Hong Kong is finally reopening to tourists in a big way after weathering the Covid-19 pandemic — by offering free flights and scrapping its mandatory quarantine and mask-wearing policies.

For the uninitiated, airline Cathay Pacific offered 12,500 air tickets in a giveaway contest that started at 12pm today (Mar 2). Members of the public have to answer three questions to be in the running to win. But that is if you can get past the massive virtual queue at Cathay Pacific’s website when the contest begins. A check by 8days.sg at 12.10pm today showed a whopping 62,558 people ahead of us in the queue for the 12,500 air tickets. Not as high stakes as balloting for a BTO flat, but still. If you are one of the lucky ones heading to Hong Kong, there is plenty to check out in the revitalised city. During our recent trip there, we visited the upgraded iconic Peak Tram, which underwent a massive S$137.1mil revamp over 14 months.

It now has new and bigger tram cars, shorter waiting times and comfier surroundings (the famously steep incline is still as thrilling as ever though).

Get tram tickets here. The reward of the ride to Victoria Peak is a beautiful bird’s eye view of Hong Kong, which now includes the interesting new West Kowloon Cultural District built with 40 hectares of reclaimed land.

The district houses two new major art museums. One of which is the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which has an exhibition documenting a day in the life of Qing dynasty emperors, complete with displayed rare artefacts from the royal palaces.

Modern art

A short walk away is the M+ Museum, which specialises in modern art. From now till May 24, it is holding a massive retrospective of famed Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Titled Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now, the exhibition features over 200 works spanning her seven decades-long career.

Check out what to expect below:

Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now runs till May 24, 2023. Get tickets here.

Photo: Arte M Hong Kong

Viral realistic Korean digital art

One of the most exciting malls to pop up in Hong Kong is K11 Musea, an art-centric shopping mecca that looks like something out of Harry Potter. Its parent company, the Hong Kong-based New World Group, also runs other artsy spaces in the city including K11 Atelier, which is now hosting Arte M, the immersive digital art experience by Korean design company d’strict that was previously shown only at its Arte Museum on Jeju Island.

K-pop fans may have seen one of its most recognisable works called Wave, which was installed at the COEX K-pop Square in Seoul’s Gangnam district. The artwork is a realistic anamorphic projection of giant crashing waves, which you can experience 3D-style in a darkened room at Arte M.

Here is a sneak peek:

00:07 Min Photo: Arte M Hong Kong

The exhibition is divided into six rooms, including trippy flower gardens, a jungle and - the coolest one - a hyperrealistic beach at night with the Northern Lights over your head.

Arte M runs till Jan 7, 2024. Get tickets here.  

This trip was supported by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Photos: Yip Jieying