A journalist for more than 30 years, Cliff Buddle began his career as a court reporter in London and moved to Hong Kong in 1994 to join the SCMP.
Hong Kong’s determination to become a hub for everything – innovation, finance, trade, culture and sport – appears to know no bounds. Now, Halloween has been added to the list. The city is aiming to become Asia’s premier destination for the annual spookfest.
Of all the regional hubs Hong Kong wishes to become, this is one of the more unlikely. But with Beijing urging the city to ensure “tourism is everywhere” and draw ever more visitors, Halloween, falling between the National Day “golden week” holiday and Christmas, offers an opportunity that cannot be missed.
This year, the city’s Tourism Board has, for the first time, extended the celebrations beyond the traditional October 31. “Hong Kong Halloween Month” is well under way.