Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is set to pay homage to the Harvest Moon with a spectacular 15-day Mid-Autumn Lantern Celebration filled with excitement and colour as families and friends gather to eat mooncakes and bask in the glow of the golden orb. This heart-warming celebration is a wonderful blend of ancient Chinese fable, beautifully crafted lanterns, scrumptious food and fun for everyone. This year celebrations will be held during 23 September - 7 October 2007 with extra special activities added as it's the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of China.

Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival

Drop by the 2007 Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival cum Chinese Ethnic Arts Parade and discover fascinating aspects of Chinese culture. There will be traditional stage shows, ethnic costume parades, palm readings, games stalls, lantern riddle quizzes and more at the various venues listed below. Enjoy colourful lantern displays at these venues from 22 to 26 September:

Tung Chung Man Tung Road Park - 22 September 2007 / 1930 - 2230 hrs
Tai Po Waterfront Park - 23 September 2007 / 1930 - 2230 hrs
Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, Tsim Sha Tsui - 24 September 2007 / 1930 - 2230 hrs
Victoria Park, Causeway Bay - 25 September 2007 / 2000 - 2300 hrs
Southern Playground, Wan Chai - 25 September 2007 / 1600 - 2300 hrs

Spectacular Lantern Display

Dragon Dance by the Ten Brothers: Be awestruck by this massive lantern depicting two popular Chinese cultural icons - the dragon and the fictional characters Ten Brothers renowned for their supernatural powers - that have been combined into a massive and luminous Mid-Autumn Festival lantern. The dragon, a symbol of good luck, ambition, peace and prosperity is a massive 80 metres long and is accompanied by 10 life-size lantern boys. This lantern highlights this year's "double celebration" of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the 10th anniversary of the HKSAR.

The Hundred Gather and Glitter: The West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade will be transformed into an incredible luminescent playground filled with 100 lanterns in the shape of 10 different life-size creatures. Leading the pack will be the mascot of the equestrian events of the 2008 Beijing Olympics being held in Hong Kong, and the city's two newest citizens, giant panda cubs Le Le and Ying Ying. Other animals on display include the turtle, crane, horse, monkey, carp, Tibetan antelope, tiger, swallow and rabbit. Each species includes 10 animals to tie in with the 10th anniversary of the HKSAR.

Dragon Dance by the Ten Brothers Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, Tsim Sha Tsui - 14 Sep – 21 Oct 2007
The Hundred Gather and Glitter West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade - 14 Sep – 1 Oct 2007

Fire Dragon Dance

Coinciding with Mid-Autumn Festival is the unique Fire Dragon Dance - a spectacular ritual guaranteed to be one of the most extraordinary and unforgettable events.

The 67-metre-long dragon is studded with thousands of burning joss sticks that at night produce an incredible spectacle of fire, smoke and dynamic fury as the dragon wends and dances through the backstreets of Tai Hang in Causeway Bay.

Dates: 24 - 26 September -  Time: 8:15pm - 10:15pm (two 45-minutes shows on 24 & 26 Sept); 8:15pm (one show only on 25 Sept)
Venue: Tai Hang, Causeway Bay

During the Mid-Autumn Lantern Celebration, clear nights will expose the biggest moon of the year. The best locations for harvest moon-gazing delight are Wan Chai Waterfront Promenade, Shake O Beach, Stanley Main Beach, Repulse Bay Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach, Clear Water Bay Beach and Hong Kong Gold Coast (Golden Coast).

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