By Joyce Zhou
HONG KONG, Oct 26 (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of revellers in costumes ranging from evil bartenders to Donald Trump impersonators, zombies and Taoist priests, packed an entertainment zone as Hong Kong lit up for Halloween celebrations set to stretch over three weekends.
The colourful crowds thronged the narrow streets of Lan Kwai Fong as onlookers scrambled to take pictures during month-long festivities to ring in Halloween, which falls on Oct. 31, as part of an effort to boost tourism.
“Being here gives me this real carnival vibe — it’s a great way to completely let loose and release ourselves after work,” said 34-year-old Huang Wei, outfitted as the beloved Monkey King of Chinese mythology.
“I feel like the main reason for coming here is to free ourselves,” added the visitor from the southern technology hub of Shenzhen, who rode the metro with nine friends.
The carnival atmosphere lingered well into the night, as Western horror characters mixed with figures from Chinese folklore, and others inspired by the pandemic era.
Mock enforcers of COVID-19 curbs, dressed in white protective suits, roamed the streets carrying thermometers and swab kits, as loudspeakers blared orders to report for testing, in scenes once familiar across China.
A signature attraction is a giant eyeball installation in Central’s Statue Square Gardens, drawing large crowds, while similar Halloween-themed displays have sprung up elsewhere.
MAINLAND CURBS OFFER OPPORTUNITY FOR HONG KONG
Growing curbs have hemmed in Halloween festivities in mainland China since 2023, when authorities in the commercial hub of Shanghai detained some revellers over costumes that satirised social and economic issues.
In Hong Kong, authorities and businesses hope the longer Halloween celebrations will boost tourism, nightlife and consumer spending in the Asian financial hub while luring more visitors across the border.
The effort aims to pull more visitors to the city’s bars, restaurants and retailers, said Allan Zeman, chairman of the Lan Kwai Fong Group, who helped introduce Halloween celebrations to the district more than four decades ago.
“Halloween, which was a Western holiday, was able to suddenly be accepted by the East now,” added Zeman, who estimated that the festivities led to a bump of 20% to 25% in food and beverage sales each year.
“So that’s really what Hong Kong is all about, ‘One country, two systems’. And so we can celebrate all together.”
Organisers said about 80,000 people celebrated in Lan Kwai Fong on October 31, 2025, but this year’s festivities spread over three consecutive weekends in Hong Kong’s effort to position itself as a regional Halloween destination.
“Every year it gets stronger and people spend, and every year the costumes get more and more outrageous,” Zeman added. “So that brings a lot of income here and it really helps the GDP of the area.”
(Reporting by Joyce Zhou; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Clarence Fernandez)
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