STANLEY ALIGHT FOR MID-AUTUMN LANTERN CARNIVAL

The Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) in conjunction with the Housing Authority and the Enhancement of Stanley Tourist Attractions (ESTA) today announced that a Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival will take place on 12 September 2000 at Stanley Plaza and at participating restaurants along the Stanley Main Street waterfront.

The Mid-Autumn Festival — the Chinese equivalent to the West’s Harvest Moon Festival — originated in the 14th Century when rebels wrote the call to revolt against the Mongols on pieces of paper concealed in cakes, later known as Moon Cakes. Today, during the festival, these special cakes made of ground lotus and sesame are one of the highlights of the celebration, along with elaborate displays of Chinese paper lanterns and the watching of the huge autumn moon rising over the city.

One of the most popular tourist areas in Hong Kong, Stanley is considered the ideal location for this colourful event. The village boasts a unique combination of traditional Chinese dwellings that blend harmoniously with European-influenced waterfront restaurants and the colonial-style architecture of Stanley Plaza.

From 6:00 pm onwards, the Village Square at Stanley Plaza and the restaurants along Stanley Main Street will light up traditional Chinese lanterns, as visitors and local residents are entertained by live performances of Chinese dance and magic shows.

The climax of the carnival is a Children’s Lantern Parade which is to take place between 7:00 pm and 7:30 pm at Stanley Plaza. Around 100 children from various schools in the Southern District dressed in national costumes will parade along the Stanley Main Street waterfront carrying Mid-Autumn lanterns. The Hong Kong Sea School band will lead the procession.

Youngsters wishing to participate in the parade are encouraged to design and create their own lanterns. A Lantern Design Competition will be held that evening to select the masterpiece of the festival.

To enable local residents and visitors to fully enjoy the performances in a safe and comfortable environment, vehicles will be banned from entering Stanley Main Street between 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm, in line with the pedestrianisation policy currently implemented on Sundays and public holidays.

Findings of the HKTA’s visitor surveys indicate that around 16% of all visitors to Hong Kong — and an even higher percentage of those from the long-haul markets of Europe, Australia and The Americas — are interested in seeing traditional Chinese festivals and celebrations. In view of this, the HKTA actively promotes heritage and culture and related activities in these markets.

HKTA surveys also reveal that 13% of visitors include Stanley in their itineraries, making it one of the most popular tourist areas in Hong Kong. The HKTA promotes this district’s East-meets-West characteristics by packaging into a unique itinerary a number of local attractions such as the open-air market, the residence of the late Teresa Tang and the soon-to-open Murray House.

A new leaflet entitled Surprising Stanley — published by the Hong Kong Housing Authority with the full support of the HKTA — introducing the Top 10 attractions of Stanley peninsula will be available next week from HKTA Visitor Information & Services Centres and Airport Information Counters. Each leaflet includes discount coupons for retail outlets in Stanley Plaza.