Hong Kong is one of those cities where a festival does not stay inside a calendar date. It spills into parks, neighbourhoods, shopping streets and dinner tables. Come Mid-Autumn, the city gets a little more colourful, a little more dramatic and considerably more fun. This year, the celebrations are particularly tempting for travellers, with the first International Lantern Spectacular taking over Victoria Park from 17 to 27 September, alongside one of Hong Kong’s most famous traditions, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. If you have been to Hong Kong before and done the usual Victoria Peak, harbour views and dim sum circuit, this is a rather lovely excuse to see another side of the city. And if this is your first visit, you get to combine the classic Hong Kong sights with a festival that locals have grown up with. Here are five things I would put on my list.
1. Walk through a world of lanterns at Victoria Park
The new International Lantern Spectacular at Victoria Park is centred around the theme of Reunion, which feels particularly apt for Mid-Autumn. The festival brings together lanterns from 20 countries and regions, creating the World Lantern Boulevard with more than 3,000 lanterns.
It is the sort of evening stroll that sounds simple until you realise how much there is to look at. South Korean silk lanterns carry wishes for family health, Brazil brings colourful patchwork designs, while Polish lanterns draw from traditional paper cutting. So, instead of walking through a park looking at one giant installation, you are essentially moving between different interpretations of the same festival. For photographers, this should be one of the prettiest evening stops in Hong Kong during the celebrations. For everyone else, it is a good excuse to slow down and simply walk around with a camera phone in hand.
2. Look for the lanterns that come with 1,700 years of history
Not all lanterns are simply pretty festival decorations. Some carry centuries of craft behind them.
One of the highlights at Victoria Park is Shadowlight, an eight-metre lantern inspired by Hong Kong’s banyan trees. It draws from Nanjing’s Qinhuai lantern craft, which has a history of around 1,700 years and holds National Intangible Cultural Heritage status. Then there is Lotus Fish, where illuminated carp appear to move between enormous lotus leaves. Both installations use circular forms, tying back to the idea of reunion that runs through this year’s festival. This is the part I particularly like about cultural festivals. You can look at something because it makes a great photograph, then realise there is an entire history behind what you are seeing.
3. Find the old school Hong Kong lanterns
For something that feels more traditionally local, head towards the Hill Knoll Pavilion and the Hong Kong Lantern Galleria. More than 400 handmade lanterns recreate the atmosphere of Yuen Long’s famous Lantern Street. Expect classic shapes including rabbits, star fruit and goldfish, with the sort of colourful handmade charm that feels very different from large contemporary installations. This is probably where I would spend a little extra time if I wanted photographs that actually felt connected to Hong Kong rather than simply being another tourist shot. And yes, there is absolutely room for the obligatory Instagram moment. A festival this colourful would be difficult to resist.
4. Eat a mooncake and take one home too
No Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong is complete without mooncakes. From 17 to 20 September, the Hong Kong Tourism Board is partnering with Po Leung Kuk for a Regional Mooncake Sale at South Pavilion Plaza. Visitors can try mooncakes inspired by flavours from different parts of the region and pick up a few for family and friends back home. There is also a nice reason to shop beyond simply bringing back another edible souvenir. Proceeds from the sale will go to charity. For Indian travellers, this could make a fun addition to the usual Hong Kong shopping list. Instead of coming home with yet another generic souvenir, you can bring back something that is actually connected to the festival you experienced.
5. Follow the Fire Dragon through Tai Hang
This is the one I would save plenty of energy for. The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance has been held for 147 years and is recognised as National Intangible Cultural Heritage. From 24 to 26 September, a 67-metre dragon covered in around 12,000 burning incense sticks winds through the streets of Tai Hang while drums set the pace. There is something wonderfully theatrical about the whole thing. The dragon is huge, the incense is burning, and the streets become part of the performance. Get there early if you want a good spot. And do not rush off once the main procession ends. During the finale, performers hand burning incense sticks to spectators, bringing the audience directly into the ritual. That is the sort of festival moment you tend to remember long after the photographs have disappeared into your phone gallery.
Hong Kong gets festive beyond Victoria Park
The Mid-Autumn celebrations are not limited to one park or one evening. Shopping malls and neighbourhoods around Hong Kong join in through September with themed installations, seasonal food and festive markets. That makes this a good time to explore the city without treating the festival as a single event you need to tick off. Spend an evening around Victoria Park. Try a mooncake. Look for the smaller neighbourhood celebrations. Then make your way to Tai Hang for the Fire Dragon Dance. Hong Kong already knows how to put on a good night out. During Mid-Autumn, it adds thousands of lanterns, traditional crafts, mooncakes and a 67-metre fire-breathing dragon to the mix. Honestly, I cannot think of a better reason to return.
*With information from Hong Kong Tourism.
