Hongkongers celebrate Mother’s Day with trips to Shenzhen spas and buffets, while others enjoy dim sum and shopping at Mong Kok flower market
Some Hongkongers pampered their loved-ones on Mother’s Day with trips to Shenzhen to visit spas and buffets, while others opted for dim sum and shopping at Mong Kok’s flower market.
Yiu Kin-hong, 42, said on Sunday he travelled with his 72-year-old mother to enjoy a spa day and a buffet dinner across the border as the prices were more affordable.
The pair took the MTR to Lok Ma Chau, arriving in Futian right after breakfast and at the Grand Hyatt Shenzhen in the afternoon.
“The spa treatment for her and buffet for us only cost about HK$1,000. There is no way I can do all these with her in Hong Kong at that price,” said the son, a network engineer.
“A day trip to Shenzhen with my mother is a no-brainer considering the cost to make her really feel pampered.”
Other residents kept up their Mother’s Day tradition of going for dim sum, gathering their families in Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong.
Jade Seafood Restaurant in Prince Edward was packed with diners during the lunch hour, including Tammy Leung with her family of 20 spanning three generations.
“It’s the time of the year for us all nine families to gather, although one is out of town this year,” said Leung, a banker in her 40s.
She had prepared bouquets for all the mothers in her extended family.
“Having a Mother’s Day lunch and preparing bouquets are what we usually do during the day because we will celebrate individually in our families at night,” she said.
Simon Wong Ka-wo, the president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said the industry’s revenue for the day was expected to decline by 15 per cent to HK$360 million from HK$420 million last year.
“Some residents had already celebrated a few days in advance, but the industry has recorded a low reservation rate for Mother’s Day this year. I believe that this is mainly due to people heading north,” Wong said.
He added that high-end restaurants had a better reservation rate, while regular eateries and banquet halls generally did not require advance booking.
Residents also flocked to the Mong Kok flower market where florists kept restocking bouquets ranging in price from HK$68 to HK$888 (US$9 to US$114).
The street was filled with dazzling bouquets mostly composed of carnations and roses.
Housewife Macy Law, 41, said she went shopping with her three daughters, aged four to 10, to pick up seven bouquets at a cost of HK$490.
“We will have a family seafood dinner in Tuen Mun at night so I took the girls to get flowers for their great grandmothers, grandmother, grand aunties and aunties,” Law said.
Six-year-old Jayden Cheung Cheuk-yin also collected three bouquets with his father, who spent HK$600.
“I love my mum and want to buy her flowers,” he said. “I think my two grandmothers also like flowers because they are also my parents’ mums.”
Cherry Leung Ka-yan, general manager of florist Wayfoong Fleur, said both footfall and sales were down 30 per cent compared with last year despite her business dishing out extra promotional gimmicks.
“We are offering free delivery for online orders this year. We have also hired a clown on site to twist balloons for those who make a purchase,” Leung said.
“We are selling our flowers this year at the same prices we use on regular days, instead of marking them up like we did on Mother’s Day last year. We hope to boost sales and that more people will come in the evening.”
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said he prepared two bouquets for his wife and his mother for the celebration.
