Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations
in Hong Kong

Glitzy Lanterns, Fiery Dragons, a Full Moon and more...

Mid-Autumn Festival Lantern Carnival in Sha Tin

The Mid-Autumn Festival Lantern Carnivals in Hong Kong take place in many parts of the territory and run for a few days before and after the festival proper which is celebrated on the 8th Full Moon in the Lunar Calendar, usually around September/October in the Western calendar.

The 2013 Mid-Autumn Festival is on September 19, 2013. Lantern Carnivals will run from September 14 to 22, 2013.

Together with the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance celebrations, they are the centerpieces of the festivities of the Mid-Autumn festival or Moon festival as it is also known.

On this full moon day, families and communities traditionally gathered to celebrate the bountiful harvesting season, somewhat of the equivalent to the American Thanksgiving Day. Nowadays, families and friends take part in the many lantern carnivals and celebrations around the city.

The Lantern Carnivals, besides showcasing an incredible variety of colorful, bright shiny lanterns, feature also many cultural events and performances including song and dances, kung fu, acrobatics, craft demonstrations and the like.

The Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) sponsors many of the events. The displays and activities are free to the public.

When and Where are the Lantern Carnivals and Exhibitions?

The 2013 Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival will be held from September 14 to 22, 2013.

These are some of the main Lantern celebrations in Hong Kong which are easy to get to and are very accesible for visitors:

• Mid-Autumun Urban Carnival at Victoria Park, the all-in-one event that offers the lantern displays and a full cultural programme including a Fire Dragon Dance, kung fu demonstrations, folk songs and crafts. This year will be on September 19, 2013 8:00p.m.-11:00 p.m.
• Lantern Wonderland at Victoria Park, the lantern exhibition that features thousands of displays, the centerpiece of which is chosen based on a design competition. The 2012 Lantern Wonderland Theme was "Hong Kong Asia's World City", the 2013 dates and theme is TBA

• Tsim Sha Tsui Thematic Lantern Exhibition is set up in the grounds of the HK Cultural Centre Piazza in Tsim Sha Tsui.

  Main theme of the lanterns varies from year to yearl. The 2012 theme was "Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty", the 2013 theme is TBA. It will run from mid-September through early October, exact dates TBA.

• West Kowloon Thematic Lantern Exhibition, at the Waterfront Promenade, also with a different theme every year.

• The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance Parade, not a typical Dragon Parade and unique to Hong Kong. This year's parades will be held from September 18, 19, 20, 2013 in Tai Hang, Causeway Bay.

Two major Carnivals which feature full cultural programmes are also held in the New Territories. Check the LCSD website for details.

The Lantern displays are lit every evening and the public is free to roam around the beautiful displays.

Mid-Autumn Carnival and Lantern Wonderland at Victoria Park

This is the all-in-one mega event that offers the lantern displays including the magnificent Lantern Wonderland (see below), a full cultural programme, and the Fire Dragon Dance Parade.

Lantern Displays

Fire Dragon Dance

Cultural Programs

The cultural program includes kung fu demonstrations, folk songs and dance shows, acrobatics, traditional hand-made lantern displays, demonstrations of Chinese folk arts and crafts, fortune-telling and a variety of entertainment.

The Fire Dragon Dance is a main part of the Mid-Autumn celebrations, the original parade takes place in Tai Hang, but visitors of Victoria Park will also have a chance to see it here. The parade features a 67-metre long dragon and over 300 performers and thousands of burning incense sticks will circle around the throngs of visitors at Victoria Park.

Victoria Park Lantern Displays and Lantern Wonderland

The Lantern Displays are state-of-the-art designs and the highlight of the event is Lantern Wonderland, the main signature piece which is chosen through a design competition organised by the HKTB and several design organisations.

The Design contest is held months prior to the festival and the winning entry is showcased during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

For 2012, the winning centerpiece was the "Golden Moon" set up on a water pool and standing 18 metres high, it is a warm reminder of the full-moon symbolism of family reunion of the Mid-Autumn festival. The half-dome structure will of course be lit up at night in conjunction with synchronised music. Here's a short peek at what is to come:

The 2011 centerpiece of the celebration was a giant fish-shaped lantern, created with over 2,000 lanterns, it made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest sculpture made of lanterns.

Together with a 3-minute coreographed program, this beautiful massive lantern delighted visitors who enjoyed the musical light show which replayed every 15 minutes.

Tsim Sha Tsui Thematic Lantern Exhibition

In the same way as the Spring Lantern Festival, the LCSD sets up an amazing Lantern Exhibition in the grounds of the HK Cultural Centre Piazza.

This one is fairly easy to pop in for tourists as it's just around the corner from the Star Ferry Terminal and the TST metro station and you can enjoy the beautiful lantern displays as you stroll around the Clocktower and the Promenade, and maybe take in the Symphony of Lights show which is featured every night.

West Kowloon Thematic Lantern Exhibition

A beautiful Lantern Exhibition is set up along the Waterfront Promenade in West Kowloon.

Getting to the West Kowloon Promenade is easy with the MTR. The Western entrance of the Promenade is only a five minute walk from the Kowloon Station MTR Station.

For more information on this year's Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals and Exhibitions check out the official site of the Hong Kong Leisure and and Cultural Services Department at www.lcsd.gov.hk.

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Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations 2013

The Mid Autumn Festival - September 19, 2013

Mid-Autumn Festival Lantern Carnivals and Displays - many venues, September 14-22, 2013
Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and Parade - Tai Hang, Causeway Bay, September 18, 19, 20, 2013 - 7:30 p.m.
Mid-Autumn Lantern Wonderland - Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, Theme: TBA Carnival on September 19, 2013

Hong Kong Upcoming Events 2013

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