Hong Kong fireworks for lunar new year
 

We shall be in Hong Kong for lunar new year. Can anyone tell me the best place to view the fireworks on February 10th?
Thank you.

Best place will be from a harborview room of the Intercontinental or the Peninsula. :D

Well, if you can't afford that, then the promenade in front of the Intercontinental and New World Center. It will be packed with people, let me warn you.

Janev-I can tell you this much, it gets scary crowded in HKG for New Year's Eve, and would have to be at least 100 times worse for the Lunar new Year-on N.Y.'s EVE, the police had Salisbury Rd. in Tsim Sha Tsui blocked off, and several side streets as well. I was supposed to go to a party at the IC hotel, after a New Year's Eve concert by the HK Symphony at the HK Cultural Centre (an excellent program of Strauss and Mozart, btw). I literally could not get the short distance from the Cultural Centre to the IC hotel, the streets were blocked off all around this area. I decided to give up, it was too much, and the crowding was too intense. Even then, however, I couldn't easily get back to my hotel- they had blocked off all entrances except the back, and I had to make a big square, go up on Canton Rd. and go around just to get into the hotel! I should think you would not want to be out in that. If you're planning on being around the TST waterfront area, you need to be inside somewhere watching, preferably from your hotel room, or better, a restaurant/lounge area. The Sheraton's Sky Lounge would be a terrific place for a viewing, but it's not that large, and I'm pretty sure reserved for its guests who have already made reservations. The problem with the hotels with the harbour view is their restaurants/public viewing areas are oftentimes set up for private parties and are booked way in advance for New Year's events.

If I were you, I'd go the IC's website and see if you can make reservations for a table at one of their restaurants-Spoon, Yu, or the ground level Harbourside Cafe. The Harbourside Cafe partic. has great views from all the tables. That, IMO, would be ideal-the Cafe has quite reasonable prices as well, the name restaurants are, understandably, much pricier, but very good.

You might also want to try a harbour cruise-I believe the Hong Kong Tourist Bd. is offering free harbour cruises on Feb. 10 to view the fireworks display from the water (that should be FANTASTIC-wish I could see it!) Check their website www.discoverhongkong.com for more information. Good luck!

The restaurant suggestions at the Intercon above are a great idea, I also ditto trying to avoid the waterfront on both sides of the harbour. Felix restaurant on top of the Peninsula would be another very good place to see them. On the Hong Kong Island side, Vong restaurant on top of the Mandarin is a good choice, and the Italian restaurant (name escapes me Gaddis?) in the Grand Hyatt may also work, but I am not sure if the convention centre blocks the view. If they are open, there is a sky lobby on about the 50th floor of both the Bank of China Building (in front of the Peak Tram station in Central) and Central Plaza (behind the Grand Hyatt, connected by a walkway) which should have views. The Peak is a possibility, although the fireworks will be a bit far away and the Peak is likely to be quite crowded as well.

IMO after five years living there, the best place outdoor place to see them would be on Bowen Road on Hong Kong Island, specifically areas around where Bowen Road intersects with Bowen Drive, as there should not be any buildings blocking your view. Bowen Road and Bowen Drive are also pedestrian-only (except for residents), so the only traffic will be foot traffic. There will be some people here, but not anywhere near the crowds at the waterfront, and you can walk down a bit along Bowen Road in either direction to find a clear spot. As long as you can see at least part of the Hong Kong Arts Centre on the other side (pink boat-shaped building), you will be able to see the fireworks.

To get there, you have a few choices. A detailed street map of Central/Wan Chai/ Mid-levels would help you a lot, as well as help a taxi driver. A useful interactive map is at http://www.hot-maps.de/asia/china/hongkong/homeen.html.

1. Take a cab up to the beginning of Bowen Road (at Magazine Gap Road), and walk about ½ mile down to where Bowen Road intersects with Bowen Drive on the left.

2. Take a cab to where Kennedy Road intersects with Bowen Drive. There is a petrol station here. Bowen Drive is pedestrian-only, but the taxi may agree to take you up the hill; if not, just walk up the hill to where Bowen Drive intersects with Bowen Road. (It is a very steep hill.)

3. Walk to Bowen Drive from the Kennedy Road exit of Hong Kong Park. Turn left as you exit the park onto Kennedy Road and walk along Kennedy Road about ¾ mile until it intersects with Bowen Drive on your right (petrol station on your left.) Then walk up the steep hill at Bowen Drive to where it intersects with Bowen Road (there is a small park and about 10 parking spaces.).

There are a number of other ways to get there, but the three above seem the most direct to me.

Thank you so much for your very helpful and detailed replies to my question. I have just emailed the IC - but if this is already booked up I shall certainly take up one of your other suggestions.
Thanks for all your advice.