6 Cultural Events in Hong Kong Island That You Shouldn't Miss

First held in 1990, the Hong Kong Book Fair has grown to be one of the region's most celebrated literary events. Millions of visitors stream through the exhibition halls each year around mid-April to peruse and purchase books as well as attend the many literary panels, forums and workshops. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council invites acclaimed authors and publishers from all over the world, and many of the panels are held in English. Activities held in other languages provide simultaneous English and Cantonese translation. The open forum is a fan favorite for the discussions it provokes.

The traditional Chinese calendar follows a lunar cycle, and the Lunar New Year, falling sometime between mid-January to the end of February, is considered by Chinese to be the "real" new year. Hong Kong's Lunar New Year celebration is one of the most vibrant with fireworks, traditional lion dances, parades, red lanterns and auspicious foods strewn across the whole city. It is also traditional to walk the flower markets and buy gifts for the household during the final hours of new year's eve, and these markets are a sight to behold.

This giant comic convention started life as the comic book section at the annual Hong Kong Book Fair. The section soon included animation and games under its umbrella and grew so big it spun off into its own event. Now hundreds of thousands of attendees flock to this con to participate in cosplay and gaming competitions, see new art as well as view and try upcoming releases in the field of animation, comic books and games. Even if you are just a casual fan of these genres, seeing the elaborate costumes attendees put together is a huge part of the fun.