The best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend (May 9-11)

From now until June 15, Hong Kong Times Square is teaming up with beloved Japanese illustrator Tomato Market to create the world's first physical Super Tomato Market featuring the illustrator's signature characters in a retro grocery store with giant food props. Aside from taking plenty of colourful snaps, Team Times members can also participate in the Grocery Hunter game (until May 14) and search for seven hidden ingredient stickers around the mall to redeem exclusive Tomato Market merchandise or a $50 e-coupon.  

K11 Musea and K11 Art Mall are here to take visitors on a culinary journey with their 'Artisanal Kitchen' showcase, featuring over 80 exceptional dining outlets across both locations. Highlights include Michelin-starred establishments like yè shanghai and Tuber Umberto Bombana, Tokyo's beloved ramen spot Ginza Kagari, Suzhou-style noodle house So 'Meen', and many more. Whether it's an exquisite feast or something for #foodpic on the 'gram, diners will get to enjoy instant cash discounts of up to $500 at select restaurants by joining KLUB 11 from now until May 31. Visit here for more info.

Teaming up with Disney Hong Kong before the live-action movie Lilo and Stitch hits Hong Kong cinemas, Harbour City presents 'Stitch Arrives!!!', the biggest ever Stitch event in Hong Kong. Visitors will be transported to the monster's favourite Hawaiian beach, complete with five adorable photo spots and eight stamping stations throughout the mall. Strike a pose with Stitch at the Ocean Terminal Forecourt, or head up to the Ocean Terminal Deck to take pics with the seven-metre-tall Wisher Stitch against the beautiful Victoria Harbour. Fans can also take their pick from over 800 types of merch and snacks at the Stitch-themed pop-up store in the Main Concourse. Meanwhile, the little ones can unleash their creativity at the Ohana Craft Club (Ocean Terminal Atrium), where they can take part in Hawaiian-themed DIY workshops and activities – Stitch will even make a special appearance on Mother's Day for meet-and-greet sessions!  All proceeds from the event will be donated to Make-A-Wish Hong Kong after deducting costs.

From now until May 25, Hysan Place is turning into a 'hipster hub' with 'hy! Chill Fest', featuring four highlights not to be missed. Step into the seven-metre-tall ComplexCon Hotel to get your hands on limited-edition ComplexCon merch; explore Hysan Place to discover a trendy lineup of fashion pop-ups and retail spaces, including the first physical store of the legendary American streetwear label Staple Pigeon; and find exclusive crossover merch and exclusive offers. Last but certainly not least, don't miss the one-of-a-kind sneaker exhibition up at Urban Park (4/F), where 40 rare styles from the Jordan collection and 25 pairs of Sotheby’s-grade Nike Dunks are on display until May 5. Be sure to catch the guided tours at 3pm and 6pm to learn about the fascinating stories and history behind each pair. A must-visit for sneakerheads!

Hong Kong's first large-scale Crayon Shinchan interactive exhibition has landed in Kai Tak Sports Park from now to August 31. Spanning over 10,000 square feet, this playful experience lets you join Shinchan and the 'Kasukabe Defence Force' on a thrilling time-travelling rescue mission. The exhibition features nine immersive zones, including recreations of Shinchan's living room, a UFO spaceship, a futuristic city, and a ninja village. Visitors can enjoy interactive games, AR missions, and plenty of photo opportunities with 3D characters. There's also a special museum section showcasing 35 years of Crayon Shinchan history, complete with original artwork and movie memorabilia. After the adventure, be sure to stop by the pop-up shop to browse over 200 themed merchandise items or grab a snack at the themed food stall. Tickets start at $108 and are available on INCUTix, K11 Experience, and KKday.

When is Chinese calligraphy not actually calligraphy? Well, when it comes from Xu Bing’s brush, apparently. This Chinese artist is well known for what he calls ‘square word calligraphy’, which he developed in 1993 – it looks remarkably similar to Chinese characters but a closer look will reveal English words that have been deliberately designed and drawn to confuse the mind. This exhibition includes linguistic features and greetings unique to Hong Kong, as well as the Square Word Calligraphy Classroom, which provides writing tools and copybooks for visitors to attempt Xu’s special writing system.

Among the three recent Oi! Spotlight exhibitions is renowned Japanese contemporary artist Toyofuku Ryo’s first solo exhibition in Hong Kong. His Golden Tearoom is an elegant space filled with over 200 drawings of elements in Hong Kong life. Take your time identifying everything from local dishes to the clown motif for Ocean Park’s Hair Raiser rollercoaster. There is also the Golden Playroom, where visitors are invited to interact and engage with each other through board games and electronic elements. This area is also full to the brim with distinctly local items such as Red A plastic lampshades, golden dragon sculptures often seen in banquet restaurants, metal containers for ‘airplane olive’ snacks, and more.

In celebration of Sun Museum’s 10th anniversary, the ‘Colour of the Universe’ exhibition showcases 120 stones of rare colours and jade carvings dating from the Song dynasty to the early to mid-20th century. Fans of precious stones will enjoy seeing these art pieces made from materials such as white jade, agate, amethyst, tea quartz, coral, lapis lazuli, spinach jade, and more. Keep an eye out for the oldest jade carving in the exhibition: a five-petaled agate cup in the form of a flower from the Northern Song dynasty.

This is the late American artist’s first-ever exhibition in Asia, and will showcase some of her works from the 70s which have never been seen before. This was a pivotal period for Drexler, as she was suffering from a mental breakdown and experiencing psychosomatic colour-blindness. But she never stopped her artistic creation, often drawing while listening to matinee shows at the Metropolitan Opera. If her piece Erratic Water caught your eye in the White Cube booth at Art Basel Hong Kong, then you’ll enjoy these 20 paintings and 15 works on paper as well. 

Osaka-born artist Sasaoka Yuriko examines the historical roles of animals in society and how humans form relationships with the natural world in this surrealist exhibition. Inspired by the story of Wojtek, an orphaned bear used in WW2 military operations that supposedly took up human habits, Yuriko has crafted totem-like sculptures of various animals using vintage stuffed toys, using screens in place of eyes and mouths showing parts of the artist’s own face instead. Are these Frankenstein-ed creatures more human or animal?