2024 Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations: Lantern Carnival, Lantern Display, Fire Dragon Dance and Other Events

The 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival is coming in weeks and locals are ready to celebrate this special day with many colorful events. Every year, the highlights of Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations usually are Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals and Display in various districts, Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and Thematic Lantern Display in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, or called Moon Festival, is the second most important Chinese traditional festival apart from Lunar New Year. On this day, locals will eat mooncake (check 2024 mooncake promotions and get early bird discounts), play lanterns and gather with families. As an ancient Chinese festival, celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong are full of romance and love. In case you are in town during the period, you should not miss the opportunity to experience this ancient festival with locals.

When is 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival?

As a traditional Chinese festival, Mid-Autumn Day is on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Thus, every year the actual date is different and it usually falls in September or October. For 2024, the Mid-Autumn Festival is on the September 17, 2024.

Because this festival is celebrated with the moonlight and illuminated lanterns at night, thus the following day 18th of September 2024) is designated as the public holiday (2024 Hong Kong Public Holidays).

When and what are the 2024 Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations?

Typical Mid-Autumn Festival activities include eating moon cakes, playing lanterns, enjoying lantern displays and gazing at the full moon. Every year on this very day, across the city, you will find various celebrations including lantern displays, traditional performances and other festivities. In the previous years, many activities have been cancelled or scaled down due to Covid-19 health precaution. This year, most of the activities will recover.

Besides the large-scale public celebrations, families will also get together and share different delicious mooncakes. Eating mooncake is one of the must-do for the locals. Mooncake promotions of different brands are usually available online two to three months prior to the Mid-Autumn Day. Locals will pre-order their favourite brands and types of mooncakes and get the early bird discounts while the deals still last.

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2024 Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals and Display – the largest event of all Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations

This is the mega festivity in Hong Kong during Mid-Autumn Day. There are usually several Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals each year, which are in Urban area and New Territories district.

The Urban Lantern Carnival is the most convenient for tourists to join. It is always located in the Victoria Park Causeway Bay, downtown. The another in New Territories is a bit far away from major areas.

All the carnivals will have magnificent lantern displays and decorations. The urban carnival will also have Carnival Night and Youth Night.

• Lantern Displays: Illuminating lanterns is an ancient tradition for celebrating Mid-Autumn Day. You will find the spectacular lantern displays and innovative visual effects.
• Carnival Night: Every year, the Carnival Night features orchestra performances, Chinese ethnic songs, dance, acrobatics, traditional stage art, game booths as well as festival souvenirs and food markets.
• Youth Night: It’s a great opportunity to sample the local traditions when it comes to celebrating this traditional holiday in Hong Kong.

It’s a great opportunity to sample the local traditions when it comes to Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in Hong Kong.

1. 2024 Urban Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival (Sep 12 – 16, 2024)
in Victoria Park and Soccer Pitches No. 1 – 6 (Hong Kong Island)

The Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Victoria Park is always the best amongst all. Not only because it has the largest lantern display at the most convenient location, but also it includes the intangible cultural heritage “Fire Dragon Dance”.

To introduce this beautiful tradition to more locals and tourists, the government invites the Tai Hang Fire Dragon team to perform in the Victoria Park once a year on the Mid-Autumn Day.

Victoria Park Lantern Displays (highly recommended)

Every year during the festival, Victoria Park will be illuminated by hundred of traditional lanterns and lights. The design of the theme varies in different years. In 2024, it will take place from September 12 to 18, 2024 (Thursday to Wednesday). It is always the event with the most visitors among all the 2024 Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.

This year’s lantern theme is “Charm in the Air: Chinese Style, Hong Kong Flair”. It focuses on the four major aspects of local life, “Clothing”, “Food”, “Housing” and “Transportation”. As always, it will carry all sorts of Chinese and Hong Kong traditional elements. The highlight will be the 12-meter tall Chinese traditional Tang Suite and Cheongsam lanterns.

Last year’s highlight was a giant Cantonese Opera stage lantern settings and giant rabbit lantern.

Victoria Park Fire Dragon Dance (highly recommende)

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance in Victoria Park is undoubtedly another highlight. The original tradition is from Tai Hang (several blocks away from Victoria Park). But at the night of Mid-Autumn Day, it will be also performed in Victoria Park. The team usually arrives around 10:30 pm. The ritual starts around 10:45 pm and last till around 11:30 pm.

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In case the celebration in Causeway Bay is too crowded, you might want to take a closer look at the next two options. Just be aware that these two venues are located in New Territories district, which is far away from downtown. Unless you are familiar with public transportation or you are staying in one of the hotels nearby, these two options are not really convenient for tourists to visit.

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2. 2024 New Territories Mid-Autumn Lantern Displays and Decorations
Tsing Yi Park (New Territories)

Another option for getting away from the crowds is the one in Tsing Yi Park in New Territories. It is a little bit far away from city center. However, if you stay W Hotel or Ritz Carlton Hotel in Kowloon station, it is only one station away by Airport Express or 4 stations away by MTR line.

The Lantern Display and Decorations also last one week, during September 12 – 18, 2024.

