Early Lunar New Year in Cheung Chau

Christmas is barely over and already the lion dancing has started in Cheung Chau.

Garden Plus CNY fair

If you are a loose end as to what to do over this weekend and the next, head on over to Garden Plus' Chinese New Year fair at Pui O. Of course, the main attraction are the festive plants.

Entrance is free, by the way. Don't get intimidated by the flyers and basket of decorations by the gate. They're free for customers.

The snacks are pretty good. We tried the Indian murtabak (HK$30) and it tasted surprisingly authentic, given that the the chefs were all Filipinos.

We thought the wine tasting was good value for money. If you book in advance, it's only HK$80 and you'll get to taste 10 varieties of South African wine paired with food such as salads and barbecued skewers.

Chinese New Year market

The flyer said there will be a flea market section too. So guess what poor Buffalo Wilbur will be doing for the next two weekends?

Chinese New Year decorations

Okay, I get the giant lanterns, the big red banners, the manic bunnies and all the usual gold decorations to usher in the Year of the Rabbit.

But what's with these plastic trees? They look so strange and detract from the lovely natural landscaping of the (no dogs or humans allowed) park.

Am I missing something of the symbolism here? Are they supposed to be money trees or something?

Maybe they light up at night? I haven't had time to do a night stroll yet but I will soon.