Mid Autumn Festival: A Weekend in Hong Kong

The 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar (usually in September or October), when the moon is at it’s fullest and brightest, marks the day of the Mid Autumn Festival in Chinese culture. For locals, it’s time to leave work behind and meet with families and for expats and travelers, to get their travel bug fix and head somewhere nearby for a weekend away.

If you’re staying (or visiting) Hong Kong there are plenty of festivities happening with a number of shows and performances being held around the city. Most notably for Mid Autumn Festival you’re likely to see many lanterns around the city. Lanterns prior to the Tang Dynasty were hung to symbolise fertility however over the centuries they have evolved into being a symbol of the festival.

During Mid Autumn festival you’re likely to come across ‘Moon Cakes’ – a cake filled with lotus bean paste and an egg yolk to symbolise the full moon. Usually these traditional cakes will have the younger generation shake their head in disgust, however more recently some savvy marketing, companies like Haagen Daz have made moon cakes popular again.

If you’re visiting Hong Kong during the Mid Autumn festival weekend or here during September then check out what’s going on around the town.

Celebrated on the eve of the mid autumn festival the carnival showcases fire dragon dances, kung fu, folk songs and craft stalls.

The annual lantern show has the park decorated in thousands of lanterns – check out the lantern centrepiece, which is the winner of an annual design competition.

You’ll only find such a dance in Hong Kong, located in Tai Hang, watch as the dragon parades its way around the streets.

Every year the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade is elaborately decorated with glowing lanterns. This year’s theme is ‘blossom beneath the moon’.

If you’re around over the long weekend there are plenty of other things you can do around town. From the great outdoors to more traditional affairs.

Join in a class with an experienced Chinese artist who will guide you to paint onto traditional Chinese silk fans. Learn about the classic Mid Autumn motifs and have a go at painting them onto your fan.

Embark on an exciting trip climbing over rocks, navigating rapids and abseiling down waterfalls in the New Territories. Would have you have ever thought that an extreme outdoor activity like this was available in Hong Kong?

How about a day out biking the countryside? Learn about eco tourism in the area while biking through Lau Fau Shan learning about its seafood cultivation as well as enjoying some during lunch too.