Pokémon, My Little Pony or Where’s Wally?: the 10 best themed Christmas experiences in Hong Kong’s malls this holiday
Christmas shopping and celebrations will go on as usual, no matter what happens. This year, shopping malls in Hong Kong and Macau have come up with all kinds of ideas to bring a joyful and festive vibe to shoppers with Instagramable installations, decorations and fun-filled happenings during this holiday season. Here’s where you can taste some seasonal spirit.
The Landmark Atrium in Central is offering shoppers a dreamy white Christmas with its AR (augmented reality)-enhanced Santa Paws Village installation. This features vivid characters who inhabit the snow-dusted Reindeer Mountains and classic Christmas ornaments, and shoppers can immerse themselves in the traditions of Christmas through a series of AR experiences via their mobile devices in the mall.
Inspired by the traditional of sending Christmas cards, Pacific Place in Admiralty has turned into Santa Claus’ Printing House. The Christmas installation runs until January 2, and features gigantic pop-up Christmas cards and 18 classic fairy-tale characters, such as the Big Grey Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs, jointly created by San Francisco-based illustrator Jennifer Porter and local illustrator Bonnie Pang. Children can also get a taste of being Little Postman by helping Santa deliver Christmas cards in the mall. By making a HK$150 donation to Operation Santa Claus, shoppers can take part in different workshops.
More details of the workshops can be found at christmas.pacificplace.com.hk.
Mira Place is hosting a European Christmas market – inspired by the famous Dresden Striezelmarkt in Germany – until January 1. The market features six festive pop-up stores selling handmade gifts and traditional European delicacies such as Portuguese Christmas cake and truffle honey from Italy; a seven-metre tall Christmas windmill embellished with colourful stained glass and flashing lights; and Christmas music light show Lights of Dresden at the Atrium.
Traditional Christmas is a popular theme in shopping malls, and illustration and animation characters can be seen in the Christmas installations at a range of malls this festive season.
In Causeway Bay’s Times Square, Japanese anime Pokémon has been chosen as the focus of this year’s Christmas installation. On until New Year’s Day, it features six Pokémon-themed houses where fans can meet popular characters such as Pikachu, Eevee, Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur; a two-metre tall Mewtwo figure at Open Piazza; a seven-metre tall Christmas tree decorated with 50 Pokéballs on the second floor; and a photo corner for shoppers to take pictures with special Pokémon frames. There are also special events including meet-and-greet sessions with Pokémon mascots, Christmas gift workshops, a stamp rally and a Pokémon Sword and Shield new video game trial zone.
Meanwhile, The One in Tsim Sha Tsui is presenting a Le Petit Prince-themed Christmas installation, with a three-metre tall Little Prince in its outdoor area. The Westwood in Kennedy Town is decorating its space with the famous illustration character Miffy created by Dutch artist Dick Bruna; The Whampoa, in Whampoa Garden, has decorations based on Where’s Wally? by British illustrator Martin Handford; while Windsor House, in Causeway Bay, offers an installation with the theme of the popular cartoon My Little Pony.
If you are looking for something more artsy and cultural, go to Tsim Sha Tsui shopping mall K11 Musea, which is presenting a series of cultural programmes until January 2. From December 21 to 26, a Cultural Muse Encounter will be staged around the shopping mall. The show is staged by 45 performers – acrobats, ballerinas, opera singers, a beatboxer and a marching band – who interpret the story of four muses through art, dance and music.
The performers’ extravagant outfits are created by costume designer Miodrag Guberinic with the support of local designer Chocolate Tsang; dance moves by choreographer Giulio Scatola, supported by local choreographers and artistic directors Jennifer Chiang and Lemon Doo Ting-Fung; and music by award-winning curator Marco Iannelli.
Other highlighted programmes include newly arranged traditional carols by the Grammy award-winning Warsaw Boys’ Choir from December 22 to 24, and a new painting created by 13-year-old prodigy artist Elisabeth Anisimow.
At the nearby K11 Art Mall, an art exhibition entitled “K11 X’Mas Reflection” is on until January 1. It features new artworks jointly created by local new-media artist Keith Lam and the crew of Dimension Plus which integrate technology and art, plus a masterpiece by Canadian sculptor David Altmejd. Tickets cost HK$30.
In Macau, Sands Resorts Macao in Cotai is celebrating Christmas – as well as the anniversary of the city’s handover – by launching the Winter Extravaganza programme, which runs until January 2. The celebrations include a magnificent 3D light-and-sound show on the 43,000-square-feet facade of The Venetian Macao – a tribute to the Macau handover anniversary.
Other attractions include a 50-foot inverted tree hanging from the ceiling in the lobby rotunda of The Parisian Macao, a Grand Illumination Show Christmas Edition at The Eiffel Tower, The Venetian Express train installation, and Santa’s Post Office at The Venetian Macao.
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From Causeway Bay’s Times Square and Admiralty's Pacific Place, to Kowloon’s Mira Place and K11 Musea and Macau’s Sands Resorts Macao – a competition is on to host the most Instagramable installation this Christmas