December Highlights: Top things to see and do this month

The yuletide season brings with it a slew of festive celebrations and seasonal offerings this December. From a Hong Kong-inspired ballet performance of The Nutcracker, the latest installment of the most iconic couture creations from a collaboration between Adrian Cheng and Carine Roitfeld, the Hong Kong Philharmonics’ Christmas Fantasia to a delicious 6-course sensorial dining experience at Madame Fù and the annual Swire Properties’ White Christmas Street Fair, here are the top things to see and do in this festive season…

december event highlights thins to see and do in hong kong gafencu _white christmas street fair

White Christmas Street Fair 2021
2-5 Dec

Swire Properties sets the scene for the festive season once again, with Tong Chong Street transformed into ‘Santa’s Whimsical Factory’ during the annual White Christmas Street Fair. Here, you’ll find a treasure trove of toys and treats, with a chance to tailor-make your own gifts with the assistance of Santa’s little helpers. In the spirit of Christmas and giving back, proceeds from the fair will go to Operation Santa Claus, an annual campaign to boost the coffers of various local charities and regional non-profit organisations.

How much: Free entry
Where: Taikoo Place, Quarry Bay
For more info: swireproperties.com

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Oriental Watch Company X Madame Fù Presents: Take Your Time – Savour the Moment
Until 10 Dec

Hong Kong’s very own home-grown watch retailer, Oriental Watch Company, celebrates its 60th anniversary with a delicious collaboration with chic contemporary Cantonese dining space Madame Fù and award-winning local artist Sim Chan, serving up a multi-sensorial dining experience right in the heart of the heritage complex of Tai Kwun, Central. Presenting a 6-course menu, meticulously designed by Head Chef Kit Liao, diners will be treated to a multi-sensory gourmet experience that combines a delectable feast with an artistic installation, The Discovery of Time ~ 1961, within the opulent dining space of Madame Fù.

Reserve a table at Madame Fù, 3rd Floor,Tai Kwun, No. 10 Hollywood Road, Central; (852) 2114 2118 / reservations@madamefu.com.hk

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Rare Classics: Shanxi Opera Excerpts
10-11 Dec

A series of xiqu heritage performances at West Kowloon’s traditional Chinese musical theatre venue opens with bangzi, or clapper opera, beloved for its lively singing and rhythmic wooden clappers. Four Shanxi troupes present excerpts from works in their distinctive regional styles– Pu Opera, Jin Opera, Beilu Bangzi and Shangdang Bangzi – which rarely reach our shores, while a narrator is on hand to provide illuminating insights into the traditional skills and gestures.

How much: From HK$270
Where: Tea House Theatre, Xiqu Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui
For more info: westkowloon.hk

december event highlights thins to see and do in hong kong gafencu _the nut cracker

The Nutcracker: A Hong Kong Adventure
11-26 Dec

An annual festive feature that delights both young and old, The Nutcracker appears with a local twist to its magical tale this year. Hong Kong Ballet’s artistic director Septime Webre sets the faithful Christmas ballet in early 20th-century Hong Kong, charmingly fusing local historical characters, wildlife and traditions– imagine dancing dim sum clowns and bauhinia flowers – with Tchaikovsky’s iconic score. Presented by China Everbright Ltd, it is a glorious feast for the eyes and ears. This year, Fortnum & Mason’s 181, the iconic purveyor of fine foods in Hong Kong has partnered with Hong Kong Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker! to celebrate the iconic retailer’s longstanding support of the arts, particularly during a time where the sector has suffered. On 4th December between 3-4pm, guests will have the opportunity to meet dancers from the ballet in full costume, and take photos with them. 

How much: From HK$180
Where: Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui
For more info: hkballet.com

december event highlights thins to see and do in hong kong gafencu _kintsugi

Kintsugi Ceramic Restoration Workshop
12 & 19 Dec

Kintsugi (golden joinery) is a traditional craft in which lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver or platinum is used to repair broken pottery. Master Wang Sen guides enthusiasts through a three-hour introduction to the ancient Japanese art and philosophy of porcelain restoration at Tai Kwun-based Touch Ceramics. The workshop not only gives participants a souvenir to take home, but also perhaps a new outlook on life.

