Whether you like them sweet or savoury, these glutinous rice dumplings are the best for celebrating Dragon Boat Festival in Hong Kong.
Dragon Boat Festival is a season of festivities and feasting. Beyond the thrill of dragon boat races taking place off the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and across Victoria Harbour, this public holiday is also the occasion for zongzi (粽子), or glutinous rice dumplings. While they’re all pyramid-shaped and wrapped in aromatic bamboo leaves, Northern Chinese rice dumplings are traditionally sweet, filled with bean paste and jujube, whereas Southern Chinese ones are savoury, often stuffed with pork belly and salted egg. No matter how you prefer your dumps, you’ll find plenty of choices and flavours here in the 852. Read on for our top rice dumplings in Hong Kong this year.
Celebrate Dragon Boat Festival 2025 with these rice dumplings in Hong Kong
1. Mira Dining: Cuisine Cuisine and Tsui Hang Village
Mira Dining’s Chinese restaurants Cuisine Cuisine and Tsui Hang Village are introducing new creations to its delectable line up of rice dumplings. As always, premium ingredients are the star. On the savoury side, the Golden Oyster and Crab Roe Rice Dumpling offers an indulgent blend of golden oysters and fresh Jiangsu crab roe. As for sweets, the Salted Egg Yolk and Lotus Seed Paste Rice Dumpling with Brown Sugar Syrup gives the well-loved classic an upgrade.
Over at Tsui Hang Village, the new vegetarian Fungus and Pearl Rice Dumpling ensures that herbivores can join in on festive feasting as well. Packed with Japanese pearl rice, whole grains, chestnuts, and flower mushrooms, this is a delicious and nourishing treat that’s ideal for anyone looking for a lighter alternative to the festive treat.
Availability: Until 31 May 2025
How much: From $168 per pair of dumplings for Cuisine Cuisine and Tsui Hang Village
Delivery/ pick up: Order dumplings online for pick up at selected Cuisine Cuisine and Tsui Hang Village locations across Hong Kong.
Address: Cuisine Cuisine and Tsui Hang Village have locations in Tsim Sha Tsui and Central.
Order from Cuisine Cuisine Order from Tsui Hang Village
2. Lung King Heen
For those who find the usual zongzi a tad heavy, Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons has the perfectly balanced offering for you. Thoughtfully included in all dumpling sets is a tin of premium Fuding Cold Dew White Tea, whose delicate floral notes perfectly cuts through the richness of the festive treat. Whether you go for the signature Organic Glutinous Grain Rice Dumpling with Abalone and Conpoy or the Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Pineapple and Osmanthus, Lung King Heen’s sets ensure an enjoyable tasting experience.
Availability: Until 30 May 2025
How much: From $488 per set
Delivery/ pick up: Collection from 21 to 30 May, 10am – 8pm at Four Seasons’ Lobby Counter or Cake Shop.
Address: Lung King Heen, Four Seasons Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong
3. The Legacy House
Look no further than The Legacy House if you’re craving for a taste of nostalgia! The Deluxe Rice Dumpling with Abalone and Jinhua Ham blends premium mung bean and white glutinous rice with abalone, mushrooms, dried scallops, and Jinhua ham, all seasoned with The Legacy House’s signature salted chicken sauce. For those with a sweet tooth, the Premium Sweet Rice Dumpling refines the familiar sweetened red bean paste with coveted 24-year-aged dried tangerine peel.
Availability: 21 – 31 May 2025
How much: From $598 per set
Delivery/ pick up: Order online for pick up at Butterfly Patisserie at Rosewood Hong Kong from 1pm to 8pm everyday during the redemption period.
Address: The Legacy House, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
4. The Peninsula Boutique
Add a kick to your Dragon Boat Festival celebrations with The Peninsula Boutique’s XO Chilli Sauce Rice Dumpling with Pork. Carefully prepared with tender pork belly, premium salted egg yolk, and seasoned with XO chili sauce, these treats come in a two-piece set that’s the perfect addition to your festive gathering. And if you’re seeking to gift something sweet, the Salted Egg Yolk Cookie and Palmier Gift Box is an ideal choice, where the Peninsula’s signature butter cookies and palmiers are infused with the indulgent flavours of salted egg yolk.
Availability: Until 31 May 2025
How much: From $338 per set
Delivery/ pick up: Order online for delivery or pick up from The Peninsula Boutique & Cafe’s stores in Tsim Sha Tsui or the airport.
Address: The Peninsula Boutique & Cafe, The Peninsula Arcade, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Order from The Peninsula Boutique
5. Jiangsu Club
For something a little different, check out Jiangsu Club’s signature creations that champion Jia Hu flavours. Unlike Cantonese dumplings, these glutinous relatives are marinated in a light and dark soy sauce, giving them a distinctive colour as well as flavour profile in an elongated, pillow-like shape. The classic Abalone, Pork, and Egg Yolk Sticky Rice Dumpling and the sweet Red Bean Sticky Rice Dumpling will bring a special touch to any celebratory gatherings.
Availability: Until 31 May 2025
How much: From $108 per dumpling
Delivery/ pick up: Order and pick up from the restaurant from 11:30am – 3pm and 6 – 11pm, 7 to 31 May.
Phone number: 6230 8973
Address: Jiangsu Club, 2/F, Alliance Building, 130 – 136 Connaught Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
What festive foods are you most excited to try? DM @honeycombershk on Instagram or drop us an email at [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the different types of rice dumplings commonly found in Hong Kong for the Dragon Boat Festival?
You’ll find a variety of rice dumplings in Hong Kong for the Dragon Boat Festival, often reflecting both traditional Cantonese styles and regional influences. The most common types are: traditional savoury dumplings (鹹肉糉), usually containing glutinous rice, pork belly, mung beans, salted egg york, and sometimes mushrooms or dried scallops, as well as sweet alkaline dumplings (鹼水糉), made with glutinous rice treated with lye water, which gives them a unique chewy texture and yellowish colour, and are often eaten plain or dipped in sugar or syrup.
Where are some of the best places to buy authentic and delicious rice dumplings in Hong Kong for the Dragon Boat Festival?
The best places to buy authentic and delicious rice dumplings in Hong Kong for the Dragon Boat Festival are traditional Chinese restaurants, which offer handcrafted rice dumplings usually made with premium ingredients. You’ll also find pre-packaged rice dumplings at supermarkets come Dragon Boat season.
What is the significance of eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival?
Eating rice dumplings (zongzi) is a tradition of the Dragon Boat Festival that commemorates the patriotic poet, Qu Yuan. Legend has it that after Qu drowned himself in the Miluo River, people threw rice wrapped in leaves into the water to stop fish from eating his body. Over time, this practice evolved into the making and eating of glutinous rice dumplings. The wrapping of fillings in bamboo or reed leaves in a triangular shape also comes from this tradition.
