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Hong Kong Halloween: Socially acceptable self-indulgence
Halloween is a big, consumerism-driven deal in Hong Kong. It's also a lot of fun. Here's where to get in on the action
Teenage girls get into the Halloween mood by doing what they do best.Halloween satisfies Hong Kongers need for a) escapism and b) feeling cozy within large crowds. if you enjoy one or both of the above, these activities are for you.
Parties
Dead Not Alive party provides Daniel Wu photo op.
The fun of a big Halloween bash happens before and after the event, rarely during the actual event itself.
Weeks in advance, costume planning begins. At least three days before the actual event, there's the costume trial. The 90 minutes prior to the party is dedicated to getting the make-up right.
The party itself tends to feature a lot of shoving through crowded traffic, crowded streets and crowded clubs.
A few sugary shots ensure that everyone loosens up enough to make exaggerated poses for photos and say what they really think about other people's costumes.
The next morning is spent on the enormous task of loading, tagging and detagging photos on social networks. Like debutante balls and birthdays, Halloween offers a free pass to be self-indulgent.
Hong Kong's best Halloween parties:
Green party at Volar: Featuring a "green" dress code and Belgian electro duo Dr. Letroluv. October 29, 11 p.m. till late. HK$370. Basement 38-44 D'Aguilar Street, Central
Dead Not Alive: The celebrity-spotting party will be held at Hyde. October 30, 9 p.m. till late. HK$370. Buy tickets at www.alivenotdead.com. 2/F and 3/F Lyndhurst Tower, 1 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central
Ocean Park's Halloween Bash: This not your five-year-old child's theme park experience. Every weekend night until October 31, Ocean Park turns into an Asian ghost story-themed haunted park. The scariest part? Because it's so popular, waits for rides reach over 30 minutes. www.halloweenbash.com.hk
Lan Kwai Fong: The area will be sealed off from traffic so that revelers can spill into the streets, creating a street carnival atmosphere. www.lankwaifong.com
Food
Restaurants cash in on Halloween with gimmicks such as pumpkin-themed meals (even at Under Bridge Spicy Crab) and dishes dressed up to look like something really grotesque. Like chopped up fingers.
Disneyland is serving an entire buffet of spooky dishes as part of its Halloween promotion.
The irony is that there are some real scary things to eat in Hong Kong regardless of Halloween. Ever tried durian?
See more Halloween promotions at restaurants on www.discoverhongkong.com/festivehk2010.
Mr. Vampire poster.
Shows
Never a better time to push horror at cinemas than during Halloween.
Among current scary movies are Tetsuya Nakashima's "Confessions," which is more of a psycho-thriller, but does involve teenagers killing small children.
Huge American box office hit Paranormal Activity 2 opens in Hong Kong today, and "Saw in 3D" begins its run tomorrow.
For the theater-inclined, "Mr. Vampire" at the New Vision Arts Festival sounds like a great Asian horror-parody dance musical.
The Guangdong Modern Dance Company and Hong Kong New Music Ensemble come together to stage this pop-culture-contemporary-arts crossover, based on a 1980s cult classic from Hong Kong cinema by the same name.
Audience members are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes to the show.
Read more about it at New Vision Arts Festival. October 29-30, 8pm and October 31, 3pm. HK$120-HK$200. Hong Kong Cultural Centre Studio Theatre, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.
