Among the many traditional Chinese festivals celebrated in Hong Kong, the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most colourful. For centuries, the Mid-Autumn Festival has been one of the most important Chinese festivals, a time when families get together to celebrate the abundance of a good harvest and to gaze at the full moon. Children play with lanterns of different shapes and colours adding a delightful ambience to the festivities. Traditionally, the festival is a three-day event, with people welcoming the full moon on the 14th day of the eighth moon and bidding farewell to the celestial orb on the 16th day. The 15th day is often marked by a family day at home and in recent years it has become customary to take young children to the nearest park after dinner and settle down on the ground to light small candles and nibble moon cakes.

Moon cakes are a traditional and indispensable part of the Mid-Autumn festivities and are available from bakeries, supermarkets and some restaurants from about the end of August. Friends and relatives give one another moon cakes as gifts to convey blessings and good fortune. Moon cakes date back to the Yuan dynasty when Han Chinese rebels passed secret messages to one another hidden in the cakes to prevent their plans for insurrection being discovered by their Mongolian rulers.

The celebrations also include colourful Chinese lanterns. Shops all over town sell coloured Chinese paper lanterns usually in the shape of animals, but more recently, in the shape of space ships and cartoon characters etc. There are also large thematic lantern displays in different areas of Hong Kong.




Coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival is the unique Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance - a spectacular ritual that is considered one of the most extraordinary events during this Festival. In 2011, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance was inscribed on the third national list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ by the Ministry of Culture in China.

Information about Hong Kong’s Mid-Autumn Festival events is detailed below;


LEE KUM KEE LANTERN WONDERLAND

Venue - Soccer Pitch No.1, Victoria Park, Causeway Bay 

Open from 27th September 2012 until 2nd October 2012 at the following times;

27th September, 8pm to 11pm
28th & 29th September, 6-30pm to 11pm
30th September & 1st October, 6-30pm to midnight
2nd October, 6-30pm to 11pm

The event, which attracted over 400,000 visitors last year, features a Giant Lantern, “Golden Moon”, with colourful LED lights and sound effects. The lantern’s design and construction is the result of a design competition organised by Hong Kong Tourism Board in conjunction with Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design, Hong Kong Designers Association and the Hong Kong Institute of Architects. Inspired by the lantern motif of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the “Golden Moon” alludes to “joy” in its Chinese name. The finished structure will measure 18 metres in height and 21 metres in diameter and will be installed above a water pool surrounded by dozens of floating Chinese lanterns. It is constructed with a steel frame, bamboo, stretch fabric, LED lights and suspended lanterns. A light-weight steel geodesic dome forms its primary structure. Using traditional bamboo scaffolding techniques, bamboo is bent around the geodesic dome to form the secondary structure. The sculpture is then clad with stretch fabric, each section of which is lit by animated LED lights in order to create different lighting effects.

A pathway has been built through the pool so that spectators can walk inside the structure to appreciate its interior design. The inside is filled with suspended lanterns, which illuminate the scene with a constantly varying brightness, creating a cloud of animated light. The bright, warm glow emanating from the dome-shape structure relates to the passion between the Moon Goddess of Immortality Chang’e and her husband Houyi. When night falls, the LED lights will be switched on and flicker in rhythm with music.

Admission is free

In conjunction with the Lee Kum Kee Lantern Wonderland, there will be a Lantern Corridor, Mid-Autumn market and cultural performances in Victoria Park;

LANTERN CORRIDOR

The Lantern Corridor, located between Victoria Park Soccer Pitches 3&4 features a walkway illuminated by strings of decorative lanterns. Opening times;

27th, 28th & 29th September, 6-30pm to 11pm
30th September & 1st October, 6-30pm to midnight
2nd October, 6-30pm to 11pm

Admission is free

MID-AUTUMN MARKET

There will be about 20 booths selling festive foods, including mooncakes and local snacks, as well as offering handicraft workshops. The market, located on Victoria Park Soccer Pitches 5&6 is open at the following times;

27th, 28th & 29th September, 6-30pm to 11pm
30th September & 1st October, 6-30pm to midnight
2nd October, 6-30pm to 11pm

Admission is free


CULTURAL PERFORMANCES

Cultural performances, providing a showcase for the younger generation and local performing groups, will take place on Victoria Park Soccer Pitches 3&4 at the following times;

28th & 29th September, 8pm to 10pm

Admission is free

GETTING TO VICTORIA PARK: MTR to Causeway Bay Station, then take Exit E, turn left and follow Great George Street to the park, which is located opposite the end of the street, or MTR to Tin Hau Station, then take Exit A2, turn left and continue ahead until reaching the park.



