoor and outdoor things to do. Here’s a roundup of that’s in store in January this year …

AIA Carnival

With amusement park rides, carnival games, quick bites, and the Great Circus of Europe, which features the world’s strongest man, the rubber man, a cloud swing, the London Showgirls, and more, the AIA Carnival draws massive crowds during its 66-day run, which began on 14 December.

On the waterfront in Central on Hong Kong Island. Runs through 17 February 2019.

• Click here for photos and more information: AIA Carnival/Facebook/ATWHK

The Dragon and the Eagle

With artifacts borrowed from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Harvard Business School, and other prestigious institutions, The Dragon and the Eagle: American Traders in China, A Century of Trade from 1784 to 1900, explores the history of Sino-American trade in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

At the Hong Kong Maritime Museum on the waterfront in Central on Hong Kong Island. Runs through 14 April 2019.

• Click here for photos and more information: the Dragon and the Eagle

Gilded Glory

With approximately 120 exhibits on loan from the Guangdong Museum, Gilded Glory: Chaozhou Woodcarving showcases the artistry and practical usage of wooden objects produced in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong province.

At the Hong Kong Museum of History in Kowloon. Runs through 25 February 2019.

Salute to Kwan Kung

An exhibition paying tribute to Kwan Kung, a.k.a. General Kwan Yu, a major symbol of loyalty and righteousness in Hong Kong.

At Tai Kwun in Central on Hong Kong Island. Runs through 27 January 2019.

Hong Kong Streetathon

A food themed marathon running through the gentrifying streets of East Kowloon. The full marathon is 8 kilometres; the half marathon is half that. There will be food booths along the route and at the food carnival.

Starts in Kwuntong on the Kowloon Peninsula. From 5.40 am to 2.30 pm on 13 January.

Momma Mia!

Back by popular demand, that long-standing musical hit Momma Mia! returns to Hong Kong for an 11 day run.

At the Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Admiralty, Hong Kong Island. From 16 through 27 January.

Hong Kong 100 Ultra Trail Race

An ultra-endurance race will challenge running enthusiasts along a 100-kilometre stretch of the MacLehoise Trail.

From Saikung to Tai Mo Shan in the New Territories. On 19 and 20 January.

UCI Track Cycling World Cup

More than 300 track cyclists from 36 countries will compete in the season finale of the 2018/19 UCI Track Cycling World Cup. Competitors will compete not only for medals, but also for the chance to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

At the Hong Kong Velodrome in Tseung Kwan O in the New Territories from 25 to 27 January.

Year-round Hong Kong Attractions

Some of the most popular Hong Kong points of interest can be visited year round. This is what will make them special in January 2019 …

Hong Kong Disneyland

In celebration of the upcoming Year of the Pig, the Three Little Pigs will greet park goers during the months of January and February at Hong Kong Disneyland. Chinese New Year’s Day will fall on 5 February this year.

On Lantau Island in the New Territories.

Ocean Park

If you are a Hong Kong resident born in the month of January, you can enjoy one  free visit to Ocean Park during the week you were born in. You will receive a special birthday badge entitling you to birthday greetings throughout the park and other benefits.

At Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island.

The Peak

With clear skies much of the time, January is a great time to visit The Peak. Take The Peak Tram from the Lower Terminus on Garden Road in Central. Go shopping, have something to eat, and take a walk along the 3.5-kilometre Peak Circle Walk. You will witness breathtaking views of mountainous terrain, stunning seascapes,  spectacular Victoria Harbour, and the Kowloon Peninsula.

From Central to The Peak on Hong Kong Island. Best to avoid Sundays and holidays.

Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade

Cool temps make it a great time to walk along the Kowloon waterfront from the Star Ferry to Hong Hum for amazing views of Victoria Harbour and picture-postcard views of the  skyline on Hong Kong Island.

On the waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon Peninsula. Any time day or night.

Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival

A special winter edition of the Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival features more colour than usual with additional ambient lighting effects and pyrotechnic effects from the rooftops of some of the buildings on specific nights.

Best viewed at Bauhinia Square in Wanchai on Hong Kong Island, along the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade on the Kowloon Peninsula, or on board  a tour boat cruising through Victoria Harbour.

Country Parks

Hong Kong is often thought of as a concrete jungle, but despite its reputation as being one of the world’s most densely populated cities, it also has a surprising amount of protected parkland. This parkland, which accounts for roughly one-half of Hong Kong’s landmass, is crisscrossed with well-maintained hiking trails. Low temps and low humidity make January a good time to explore this road less traveled.

On Hong Kong Island and the New Territories.

• If you are planning a trip to Hong Kong, please search for your hotel room at TripAdvisor/Hong Kong/hotels. I will get a small commission to help  maintain this site at no extra cost to you.

Hong Kong Weather in January

Hong Kong is famous for its long hot summers, which are extremely hot and humid, with lots of rain, frequent thunderstorms, and occasional typhoons. Summer runs from late May through mid-September in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s winters, however, are relatively pleasant, with little rainfall, relatively low humidity, and generally mild temps.

There are, however, occasional cold snaps, sending the temperature plunging below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Urban Areas – and even colder in the New Territories.

The coldest month of the year in Hong Kong is January, with an average high of 19 degrees Celsius, or 66 degrees Fahrenheit. The average low is 14 degrees Celsius, or 57 degrees Fahrenheit.

Occasional cold snaps, however, can cause the temperature to plummet  well below 10 degrees Celsius, or 50 degrees Fahrenheit – even lower in the New Territories, where frost and sub-zero temperatures have been occasionally recorded.

The usually mild temps, low humidity, and infrequent rainfall make January one of the best months to go sightseeing in Hong Kong. Outdoor activities – such as hiking and bicycling – can usually also be enjoyed.

Visitors from neighbouring countries, such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand have even told me they like visiting Hong Kong in January because it gives them the chance to bundle up, wearing mittens, scarves, and hats – something they can rarely do at home.

January is also a good month to shop in Hong Kong, Southeast Asian visitors say.