But the scope and diversity of public celebrations may come as a surprise to first time visitors. Every month sees at least one major event marking everything from traditional Chinese festivals to Western holidays.
Many celebrations are organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and provide free or low cost activities to engage locals and the almost 40 million visitors who visit Hong Kong each year. Here are some signature events to watch for:
TOAST THE TOWN
Food has always been an integral part of the Hong Kong experience. With 11,000 restaurants, there is no shortage of places to eat -- and every type of cuisine from traditional dim sum to classic French.
When thinking about wine, however, Hong Kong doesn't immediately come to mind. But with a four-day Wine and Dine Festival kicking off an annual Wine and Dine Month (Oct. 27 to Nov. 30), that may soon change. Wine is increasingly popular across Asia, and business-savvy Hong Kong is positioning itself to be the region's chief importer of fine vintages from around the world.
The third-annual Wine and Dine Festival (Oct. 27 to Nov. 1) takes place along the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade, where there will be live entertainment and an art exhibition to enjoy while sipping and strolling. Admission is free, a complimentary shuttle will provide transportation to and from the Promenade, and visitors can purchase tokens for tasting samples. Highlights include:
-- More than 250 food and wine tasting booths serving vintages from the world's top wine regions, including Canada, and cuisine from award winning local restaurants.
-- A Grand Tasting Pavilion showcasing premium wines.
-- Wine appreciation classes led by experts.
Wine & Dine Month events will take place at various venues throughout Hong Kong. Highlights include:
-- Food and wine themed tours, and visits to private cellars.
-- Celebrity food-and-wine appreciation classes.
-- Cooking classes led by award-winning chefs.
-- A restaurant festival with food and wine pairing menus, and street carnivals in dining hotspots such as Lan Kwai Fong.
-- Wine, dine and spa weekends at hotels.
-- Burgundy Week, Oct. 25-29, where visitors can test their olfactory powers at a Wine Aroma Exhibition plus a wine-pairing dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel prepared by a 3-star Michelin chef from Burgundy.
-- The Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair, a trade event for buyers that opens to the public Nov. 5.
-- A global conference on wine trends, Winefuture Hong Kong 2011 (Nov. 5-8), led by the Wine Academy of Spain.
HALLOWEEN
From now until the end of October, visitors can indulge in frightful fun at entertainment districts, malls and major attractions.
-- From Oct. 21-31, dress up and head for Kowloon's Avenue of Stars to mingle and take in free Halloween-themed street performances. Spooky guests will be on hand to pose for pictures with revellers.
-- Toward the end of October, several major malls will have macabre decorations, free children's activities, and a cast of creepy costumed characters handing out treats and discount coupons.
-- Through Oct. 31, Ocean Park -- a popular aquarium/theme-park -- has the seriously scary Dance With The Damned Halloween Bash, which features hi-tech horrors at a 3-D Haunted House, the Fear Factory and Torture Chamber of the Dragon Empress. One-night tickets go from $9 for children to $42 for adults.
-- Explore the dark side of Disneyland on selected dates through Oct. 31. There is frightful fun at the Cursed Jungle, a spirited party at Tomorrowland, and the Space Mountain Ghost Gallery. Included with admission, one-day tickets are $13 for seniors, $37 for kids 3-11, and $52 for ages 12-64.
-- Navigate the dark corridors of Frankenstein's Lab at Madame Toussad's, where unsuspecting visitors will encounter a mix of undead (live) performers and eerily real wax monsters guaranteed to scare them silly. Tickets range from $12 for children to $21 for adults.
GREAT OUTDOORS
Many people define Hong Kong by its urban buzz, its urbane restaurant scene and its ultra-modern skyscrapers. But the seaside nation, which consists of the Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong Island and more than 260 outlying islands, is also a place of great natural beauty, home to ocean vistas, beaches, mountains and wetlands.
Some of the islands are popular recreational places and easily accessible by public transit and ferries, but many are uninhabited little jewels, reachable only by smaller boats.
The cooler, less humid days of November are ideal for cycling or hiking the trails that criss-cross Hong Kong. Good places to hike include the Peak, the National Geopark and Lamma Island. (Very fit visitors might want to tackle all or part of the 100-km MacLehose Trail through the New Territories.)
The weeks from Nov. 13 to Dec. 11 have been declared Great Outdoors Hong Kong and a wide range of outdoor events, hikes and guided tours are planned.
WINTERFEST
Christmas in Hong Kong? According to CNN, it's one of the best places in the world to enjoy the festive season.
From Nov. 25 through Jan. 1, the city is aglow with sparkling lights, beautiful decorations and many giant decorated Christmas trees with the "wow" factor.
The season culminates with an annual New Year's Eve bash with free live entertainment and a thrilling display of choreographed musical pyrotechnics over Victoria Harbour.
CHINESE NEW YEAR
After Jan. 1, Hong Kong gears up for its most important celebration -- Chinese New Year (Jan. 23-25, 2012). Festivities will take place across the city to welcome the Year of the Dragon.
This is an incredibly colourful time to be in Hong Kong. Shopping streets become ribbons of red and gold, food stores are laden with sweets and seasonal delicacies, special New Year's markets overflow with fresh blooms and gifts, locals throng their favourite temples, and business establishments buzz with dragon dances to foster good luck and success in the coming year.
Must-see events include:
-- The Cathay Pacific Chinese New Year Night Parade, a dazzling extravaganza with dozens of illuminated floats plus hundreds of dragon and lion dancers, acrobats, clowns, marching bands and performance troupes from around the world. Watching the parade along the route through Tsim Sha Tsui is free but reserved seating is also available for a reasonable price.
-- The Lunar New Year fireworks show is the most dazzling pyrotechnics display of the year. Up to 400,000 people will come out to watch as hundreds of thousands of fireworks choreographed to music light up Victoria Harbour.
-- Horse-racing enthusiasts will head to the track for the first races of the new year. Sha Tin Racecourse will be decked out with red lanterns and wheels of fortune. And the God of Wealth will likely put in an appearance before the Chinese New Year Cup gets underway.
If you go to Hong Kong
For travel and event information, contact the Hong Kong Tourism Board at 416-366-2389 or 1-800-563-4582 or see DiscoverHongKong.com/canada.