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2024 Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance Celebration – China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage

Amongst all Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations and customs, 2024 Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance is one-of-a-kind spectacle as well as a unique event. Due to the epidemic reason, this event has been cancelled in the past years. It finally comes back and will be during September 16 – 18, 2024.

Over a century ago, the ritual saved lives of Tai Hang village from a deadly plague and it was kept by the villagers as a tradition ever since. Today, this local cultural tradition is inscribed onto China’s third national list of intangible cultural heritage.

67-meter-long dragon, made of over 24,000 incense sticks, played by over 300 strong performers in turns. All the incense are burning and glowing in the dark, making it is a real fire dragon.

When dancing up and down, left and right, it generates fascinating light trails. Only alone its head is about 45 kilograms. 300 teammates, from 16-year old to 80-year old, are working together to ensure this annual event’s success.

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2024 The Fire Dragon of Pok Fu Lam Village

Pok Fu Lam village is a 200-year village on south Hong Kong Island. The fire dragon celebration on the night of the Mid-Autumn Day has over 100-year history in this small village. Besides, Pok Fu Lam Village itself is also under the promotion of UNESCO since 2011 because the village may disappear due to urban redevelopment.

Every year, a giant dragon will wind through every alley of this small village with burning incenses and bring blessing to the people. There are also many other traditional celebrations during this time.

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2024 Mid-Autumn Thematic Lantern Display
– (September 6 – October 6, 2024)

Every year, the themed lanterns are set up next to the Clock Tower in Tsim Sha Tsui. This exhibition lasts the longest period among all the lantern displays. This year it will last more than three weeks from September 6 till October 6, 2024.

This year, the theme topic is “Dragon Palace on the Moon” designed by local multimedia artist Jet HSU. It involves the Chinese traditional dragon dance and lantern-making craftsmanship.

In 2023, the theme was “Moon Machine”.

In 2021, the theme was “The Other Side of the Moon” with several energy-saving rabbit lanterns on the Hong Kong Cultural Center Piazza. Rabbit is always an important part related to this specific festival. There is no doubt that this exhibition always wins the heart of locals and becomes one of the hottest photo and Instagram spots.

In 2017, the theme was “Enchanted Blossom under the Moon”. Giant lanterns were lit up with stunning night view of Victoria Harbour as background.

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Besides the annual Lantern Carnivals, there are many other options for celebration. Some of them are not for sure to hold every year. The event details are waiting for the officials to confirm. You can take a look at the previous activities for references.

2024 A Moonlit Fiesta with a Thousand Drones

To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, Hong Kong will bring an amazing drone performance on night of the September 17th, 2024. 1000 drones will take off from Wanchai harbourfront across the sky over Victoria Harbour and perform some traditional Chinese dynamic patterns. From the rabbit and mooncake, the fire dragon to the adorable rabbit lanterns, the drones will light up the night sky lasting around 10 minutes.

Be prepared that it will be very popular among locals and tourists. Try to get there in advance if you would like to have a front position. In case you cannot make it on the Mid-Autumn Festival, there will be another drone performance around 8:30pm on the September 21, 2024. To celebrate the birthday of Wong Tai Sin and the 75th Anniversary of Founding of PRC, the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple will hold a spectacular drone performance with two-thousand drones, resembling a roaring purple dragon.

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2024 Tai O Lanterns Festival returns

For over 20 days this year, Tai O fishing village will once again illuminate hundreds of lanterns will to celebrate Mid-autumn Festival. It will last from from September 1 till 22, 2024 and is expected to the biggest event apart from Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and Lantern Carnival. It will attract thousands of visitors to the small village for photos and celebrations.

The Tai O Lanterns Festival started in 2018. However, in 2021 the unexpected crowds tremendously affected the normal life of villagers, which ended with quarrels and complaints between visitors and villagers. As a result, the event organizer decided to suspend the Lantern activity in Tai O last year.

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Sik Sik Yuen Intangible Cultural Heritage Lantern Carnival at Wong Tai Sin Temple
– (September 15 – October 6, 2024)

To celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival and the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the PRC, Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple will hold an Intangible Cultural Heritage Lantern Carnival including a large lantern carnival and the traditional temple fair. From September 15 to October 6th, 2024, visitors can enjoy the large-scale lantern display and enjoy some games at the various booths.

Wong Tai Sin Temple invites more than 20 intangible cultural heritage bearers, including Sichuan Face Changing, Wudang Martial Arts, Jinhua Wu Opera, Fish Lantern Dance, Shadow Puppetry etc.. Every weekends (SAT and SUN) visitors can enjoy a total of more than 60 performances of selective intangible cultural heritage art.

There will be also plenty of game booths and snack booths. On the Sep 15, 17 and 18 2024, there will be also Lantern Riddle and Lantern workshop to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival.

Lanterns will be illuminated from 6:30pm every night. Wong Tai Sin Temple will extend the opening hour to 9:00pm during the activity period (extended to midnight on September 17, 2024).

Game booths and workshops

Besides lantern displays, there are many game stalls where visitors can enjoy themselves.

Carnival performances

Visitors can also be entertained by various intangible cultural heritage shows for free.

