Travel Hong Kong
Is April a good time to visit Hong Kong? Expect temperate temps, dragon boat races, rugby sevens, and other exciting activities. But lines at border crossings can be long because of the mass exodus at Ching Ming and Easter. Check out this Hong Kong April travel guide.
In This Post
Hong Kong Weather in April
The weather in Hong Kong tends to be warm and sunny in April with low humidity levels (by Hong Kong standards, at least).
Lows average 20 degrees Centigrade (68 degrees Fahrenheit). Highs average 25 degrees Centigrade (77 degrees Fahrenheit).
There is a small chance of rain, but it’s much less likely now than in late spring or Hong Kong’s long hot summer. Like anywhere else, however, there are no guarantees. Sudden cold snaps or heat waves are also possible this time of year, so dress in layers.
Keep in mind that air-conditioning is ubiquitous in Hong Kong, and indoor temperatures can be quite chilly – especially on trains and buses. So sweaters or pullovers are often needed even on the hottest days.
Ching Ming Festival – 5 April
Also known as the Grave Sweeping Festival, the Ching Ming Festival is one of the five most important Chinese festivals on the Lunar Calendar.
On this day, families travel to grave sites to tidy them up. They also make offerings and have picnics.
But not all of these grave sites are in Hong Kong. In fact, many families in the territory return to their ancestral villages in mainland China to celebrate Ching Ming.
Therefore, border crossings into China can become very crowded in the early morning. Border crossings out of China can become equally crowded in the late afternoon and evening as celebrants return home.
If you need to travel to or from China during this festival, it is recommended to do so late morning or early afternoon.
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Hong Kong Rugby Sevens – 5 to 7 April
Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is the biggest sporting event of the year in Hong Kong, attracting rugby fans from around the world.
And there’s more to Rugby Sevens than rugby. There are special events including street parties at entertainment venues around town.
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Lamma Dragon Boat Festival – 14 April
The Lamma 500 is the cornerstone event of the Lamma Dragon Boat Festival. There are international standard 500 metre and 1,000 metre races for men’s, women’s, and mixed teams.
Teams set up bases along the beach or on a junks anchored off shore. Pop-up food outlets and a beach bar offer snacks and beverages.
The day ends with a prize-giving ceremony followed by an after-party with a DJ and dancing.
The Lamma Dragon Boat Festival should not be confused with the eponymous Dragon Boat Festival, a.k.a. Duawu Festival (or Double Five Festival), and official holiday that falls on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Lunar Calendar. It will take place on 7 June in 2019.
Lamma Dragon Boat Festival – Tai Wan To Bay, Lamma Island, Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Film Awards – 14 April
The 38th annual Hong Kong Film Awards will present awards in 19 categories, including Best Film, Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
Nominees for best film include Three Husbands, Operation Red Sea, Still Human, Men on the Dragon, and Project Gutenberg.
Competing for best director are Fruit Chan for Three Husbands; Dante Lam for Operation Red Sea; Sunny Chan for Men on the Dragon; Chan Siu Kuen Oliver for Still Human; and Felix Chong for Project Gutenberg.
The event will be broadcast locally on ViuTV Channel 99, STAR Chinese Movies (SCM), and RTHK Channel 2. TFI will broadcast the event to a global audience.
Hong Kong Film Awards – Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong.
Easter – 19 to 22 April
Many restaurants will celebrate Easter in Hong Kong with special lunch and dinner menus over the four-day Easter weekend.
Not only that, some hotels will offer special Easter events for children. For example, The InterContinental Hong Kong will stage a Chocolate Egg Painting and Decorating Workshop for kids on Easter Sunday.
Most schools in Hong Kong will close on Good Friday (19 April) and Easter Monday (22 April), giving students and teacher a four-day weekend.
Many schools, however, will take off an entire week or longer, which results in a mass exodus at the beginning of the Easter break. There is also a mass return at the end of their spring break. Dates, however, are not uniform across Hong Kong.
Keep this in mind when making travel plans because cross-border check points as well as ferries to Macau and other points in the Pearl River Delta can become highly crowded during this period.
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Birthday of Tin Hau – 27 April
Tin Hau’s Birthday falls on the 23rd day of the third month on the Lunar Calendar.
Also known as the Goddess of the Sea, Tin Hau is the patron saint of fishermen.
On her birthday, devotees descend on the more than 70 temples dedicated to her to pray for good fortune.
One of the largest celebrations is held at Shap Pat Heung in Yuen Long in the Northern New Territories, where a three-hour parade is held.
Other celebration are held at the following Tin Hau temples scattered about Hong Kong …
- Tin Hau Temple at Joss House Bay in Clearwater Bay in the Eastern New Territories.
- Tin Hau Temple at Shau Kei Wan on Hong Kong Island.
- Tin Hau Temple at Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon.
- Tin Hau Temple at To Kwa Wan in Kowloon.
- Tin Hau Temple at Sham Shui Po in Kowloon.
- Tin Hau Temple at Peng Chau, an outlying island to the east of Lantau Island.
- Tin Hau Temple at Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island.
- Tin Hau Temple at Cha Kwo Ling in Kowloon near Kwun Tong.
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Why You Should Visit Hong Kong is a monthly feature in the Accidental Travel Writer.