9 new things to do in the Greater Bay Area this September

From dazzling lantern and firework displays to celebrate Mid-Autumn festival, to spectacles of music, art and sport, there are plenty of openings to explore and things to do in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area this month. Bask in the season of togetherness and add these events and highlight openings to your calendar: 

Hong Kong: Japanese superstore Tokyo Lifestyle 

Tai Wai’s new mall The Wai has a trendy new addition – and it’s a J-beauty lover’s dream come true. Japanese beauty superstore Tokyo Lifestyle has thrown open its doors, stocked with everything from barely-there lip tints to coloured contacts. With brands like Canmake, Cezanne and Kate crammed onto shelves, it’s the perfect place to upgrade your beauty arsenal. 

Tokyo Lifestyle, Shop 412C, 4/F, The Wai, 18 Che Kung Miu Road, Tai Wai 

Hong Kong: Gen Z-friendly hotel Ying’nFlo 

A three-storey Gen Z-friendly hotel and serviced apartment opens this month in Wan Chai. Aimed at a younger crowd, Ying’nFlo lets you check in and out, and order room service and more – all from an app. There’s also a café and exhibition space for emerging local artists. You’ll know you’re there when you spot the gigantic mural. 

Ying’nFlo, Wesley Admiralty, 22 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai 

Hong Kong: Double feature of classical Chinese painting 

Thanks to a sizeable donation from local collectors, the Hong Kong Museum of Art is putting on two exhibitions of traditional Chinese painting: A Match Made in Painting: Selected Works of Xie Zhiliu and Chen Peiqiu from the Jingguanlou Collection and Beyond Blessings: Birthday Greetings for the Master of Chih Lo Lou. Free admission. Until 25 October. 

Hong Kong Museum of Art, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui 

Hong Kong: Paint your own masterpieces 

Feeling inspired? Pick up a brush and get daubing at the Hong Kong Art School , which offers 10-session beginners’ courses in Chinese brush painting taught by a master of landscape and character painting. 

Macao:  31st Macao International Fireworks Display 

Our favourite firework show returns to the skies over Macao. Ten of the world’s best firework artists will compete in the 31st Macao International Fireworks Display Contest, casting their glittery spells over Nam Van Lake. The contest was last held in 2019, when Japanese fireworks company Marutamaya Ogatsu Fireworks wowed the judges with gigantic plumes of golden glitter. Bring a camera and head to Macau Tower for a front-row seat. 9, 16 & 23 September, 1 & 7 October. 

Macao:  Macao International Art Biennale 2023 

The Vegas of the East is putting on a range of cultural events across the city as part of Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2023. The festival’s main exhibition at the Macao Museum of Art , titled The Statistics of Fortune, explores the relationship between science and religion through pieces by local and international creators specialising in various mediums, including painting, sculpture, video and AI art.  

Until 29 October. 

Zhuhai: Zhuhai Championships 

Missed Wimbledon? Don your tennis whites and head to the Zhuhai Championships . As part of the ATP Tour, the men’s tennis tournament will feature serious international talent, including Grand Slam winners Andy Murray and Daniil Medvedev.  

20-26 September. 

Guangzhou: Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra 2023/24 season debut 

The Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra kicks off the 2023/24 season with Huang Yi as its new musical director. The season-opening concert will feature masterpieces by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich and more, performed by world-class musicians. 16 September. 

Shenzhen: James Jean’s retrospective ’Eternal Spiral III’ 

Taiwanese American artist James Jean brings two decades’ worth of work to Shenzhen’s Sea World Culture and Art Center. His exhibition, Eternal Spiral III , features the multimedia artist’s charming and eerie pieces, which delve into fantasy worlds on canvas and in sculpture. Until 17 November.