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2024 Lee Tung Avenue Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration – Moon Fest Lumiere

Celebration in Lee Tung Avenue on Mid-Autumn Festival is an annual festivity since 2015. Every year, this former famous Wedding Invitation Street will be decorated with lights and lanterns, transforming the walkway to a light feast.

This year you will have opportunity once again to immerse into the atmosphere of celebration. Enjoy the colorful lanterns and festivities.

Once again, Lee Tung Avenue will celebrate the traditional festival with illuminated Chinese lanterns, LED fire dragon dance, dragon dance workshops and different musical events.

• Moon Fest Lumiere
  (August 31 – October 15, 2024)

  The theme of 2024 in Lee Tung Avenue is “Moon Fest Lumiere”. Starting from August 31 until October 15, 2024, there will be over 800 traditional Chinese lanterns in different colors (red, pink, green and purple) hanging over pedestrian walkway. Besides, you will find also the fish-shaped lanterns hidden in-between. The lanterns lit on starting from 5:00pm each day.

  

  Lanterns hanging over Lee Tung Avenue
  (Photo source: Lee Tung Avenue)

  

  2024 Lee Tung Avenue on Mid-Autumn Festival

  

  800 lanterns for 2024 Lee Tung Avenue on Mid-Autumn Festival

  In 2017, Lee Tung Avenue celebrated with the art installation of Luke Jerram, a 7-meter diameter moon hanging over, called “Museum of the Moon”.

  

  Museum of the Moon Exhibition (2017)

  In 2018, they invited the world-famous Australian artist Amanda Parer presenting a new exhibition “Moon Rabbit Lumiere” to continue the romance with a 7-meter high rabbit.

  

  Amanda Parer’s Moon Rabbit Lumiere Exhibition (2018)

• LED Fire Dragon Dance
  (8:30pm – 9:30pm, September 17, 2024)

  The highlight of each year’s celebration is the LED Fire Dragon Dance exclusively in Lee Tung Avenue. The 18-meter long LED fire dragon dance along with the LED lion dance and drumming performances is the highlight of Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. Don’t miss the chance to watch the dragon dance during 8:30pm – 9:30pm.

  

  Dragon Dance for 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival in Lee Tung Avenue

  

  LED Fire Dragon Dance in Lee Tung Avenue

• Other celebrations

  There will also be many other events, such as the Charity Pop-up market, Music, Instant Photo Service and Dance Performance on various days.

For more details of Lee Tung Avenue celebrations and where to enjoy the festivities, check out Lee Tung Avenue Mid-Autumn Festivals.

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Mid-Autumn Festival – an ancient Chinese tradition

As one of the oldest festival, the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty of China (around 600AD). One story says it was the day for ritual activities of the Chinese ancient emperors to lunar god. Another story links the Mid-Autumn Day to agriculture. Autumn is the harvest season and the 15th day of the 8th lunar month is the middle day of autumn. Thus, on this day, farmers would celebrate the harvest, express their joy and show respect to the Lord of the Soil.

Besides, on Mid-Autumn Day, the moon is full and bright, representing the reunion. Therefore, until now it is still a festival when the families get together, reunite, have dinner and some festival food (similar to western Thanksgiving).

In case you wonder, this is also a very important festival for countries like Japan, South Korean, Vietnam and Ryukyusu due to the deep influence of ancient China. Even Google will use a special banner on its homepage on this day. According to Chinese mythology, there are a fairy lady (goddess) and a rabbit living in the Palace of Moon. Thus, during this festival, you will find a lot of symbols and packages printed with a rabbit or/and a lady.

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Other local tradition and culture on Mid-Autumn Festival

Eating mooncakes

Eating mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Day is a must-do for all the locals. The round shape of mooncake represents the reunion of the families. Presenting boxes of mooncakes to friends and families is the oldest tradition with best wishes.

The traditional mooncake is about 10 cm in diameter and 4-5 cm thick. The popular and traditional fillings are usually lotus seed paste or sweet bean paste wrapped around one or two salty duck egg yolks.

However, in recent years, new types of mooncakes such as Snowy mooncakes, Ice-cream mooncakes and durian mooncakes start to be trendy.

• Icy mooncake (snowy mooncake): it’s called mooncake only because its appearance resemblances of moonlike. It is not technically baked food. The crusts of mooncakes changes to glutinous rice skin and the filling of icy moonlike change to fruits. It becomes very poplar due to the less calorie, sugar and oil.

  

  Maxim 2024 Mid-Autumn Day Snowy Mooncake promotions

• Ice-cream mooncake: it is a ice-cream made to mooncake shape. The most famous one is from Häagen-Dazs.

Besides the traditional and modern mooncake selections, there are many exquisite mooncake gift sets offered by the luxury hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants every year. These are usually more expensive but excellent as gifts for friends and family. With extra discount offers online, getting one of these gift packages is pretty good option.

Playing lanterns

Locals love to carry various lanterns, nevertheless adults or children, to the lantern carnivals. The traditional options are made to goldfish, starfruit and rabbit. You can find them from the back of HSBC 20-dollar banknote.