Family gatherings at restaurants,going shopping at big malls, visiting lunar
new year fair at Victoria Park..., Hong
Kong citizens are welcoming the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year, or the
Year of Dog, in their own ways.
Seats of big restaurants in downtown areas had already been fully occupied,
though most of Hong Kong citizens choose to stay at home with their family.
Saturday evening is the eve of the lunar new year, and tens of thousands of
Hong Kong citizens went to the lunar new year fair at the Victoria Park to buy
fresh flowers and other goods for the festival.
Many Hong Kong citizens prefer to select flowers and small orange trees as an
important new year household decoration, which they believe can bring good luck
in the new year.
Booth owners at the fair are expected to earn more as customers are spending
more on holiday goods with the improving economy.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang sent a lunar new year message to all
Hong Kong citizens on Saturday, wishing all of them good luck in the new year.
The Chief Executive visited the lunar new year fair on Friday and wished Hong
Kong to have further economic recovery and all citizens to benefit from Hong
Kong's strong economic rebound.
In big department stores such as the Times Square and the Pacific Palace,
golden trees of "ready source of money" and pitch blossom tress have already
been arranged. Many citizens bought brand goods as new year gifts for family,
friends or themselves.
According to a latest report of ACNielsen, an international market
information provider, one-fifth of Hong Kong consumers plan to spend more money
and their spendings on overseas travel are expected to surge by 50 percent.
The survey was conducted on Dec. 12-16 among 1,027 individuals aged between
15 and 54 by telephone.
Army Lee, director of Customized Research, ACNielsen Hong Kong,said the
improving job market in the past few quarters has reinforced consumers'
confidence both in their own job security and the state of their personal
finances.
Hong Kong citizens have already prepared "red paper
bags containing brand new banknotes" for kids and unmarried young people, and
are busy exchanging banknotes at nearby banks.
Last year, Hong Kong's three note-issuing banks issued 300 million pieces of
new banknote with a total value of 24 billion HK dollars (3.1 billion U.S.
dollars) before the lunar new year.
Hong Kong Monetary Authorities have called on Hong Kong citizens to use the
used bank-notes for the "red paper bags" instead of using new banknotes.
While issuing new banknotes, the three banks prepared some clean, used ones
for Hong Kong citizens.
Lunar new year is regarded as the most important festival for the Chinese.
The cross boundary check-points are witnessing the flow of passengers from Hong
Kong to the Chinese mainland for family reunion.
As of 5:00 p.m. Hong Kong time, a total of 183,000 passengers went to the
Chinese mainland via Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau check points. The immigration
department has already added staff members at various check points.
On Friday, a total of 380,000 outgoing passengers had passed through land,
sea and air control points, while incoming passengers amounted to 220,000, Hong
Kong Immigration Department said on Saturday.
Editor:Ivana
