[Rodriguez]

Hi,
I will start working in CUHK in February next Year (which is great ) but prior I have to write some exams... (which is not ) So before I book my flight I wanted to know what the best (meaning "latest") time for my arrival would be if I wanted to see the new year festivals.

Thanks in advance

[rani]

Chinese New Year activities listed here:
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/...yc/index.jhtml

[Xin]

Suggest you not later than Feb 6. But there's nothing really special would happen. Go Victoria Park on Feb 6-8, especially on 8th if you like queuing and pushing or being pushed by others. Usually will have fireworks on Feb 10, lunar 2nd, if the wheather is ok. And if you're married, prepare red pocket money, pass it to someone who say 'Gong Hei Fat Choi' to you with smile. If it's your first time in Chinese society in lunar new year, you should anyway feel exciting.

[berryplucker]

And you will quickly realise that when HK Chinese say "exciting" they mean "excited". There is a systematic flaw in the education system somewhere that has taught a whole generation of HK Chinese to reverse the usage of "-ing" and "-ed".

[kostas]

I second that.. and much more

[Xin]

Oh sorry, I know I use it improperly. Teachers told us '-ing' is directly describe 'things' and human feelings should be '-ed'. But just when I typed the message, 'it's exciting' came to my mind, so I just put it. Many HK Chinese would do it correctly, I'm not very good at English, so I sometimes practice here. Thanks for reminding.

So what do you think the latest time to come for the festival as expat?

[Rodriguez]

Seems that the latest time would be the afternoon of the 9. February to see the best parts... (or at least the afternoon of the next day for the fireworks in the evening)