Mid Autumn Festival Family Activities

Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner, and spending time with the family is a fantastic way to celebrate. It is tradition for families to gather during this harvest festival, and it is likely that you want to spend time doing something new and exciting as you celebrate the holiday. If you are looking for a fun way to pass the time, consider these events and activities in Hong Kong.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance was once held in an effort to run off bad luck in a village. It was designed to send off a typhoon and plague. This performance can take hundreds of performers and thousands upon thousands of incense. The dragon itself has 32 sections, and the head itself can weigh nearly 50 kilograms. Originally, the dragon took to the streets for three days and nights.

This year, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance will take place from September 14th to 16th, beginning in the evening. The event is held at Causeway Bay, and the best vantage point will be Wun Sha Street.

Watching the dragon dance provides a good reminder of the history of Tai Hang, offering some insight into how ancestors worked in an effort to save their lovely city. The Mid-Autumn Festival provides the opportunity to see what it may have been like to live in the past.

Lantern Displays & Carnivals

Lantern exhibitions and carnivals are incredibly popular during the Mid-Autumn Festival. These carnivals offer everything from stage shows to games and more. These brightly lit lanterns may include riddles or just look beautiful as they float. These lanterns once symbolized fertilized, beyond the decoration they appear to be today.

Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island is known for its lovely lantern displays during Mid-Autumn.  Victoria Park is calm and collected, making it a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, especially during the festivities. In the evenings during the festivities, you will see lanterns light up the park. The free lantern display offers thousands of beautiful displays to enjoy, and they are generally on display for several days. This is certainly the grandest of all the displays available in Hong Kong.

For those looking for a different display, the Tsim Sha Tsui Thematic Lantern Exhibition at the HK Cultural Centre Piazza is another fantastic choice. Many of these exhibitions offer unique themes from year to year, offering something new every time the festivities roll around.

The carnivals also include a variety of other activities, including games, fire dragon dances, and much more. Plus, if you visit Victoria Park you can easily make it to the Tai Hang Fire Dragon parade.

Mooncakes

Eating mooncakes is another tradition, stemming from the tradition of lunar worship. Mooncakes are round pastries that come from China that are commonly eaten in Hong Kong. The cakes typically offer a flaky crust with a rich filling, often made of lotus seed paste or red bean paste.

There are two types of mooncakes to choose from: traditional and modern. Traditional mooncakes offer the regular flaky crust that many have come to love and appreciate. The more modern take on the classic dessert includes chocolate, ice cream, and other ingredients that any sweet tooth will appreciate.

Full Moon Appreciation

An important aspect of the Mid-Autumn Festival is to worship and appreciate the moon. During the festivities, groups will often gather to view the orb above, appreciating its beauty and all parts of nature that it is attached to. Building a deep appreciation for nature and the surrounding world is a great way to spend time with the people you love.

No matter how you want to celebrate Mid-Autumn, you have a variety of options. The Mid-Autumn Festival simply is not the same when you do not have a fun activity planned. Even if you just do one of these activities, you can make the most of this special holiday.