Earlier this month I attended the 2025 R34 Festival here in Hong Kong and it was as you’d expect, amazing! Hosted by Skyline Hong Kong, the annual Festival is a gathering of Skyline owners, JDM enthusiasts, race car drivers, drifters, mechanics, and family to celebrate what is considered to be one of, if not the greatest car to come out of Japan: the Nissan Skyline R34.
Originally celebrated in Japan, the R34 Festival was brought over to Hong Kong by Pluto Mok and his local R34-owning friends who now form the committee of the Skyline Hong Kong WhatsApp group for organizing the festival. Pluto is a local race car driver/drifter, director of Hong Kong’s first simulation racing game, and owner of an R34 GT-R V-spec II who brought his car to the 2024 R34 Festival in Japan (see below).
Through Pluto’s racing connections, he was able to collaborate with Japanese car clubs to bring awareness to Hong Kong’s car culture, and with permission from these clubs he started the R34 Festival five years ago. It was meant a way for former members of the now disbanded Hong Kong Skyline Club to continue with their passion, and also to help promote a newer generation of R34 enthusiasts.
Since the Festival is not hosted by an official club that would have revenue from membership fees, the group of enthusiasts relies on sponsors to provide venues, food and “lucky draw” prizes.
[Ed Note: Is it nepotism if it’s unpaid? I don’t know, but welcome my brother Michael, purveyor of the beloved Cars of Hong Kong Instagram page. Mike and I put together a series of videos a few years back pointing out the incredible abandoned cars of Hong Kong.Oh and here’s a parking garage in Hong Kong:
Anyway, you can expect more Hong Kong content from Mike. Here’s a little Skyline-themed car show he attended recently. -DT]
Open lots where you could freely park, like at any Walmart or strip mall in the U.S. do not exist in Hong Kong and any form of public gathering would require prior approval by the local government, so private or “underground” gatherings have become the norm. This year’s venue was tucked away in the Northwest New Territories in a private lot provided by longtime supporter Addict Garage.
I arrived at noon after having parked my motorbike nearby and walked along a small back street to the gates of the venue. I could hear the faint rumble of RB26 engines from over a wall telling me I had arrived at the correct place. Just before entering the venue, I was greeted by a Super Taikyu Test & Service Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution OHLINS race car which I’m told was once a legend in the Japan racing scene. Upon entering the venue, I signed in as “media” at the registration table and was given a food voucher and a lucky draw ticket. From there it was non-stop photography and getting to know owners and their cars.
The place was packed with R34 GT-Rs, GTTs, ER34s (4-doors), Vspec, and everything in between.
A number of non-Skyline JDM cars were also on display parked toward the back of the lot. Check out this gorgeous white Mazda RX7, which has always been my favorite Japanese car. What a spaceship!
And yes, for you anime fans, there were plenty of Itasha-wrapped vehicles.
After a lunch buffet began the lucky draw. Plenty of prizes were given out with the grand prize being an R34 front lip won by Jason, a talented young automotive photographer and upcoming graphic designer. In a matter of seconds, he ended up selling the lip since it was of little use to him without having completed his driving exam. Funny enough, he passed the very next day.
I too won a very nice prize, this Inno64 Castrol Skyline R32. The details are insane!
Here’s the full crew photo from Addict Garage.
You can expect Hong Kong car culture from me; maybe I’ll give an update on that 1965 Harley I found abandoned here?