Hello kitty lanterns and fire dragons: 2010 mid-autumn festivities

The Mid-Autumn Festival is here and while an incoming typhoon is threatening to put a damper on festivities, we will still be optimistically celebrating with or without rain. Here is a list of things to do, see and buy around town. Meanwhile, continue to track Typhoon Fanapi on the Hong Kong observatory website and pray for fairer weather.

Tai Hang's Fire Dragon Dance.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Each year near the Mid Autumn festival, a flaming 67 meter dragon made of joss sticks turns the quiet neighborhood of Tai Hang into a rowdy fairground.

According to Hakka tradition, the fire dragon, which will cruise Tai Hang’s back streets for three days, is meant to dispel plague.

The dragon is constructed with some 72,000 incense sticks and is propped up by around 300 performers. Festivities start from 7:30 p.m. and ends at 10:30 p.m. from September 21-23.

Read more about the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance here.

Lantern exhibitions

For a classic Mid-Autumn Festival photo-op, head over to the numerous lantern exhibitions in some of Hong Kong’s most popular public spaces. The Cultural Centre Piazza in Tsim Sha Tsui is currently hosting "The Rhapsody of Hong Kong Memories" with giant lanterns depicting scenes from 1950s Hong Kong. Exhibition “All about the Moon," located along the waterfront promenade in West Kowloon, has lanterns depicting lunar myths. 

The lanterns light up at 6:30 p.m. at both locations from September 10. Check the government website for more details.

Victoria Park fills up with families during each Mid-Autumn Festival.

Lantern carnival

The Urban Lantern Carnival at Victoria Park is all about kitschy mid-autumn fun. Organized by the government, the carnival offers wholesome family entertainment like stage shows and game stalls. The carnival commences at 8 p.m. on September 22 and ends at 11 p.m.

There are also two similar lantern carnivals in the New Territories. More details are available on the government website.

 

Moon-gazing

Appreciate the beauty of the full moon this Mid-Autumn Festival. Locate yourself on the rooftop of a building for the best chance of viewing the moon. For where best to stare at the moon on that night, check our feature on the best spots to moon-gaze. A night-time barbecue party is also a popular choice of activity during Mid-Autumn as it takes advantage of the natural moonlight -- check out Hong Kong's best public barbecue sites, which usually provides wide-open spaces for a good moon-gazing perspective.

Time and weather website Timeanddate.com predicts that the sun will set in Hong Kong at around 6:20 p.m. on Mid-Autumn Festival (September 22). 

Where to buy lanterns:

Sheung Wan has a colorful cluster of traditional lantern shops along 138 - 147 Queen’s Road West. Chun Sing Hong lantern shop has been in business for 30 years and is an old-time favorite.

Chung Sing Hong, 138-142 Queen's Rd West, +852 2547 4653