How much: HK$1,980
Where: Shop 203, Barrack Block, Tai Kwun, Central
For more info: touchceramics.com

december event highlights thins to see and do in hong kong gafencu _savoire faire k11 foundation

Savoir-Faire: The Mastery of Craft in Fashion
13 Dec – Feb 2022

Artisanship and culture from the East and West come together in a partnership between Adrian Cheng, founder of K11, and French fashion icon Carine Roitfeld. Haute couture and avant-garde pieces from the likes of Balenciaga, Chanel, Givenchy, Richard Quinn and Tom Van der Borght stand alongside both rare and modern artefacts from the archives of the K11 Craft & Guild Foundation. Designed to be both visually and physically immersive, the exhibition underlines Cheng’s ongoing mission to conserve and preserve Chinese traditional craftsmanship, will take audience on a visual journey into the fantastical pages of Roitfeld’s iconic fashion editorials. Book now to immerse in the storied crafts of haute couture and traditional Chinese craftsmanship in Savoir-Faire: The Mastery of Craft in Fashion.

How much: Free entry
Where: 6/F, K11 Art & Cultural Centre, K11 Musea, Tsim Sha Tsui
For more info: k11musea.com

december event highlights thins to see and do in hong kong gafencu _paper-cut_The HK Phil_

Christmas Fantasia
23-24 Dec

The melodic ambiance of the Christmas holiday is traditionally upbeat with joyful choirs and audience cheers. This will certainly resonate as the Hong Kong Philharmonic welcomes two wonderful choirs, the HK Phil Chorus and The Hong Kong Children’s Choir, to perform timeless melodies from Tchaikovsky, Handel’s Messiah, and a musical visit from Our Neighbour Totoro, among other tuneful treats. Christmas Fantasia, a delightful concert for the whole family, is in the able hands of conductor Apollo Wong.

How much: From HK$220
Where: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui.
For more info: hkphil.org

december event highlights thins to see and do in hong kong gafencu _the sun museum

Splendour of China 
Until 15 Jan 2022

Sun Museum, a local private, non-profit museum, pays tribute to the formative figures of the People’s Republic of China through an exhibition of Chinese artworks and letters from the 20th century. Calligraphy, ink painting, news clippings and woodblock prints are among the diverse artefacts that share stories, narratives and perspectives of those who played a role in the country’s transformation. Discover the individuals and groups that contributed to the rise of modern Chinese society.

How much: Free entry
Where: 4/F, SML Tower, 165 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong
For more info: en.sunmuseum.org.hk

Immersive Whisky Tasting Bothy
From now until Jan 15 2022

Dram fans make way for an immersive journey at Glenlivet’s whisky tasting bothy pop-up. ‘An experience beyond time’, the instagrammable journey takes you into the brand’s rich heritage and whisky making concepts from 1824 to modern-day Glenlivet… The immersive experience harks back into the 19th century with an exciting journey of what makes the inimitable single malt “the real stuff”. A tasting of their limited edition 12-Year-Old Licensed Dram, in a limited run of 300 bottles, as well as its limited edition of The Glenlivet 14-Year-Old Sherry Cask selection is available. Additionally, the exciting The Glenlivet Cocktail Capsules are also featured at the pop-up.

How much: Free entry
Where: Ground floor, K 11 Art Mall
For more info: https://live.eventtia.com/en/theglenlivetbothy

Stunning victors of the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

Few events in watchmaking are as hotly anticipated as the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). Now in its 20th year, the annual awards ceremony serves to unify the industry and celebrate its brightest horological creations. For the 2021 edition, 84 timepieces were nominated across 14 categories, with an expert jury revealing the winners last month. We spotlight seven awardees that merit particular mention.

