Thousands of dressed-up revellers are pouring into Hong Kong’s main entertainment district Lan Kwai Fong on Tuesday to celebrate the first post-pandemic Halloween.
Celebrations of the annual festival started last week, with businesses hoping to capitalise on it for better fortune following a recent government campaign to revive the city’s nighttime economy.
The Tourism Board prepared for Halloween by setting up selfie spots at public transport locations, such as MTR train stations and cross-harbour ferries, while Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Ocean Park were among the theme parks that threw parties.
Vibes have been cheerful at Lan Kwai Fong, a hotspot for Halloween celebrations.
Lan Kwai Fong Group chairman Allan Zeman said business in the area was 30 per cent higher in recent days, compared with the same period in 2019.
“It’s crazy,” he said, adding celebrations started as early as last Thursday night. “I was very, very surprised.”
“It’s just like a real pent-up demand. We’ve never had it this early. Sundays should be a quiet day but it was packed. It was amazing.”
Anthea Cheung So-may, director of the Lan Kwai Fong Association, said the post-Covid-19 business recovery had been slower than expected.
“But the situation looks promising in this quarter with the Halloween celebrations,” she said.
Earlier in the day, police closed off six roads in the area, including sections of D’Aguilar Street and Wellington Street. More roads may get shut off, depending on the situation.
Construction workers were setting up barricades on D’Aguilar Street and Wing Wah Lane under the supervision of police at 4pm in Lan Kwai Fong.
Cathy Abordo, a waitress at a bar in Lan Kwai Fong, said business over the weekend was “much better”, compared with last year.
“There were still Covid restrictions last year, so there weren’t many customers. We’re very happy that things are getting better,” the 43-year-old said.
The China Bar owner, who gave his name as “Tim”, also said his business was doing so much better.
“Last year, things were like ‘dead’ under the restrictions. I’d say this year our business is 50 to 60 per cent better than last year.”
But he also argued things were recovering slowly and that his business had not returned to pre-pandemic levels yet.
“We’re hoping for better business tonight than last year,” Tim said.
Dressed to kill: Squid Game all the rage for Hong Kong Halloween revellers
Dressed to kill: Squid Game all the rage for Hong Kong Halloween revellers
William Chan, a 28-year-old bartender in Lan Kwai Fong, said this year’s Halloween was more “festive” than last year.
“There were many customers last weekend,” he said. “The business was pretty good. I guess our business would be better tonight. We staff will also be dressing up for Halloween.”