Christmas Gift Guide 2023: The Best Hong Kong Themed Gifts
Here are the very best Hong Kong inspired gifts this ChristmasKung Pao & Beyond
For Hong Kong foodies
Having travelled extensively, Susan Jung has tried and tested more fried chicken recipes than you could imagine. Her love for fried chicken has never ceased.
As a child, Susan marvelled at the intensely flavoured and crunchy drumsticks her uncle would cook at family gatherings. As a student, she revelled in her midnight snack of cold fried chicken, and during her nearly 25-year tenure as the food and wine editor for the South China Morning Post, her fried chicken recipes were in constant demand.
Through years of exploration, Susan has discovered this beloved dish’s huge range of possibilities. In her recently-published book, Kung Pao & Beyond, Susan selects her favourite fried chicken recipes from East and Southeast Asia.
Kung Pao & Beyond is available at Bookazine and Kelly & Walsh, and also on Amazon.
The Peninsula Bee Hive Gift Set
For environmentalists
Inspired by and partly produced by the inhabitants of Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden’s 40 bee hives, The Peninsula Bee Hive Gift Set features a beautifully crafted wooden box with a 40g jar of the farm’s own rarefied, small-batch honey along with a customised honey dipper, wooden coaster, a Pen Bee pin, an educational story booklet, and two admission tickets to discover the beauty of the farm and apiary.
Available from the hotel’s online e-shop.
The Peninsula Boutique
For traditionalists
Perhaps the most iconic Hong Kong brand of all time, The Peninsula Hong Kong, which celebrates its 95th anniversary this December, has launched its exquisite 2023 holiday collection. This year’s motif is the festive bauble, an iconic decoration that twinkles from Christmas trees worldwide. The sought-after collection includes advent calendars, luxurious festive hampers and gift boxes, lifestyle collectables and hanging baubles that open to reveal indulgent treats.
The Peninsula Boutique, The Peninsula Arcade, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Liz Fry Design
For arty types
Liz Fry Design is a Hong Kong design company that supports and celebrates the local art community. Products are made as environmentally consciously as possible and produced and sourced from sustainable materials.
Through her products, Liz aims to bring colour and art into people’s lives in a less disposable way. Her work includes an element of pattern, inspired by daily life in Hong Kong, and she often collaborates with local artists for a one-off artwork to complement a collection.
We love the homeware collection with ceramic mugs, tea towels, notecards, Hong Kong-inspired LED back-lit stretched canvases and rPET cushion covers made from recycled plastic bottles.
Shop the collection at Bookazine, Goods of Desire, HKTDC Design Gallery and online at lizfrydesign.com. Next time you’re on Lamma, check out her design studio which is open from Thursday to Sunday (1pm-6pm). Follow Liz on Instagram at @lizfrydesign.
Liz Fry Design Studio, G/F 21 Main Street, Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island 5480 9915, info@lizfrydesign.com
The Green Dragon
For little environmentalists
Are you looking for sustainable gifts this season? Discover how Willy, The Green Dragon spreads his message with his Hong Kong native animal friends: Pearl the Pink Dolphin, Herbert the Wild Boar, Buddy the Water Buffalo and many more!
Discover the challenges facing Hong Kong’s wildlife and the world with beautiful stories and illustrations. These stories for children aged two to 11 are set in Hong Kong and follow the adventures of a friendly dragon. There’s also a 200-piece puzzle to accompany the books.
For Christmas, head to dracoviridi.com to purchase The Green Dragon & the Rumbly Island and The Green Dragon & the Angry Monkeys, along with the puzzle for a special bundle price of $320. The books and puzzle are also sold separately at Bookazine, WWF HK, Lion Rock Press, Garden Artemis, My Little J, Vibe Music and bookstore and are available to order at amazon.com
The Lion Rock Press
For family fun on Christmas Day
Who doesn’t love The Lion Rock Press? From the cutest stationary and cards to quirky Hong Kong keepsakes, the brand continues to develop exciting concepts. Having celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, The Lion Rock Press is a family favourite with a permanent showroom in Sheung Wan.
A gorgeous selection of Christmas gifts awaits, including a brand new 1,000-piece luxury double-sided puzzle Hong Kong Neighbourhood Series: Central, which celebrates the colourful, cultural kaleidoscope of our remarkable city.
Kids will love LRP’s Classic Card Games; five classic card games (Go Fish, Memory, Old Maid, Happy Families and Snap) with a Hong Kong twist.
The Lion Rock Press, 1005 10/F Arion Commercial Centre, 2-12 Queen’s Road West, Sheung Wan
Malabar Baby
For fashion-conscious families
Founded by Hong Kong mama Anjali Harjani, Malabar Baby is a beautiful lifestyle brand focusing on babies, children and the home. Anjali started Malabar Baby after she struggled to find luxurious yet affordable artisan-made bedding and loungewear in Asia. The brand attracts a dedicated global following. Meghan Markle can’t get enough of Malabar’s gorgeous block-printed crib bedding sets inspired by international cities and hand-printed in India. Malabar Baby’s Southside range is by the serene beaches of Hong Kong, a perfect choice for a beach baby. All products come gift-ready in a handmade muslin pouch. Malabar Baby has also recently launched a matching ‘Mommy & Me’ range of clothing (pictured).
Malabar Baby products are available at The Upper House, Bimbo Concept, Lane Crawford, Belevivi and online at malabarbaby.com
A Gift of Wellness at The Mandarin Spa
For the man about town
The Mandarin opened in Hong Kong in 1963 and recently celebrated its 60th anniversary with a glamorous party at its flagship in the heart of Central. Wellness enthusiasts will love a three-month membership to The Mandarin Spa including three complimentary personal training sessions. Guests can also create a customised spa gift box with a range of wellness, beauty and skincare products and for men, A Gentleman’s Exclusive Membership at The Mandarin Barber is perfect for the finest men’s grooming.
The Mandarin Spa, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Rd Central, Central
Old HK Lights
French native Alix Delahaye combines her passion for candles and thrifting in Old HK Lights, a boutique candle company specialising in hand poured candles with organic soy wax and organic essential oils. The wax is poured into vintage and secondhand bowls and jars sourced in Hong Kong. Scents are inspired by different locations in Hong Kong including Big Wave Bay, The Peak, Kennedy Town and Mui Wo.
This sustainable business is committed to reducing waste, packaging is made from recycled materials and candle vessels can be returned for refilling. Purchase online or follow Alix on Instagram at @old_hk_lights.
HK Puzzle Mystery
For explorers
Follow the adventures of sibling duo Kei Kei and Henry with The Pangolin Panic!, a 500-piece wildlife-inspired jigsaw puzzle, mystery and I-Spy scavenger hunt.
Artwork is hand-drawn by Hong Kong illustrator Kitty N. Wong and the product is the brainchild of Netflix-featured tour guide Virginia Chan who entwines cultural quirks throughout.
The Pangolin Panic! is available at M+ The Gift Shop, Bookazine, Goods Of Desire, Better than Flowers and The Lion Rock Press.