Ladies’ Complication Watch Prize

Stunning victors of the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève van cleef & arpels lady Féerie gafencu

Taking top honours for femme-focused complexity was Van Cleef & Arpels’ gorgeous Lady Féerie. Its 33mm white-gold case is fronted by a delicate fairy illuminated by moonlight who tells the passage of time with her magic wand. The fairy’s face is decorated with diamonds and shines against a bluish sky of guilloché-carved mother-of-pearl. This Poetic Complications Collection model features an automatic mechanical movement (Valfleurier Q020) with a jumping hours and retrograde minutes module – quite a feat for a watch of its small stature.

Men’s Complication Watch Prize

Stunning victors of the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève MB&F LMX Titnium gafencu

Independent manufacture MB&F’s LMX Titanium emerged victorious among the manly models. Created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the brand’s Legacy Machines and limited to a release of just 33 pieces, it sports the dynamic 3D dial with central flying balance wheel and two dials of its first predecessor. Complex yet practical, this 44mm titanium creation is further burnished with a dual time function for tracking two time zones simultaneously. The mechanism under the hood – MB&F’s manual-winding 367-part movement with robust seven-day power reserve – is equally impressive.

Artistic Crafts Watch Prize

Stunning victors of the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève MB&F LM SE Eddy Jaquet ‘Around the World in Eighty Days

MB&F picked up a second GPHG gong for LM SE Eddy Jaquet ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’, a watch inspired by the eponymous Jules Verne novel and one of a set of eight unique creations crafted in collaboration with master engraver Eddy Jaquet. Punctuated with an hours-and-minutes display, date indicator and power reserve aperture, the dial is dominated by scenes from Phileas Fogg’s adventures, all painstakingly engraved by Jaquet directly onto the mainplate of the manual-winding LM Split Escapement movement.

Calendar and Astronomy Watch Prize

Stunning victors of the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Christiaan van der Kraauw’s CVDK Planetarium Eise Eisinga gafencu
Dutch horology brand Christiaan van der Kraauw’s CVDK Planetarium Eise Eisinga nabbed this prize thanks in no small part to it housing the world’s smallest mechanical heliocentric planetarium. Located on the bottom half of the 40mm design’s blue fascia, this tracks the real-time locations of the first six planets in our solar system as they orbit around the sun. Its self-winding movement serves up a 96-hour power reserve, while a pink gold case and elegant alligator leather strap completes the look of sophistication.

Challenge Watch Prize

Stunning victors of the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève CIGA Design’s Blue Planet

Another outer space-inspired creation to achieve pole position was Shenzhen-based company CIGA Design’s Blue Planet, which snapped up the coveted Challenge Watch Prize. Limited to a release of just 50 pieces, the 46mm titanium model’s dominant motif is the miniature Earth – micro-carved to replicate our planet’s exact terrain as viewed from the North Pole – that rotates to indicate the hour via a mariner symbol along its edge. The minute hand, meanwhile, has been replaced with a rotating minute chapter ring, ensuring that nothing blemishes its aesthetic beauty.

Innovation Prize

Stunning victors of the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Bernhard Lederer’s Central Impulse Chronometer

A more minimalist design scored big for innovation: German independent watchmaker Bernhard Lederer’s Central Impulse Chronometer. Crafted from white gold, its sleek dial boasts a semi-skeletonised finish that reveals the inner movement via the two open-worked small-seconds apertures at 8 and 10 o’clock. While the rest of the face is covered, its caseback is wholly transparent, affording direct views of the mechanical-winding Calibre 9012 movement, replete with a cutting-edge escapement system.

“Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix

Stunning victors of the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar

Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar grabbed the highest honour this year. Long heralded for creating the world’s slimmest designs, the brand’s latest model broke yet another record as the thinnest perpetual calendar ever made. At just 5.8mm in depth, the 40mm titanium creation burnished in the brand’s signature octagonal shape is amazingly able to tell the day, date and month without any need for adjustment until the year 2100. A masterclass of precision engineering and haute horological know-how, it sets a new benchmark for fine watchmaking.

 

(Text: Tenzing Thondup Photos: GPHG)