Hong Kong spectacular – the Mid Autumn Lantern Celebration

A tremendous 67-metre fire dragon studded with thousands of burning joss sticks, will undulate through the backstreets of Tai Hung in Causeway Bay for three consecutive nights (September 24-26, 2007) during Hong Kong’s Mid Autumn Lantern Celebration.

The fire dragon ritual is the highlight of the 15-day celebration (September 23 – October 7, 2007) that will see a carnival of colourful cultural parades, lantern displays, traditional dances and moon gazing. Locals and visitors will feast on moon cakes and gather with paper lanterns at vantage points all over the region to view the full moon.

Originally a three-day festival in celebration of a good harvest, the Mid Autumn Lantern Festival co-insides with the 15th day of the 8th moon in the Chinese lunar calendar. The fire dragon ritual dates back to 1880 when a plague befell the village of Tai Hung. Appearing in the village elder’s dream, Buddha gave instructions to light fire crackers and perform a dragon dance during the Mid Autumn Festival. Sulphur from the firecrackers dispelled the plague and the ritual has been repeated annually ever since.

Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals and Chinese Ethnic Arts Parades will take place in Victoria Park, Hong Kong Island on September 25, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, Tsim Sha Tsui on September 24, Tai Po Waterfront Park, New Territories East on September 23 and Tung Chung Man Tung Road Park, New Territories West on September 22, 2007.

The full moon will be visible in Hong Kong from September 14-16, 2007. Join the throng of lantern carrying spectators at recommended moon-gazing locations including Wan Chai Waterfront Promenade, Shek O Beach and Repulse Bay. Alternatively you can book a night time harbour cruise.

Also as part of the event, themed lantern instillations ‘Dragon Dance by the Ten Brothers’ and ‘The Hundred Gather and Glitter’, will adorn the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza and West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade respectively.

The National Day Fireworks will explode over the Victoria harbour against a backdrop of one of the world’s most iconic skylines, at 9pm on October 1, 2007. The fireworks, which co-inside with the Mid Autumn Lantern Celebration, commemorate the 58th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

For further information on the Mid Autumn Lantern Celebrations visit: DiscoverHongKong.com.