Get into the festive spirit this fortnight by pulling on your woollens and heading to one of Hong Kong’s many skating rinks. Ysabelle Cheung treads on thin ice to find you the right rink, depending on your skills, preference and propensity to dancing. Additional reporting by Seonmi Shin

Ice Palace Cityplaza
This rink has the smoothest, slickest ice around – plus it’s the only one actually on Hong Kong island. Regular skaters will be rewarded with a points card which you can then use to collect various skating paraphernalia. However, it’s not the best rink to practice your backward arabesque spiral, as this and other advanced moves are banned here for the safety of fellow skaters.
1/F, Cityplaza, 18 Taikoo Shing Rd, Taikoo Shing. 9.30am-7.30pm. $45-70 per session. 2844 8688; www.icepalace.com.hk

Glacier Festival Walk
Skate along while you admire the awe-inspiring backdrop of Lion Rock Mountain and shimmy (if you can) to tunes blasting from the high-quality audio system. This is the largest and busiest ice rink in Hong Kong, but its popularity can be attributed to its home – the giant Festival Walk shopping mall. They often play host to skating competitions and a lower fence by the shopping mall side makes it easy for spectators to get in on the action.
Level UG, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Ave, Kowloon Tong. 10.30am-10pm. $45-$70 per session. 2844 3588; www.glacier.com.hk

SkyRink Dragon Centre
Like rollercoasters? Like skating? Hop on the indoor Sky Train and whip through the icy rink, shooting past gliding skaters. The rink itself features powdery simulated snow and has a ‘lover special’ on Wednesdays ($35 for the whole day) for those who want the ultimate romantic skating experience. It’s a very old rink but still pulls in decent crowds.
8/F, Dragon Centre, 37K Yen Chow St, Sham Shui Po. Mon, Tue, Fri 9am-9.30pm; Wed 9am-10pm; Thu 9am- 8.45pm; Sun 9am- 6pm. $50-$60 per session. www.skyrinkhk.com

Mega Ice MegaBox
Puck away! This international-sized rink hosts Olympic qualifiers and local figure skating contests and is also available for birthday parties and private hire. On a regular day, you might see budding hockey players zinging pucks around; the Penguins Hockey Club holds classes for all ages, from ‘Atoms’ (5-6) to ‘Seniors’ (19+). A free shuttle bus runs from Kowloon Bay MTR station to the rink.
Unit 1, Level 10, MegaBox 38 Wang Chiu Rd, Kowloon Bay. Mon-Fri 10am-10.40pm; Sat 9.30am-9pm; Sun 9am-10.30pm. $40-$70 per 2-3 hour session. 2709 4023; www.megaice.com.hk

The Rink Elements
This 17,200sq ft rink uses the first Octopus card pay-as-you-go service, effectively cutting pesky queues. Little ones can also rent a ‘penguin’ hand-held skating aid. It’s greener than most rinks too, with lower energy consumption rates, but the ice surface is bumpy in some places. G/F, Elements, 1 Austin Rd West, Kowloon. Open 10am–10pm. $50 for whole day skating or $1/minute at peak hours. 2196 8016; www.rink.com.hk

Riviera Ice Chalet Tsuen Wan
Although small, this rink packs a punch in nurturing top class figure skaters and coaches. Managed by the past president of the Ice Skating Institute of Asia (ISIA), the prestigious skating school is renowned for its ISIA approach to teaching – British Gold medallist Linda Huggins is on-site. Great for those who want to perfect that elusive camel spin.
3/F, Riviera Plaza, 28 Wing Shun St, Tsuen Wan. Mon-Fri 10am-10pm; Sat-Sun 9am-10pm. $40 weekdays (3hrs), $50 weekends. 2307 9264; www.rivieraicechalet.net