[Source: Reuters]
Hong Kong lit up for Halloween celebrations set to stretch over three weekends.
Tens of thousands of revelers in costumes ranging from evil bartenders to Donald Trump impersonators, zombies and Taoist priests, packed an entertainment zone.
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.
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“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.
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.