FIRE DRAGON DANCE PERFORMANCES;

TAI HANG FIRE DRAGON DANCE



The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance has been performed for more than 100 years. Tai Hang, located in Causeway Bay, was originally a Hakka village. Legend has it that a plague broke out there in 1880s and to ward off the disease, the villagers planted joss sticks in a dragon made of grass. On the evenings of the 14th, 15th and 16th of the eighth lunar month, the villagers paraded the fire dragon through the village while letting off firecrackers. The plague ended soon after the event. From then on, the villagers have performed a three-day fire dragon dance every year to bless themselves. The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance was inscribed onto the third national list of intangible cultural heritage by the Chinese Ministry of Culture in 2011. Supported by nearly 300 performers, the fire dragon measures as long as 67 metres. Its head alone weighs 48kg. Its body is divided into 32 segments and uses up a total of 72,000 incense sticks during the three-day performance. After the performance, the dragon is delivered to the sea to symbolise the dragon returning to the sky after it has dispelled the plague in the village.

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance which takes place along Tung Lo Wan Road, Lin Ka Fung Temple and surrounding streets of Tai Hang on;

29th September to 1st October, 7-30pm to 10pm*

* on 30th September the route of the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance is extended to Soccer Pitches 4&5 in Victoria Park from 10-45pm to 11-30pm to allow visitors to enjoy both the dance and the Lee Kum Kee Lantern Wonderland and other Mid-Autumn celebratory activities in the park.

GETTING TO TAI HANG: MTR to Tin Hau then take Exit A1

To facilitate the holding of the Fire Dragon Dance in Tai Hang, there will be road closures and traffic diversions in Tai Hang from 6pm to 11pm daily from 29th September to 1st October. Parking spaces in the area will be temporarily closed. Full details can be found on the Transport Department website;

http://www.td.gov.hk/filemanager/en/content_13/tdn-mid-autumn%202012%20eng.pdf


POK FU LAM FIRE DRAGON DANCE

The Pok Fu Lam Fire Dragon Dance takes place along Pok Fu Lam Road in Pok Fu Lam Village near Aberdeen on;

30th September, from 6-30pm to 11-30pm

Admission is free

GETTING TO POK FU LAM VILLAGE: Pok Fu Lam is not served by MTR. Several Citybus bus routes provide frequent services to the Pok Fu Lam Village bus stop on Pok Fu Lam Road, including 91 (from Central Ferry Piers), 40M (from Admiralty via Central), 30X (from Central Exchange Square), 37A & 37B (circular routes from Chi Fu Fa Yuen via Central/Admiralty), 71 (circular route from Wong Chuk Hang via Central) and 973 (from Tsim Sha Tsui).

For more information about the Pok Fu Lam Fire Dragon Dance see;

http://www.pokfulamvillage.org/dragon.html




OTHER LANTERN CARNIVALS AND ACTIVITIES;


URBAN MID-AUTUMN LANTERN CARNIVAL 2012;

Venue: Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, Soccer Pitches 2,3,4 and 6

*Carnival - 30th September, 8pm to 11pm

Lantern Display - 27th, 28th and 29th September, 6-30pm to 11pm, 30th September and 1st October, 6-30pm to midnight, 2nd October 6-30pm to 11pm

Admission free


NEW TERRITORIES MID-AUTUMN LANTERN CARNIVALS 2012;

Venue: Man Tung Road Park, Tung Chung

Lantern Display - 27th, 28th, 29th September, 1st and 2nd October, 6-30pm to 11pm. 30th September, 6-30pm to midnight

*Lantern Carnival – 28th September, 7-30pm to 10-30pm

Admission free

Venue: Tai Po Waterfront Park, Tai Po

Lantern Display - 27th, 28th, 29th September, 1st and 2nd October, 6-30pm to 11pm. 30th September, 6-30pm to midnight

*Lantern Carnival - 29th September, 7-30pm to 10-30pm

Admission free


* The Lantern Carnivals will feature performances and Chinese folk craft by Hunan Arts Troupe, handicraft demonstrations from Guangdong masters and other performances by local arts groups, traditional Chinese puppet shows and demonstrations by local puppet troupes.


THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS OF THE QIN DYNASTY – MID-AUTUMN THEMATIC LANTERN EXHIBITIONS

Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, Tsim Sha Tsui

Date & time - 13th September to 21st October, 6-30pm to 11pm

Admission free





2012 MID-AUTUMN LANTERN DESIGN COMPETITION ENTRIES EXHIBITION

Venue: Exhibition Hall, 1/F, Low Block, Hong Kong City Hall, Edinburgh Place

Date & time – 27th September to 6th October, 10am to 7pm

Admission free


LIGHT IT UP - MINI LANTERN PARADE

The historic colonial Old Tai O Police Station, now renovated and reopened earlier this year as Tai O Heritage Hotel, is decorated with colourful traditional lanterns. Also, visitors can participate in the first-ever Stargazing and Moon Watching Fiesta in this ancient fishing village. The hotel is located on a wooded hillside overlooking the harbour entrance.

Venue: Tai O Heritage Hotel, Tai O, Lantau Island

Date & Time - 8th September to 2nd October, 6pm to 10pm

Admission free