Hong Kong: Hong Kong is gearing up for the Mid-Autumn Festival this September, with citywide celebrations bringing together lantern displays, cultural traditions, festive events and seasonal flavours.
From spectacular lantern artistry to heritage celebrations, the city will showcase the traditions and spirit of one of its most cherished annual festivals, transforming Hong Kong into a vibrant celebration of light and togetherness.
This year’s programme features the International Lantern Spectacular, organized by Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and making its debut at the Victoria Park, alongside the historic Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and a variety of seasonal experiences that allow visitors to celebrate just like locals.
HKTB will stage its first-ever International Lantern Spectacular at Victoria Park from September 17 to 27. Centered on the theme of “Reunion,” the event will bring together distinctive lanterns from 20 countries and regions, thousand-year-old Qinhuai lanterns from Nanjing recognised as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, and locally handcrafted lanterns from Hong Kong.
Visitors and locals can stroll through the International Lantern Spectacular, discovering three major showcases of Chinese and international lantern art while enjoying an immersive celebration of diverse cultures.
World Lantern Boulevard
Stepping onto the World Lantern Boulevard, locals and visitors will be surrounded by over 3,000 distinctive lanterns from 20 countries and regions. Among them are silk lanterns from Jinju in South Korea, traditionally made to wish family members health and wellbeing; multicoloured patchwork lanterns from Brazil, radiating warmth and energy; and Polish lanterns incorporating traditional folk paper-cutting techniques. A stroll along the Boulevard is like travelling the world in an instant, with lantern works woven from different styles, crafts and cultural elements offering a glimpse of the distinctive folk customs and artistic appeal of each place. Bringing together lanterns from all corners of the globe in a single promenade, the display not only celebrates cultural diversity but also reflects Hong Kong's diversity and inclusion, sharing the joy of festive reunion with visitors from around the world.
Nanjing Qinhuai lanterns
With a history of more than 1,700 years, Nanjing’s Qinhuai lantern craftsmanship is internationally renowned and inscribed on China's National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Taking centre stage is the Shadowlight, a giant themed lantern standing eight metre tall at the main entrance to Victoria Park. Inspired by Hong Kong’s iconic banyan trees, it invites visitors and locals to weave among its glittering light and shadow, then look up at a canopy of layered coloured gauze, its many tiers giving three-dimensional form to the tree’s luxuriant growth.
Another highlight, Lotus Fish, features rows of giant lotus leaves in neat formation, with lifelike, brightly coloured carp darting nimbly through the play of light and shadows. Visitors and locals can stroll between the rows, taking in the lively scene of fish at play among the lotus leaves on either side.
Echoing the theme of “Reunion,” several lanterns will incorporate circular elements symbolising harmony and togetherness, creating memorable settings for visitors and locals to gather with loved ones and capture festive moments.
At Victoria Park’s Hill Knoll Pavilion, over 400 classic Hong Kong handcrafted lanterns will be on display. Traditional lantern shapes including rabbit, star fruit, and goldfish lanterns will hang overhead, weaving together a scene as colourful and spectacular as “Lantern Street” at Yuen Long’s Tai Kiu Market, and capturing the rich local flavour of a Hong Kong Mid-Autumn.
Ambient light decorations will thread through the lantern zones and every corner of Victoria Park, leading visitors and locals into an immersive festive night-time experience.
Regional mooncake sale
The HKTB will team up with Po Leung Kuk to set up speciality mooncake stalls at the South Pavilion Plaza in Victoria Park, giving festival-goers another way to spend during the celebrations. As visitors and locals meander through the lantern displays, they will be able to taste regional flavours and buy mooncakes for family and friends. All proceeds will be donated to Po Leung Kuk for charitable purposes.
Throughout September, festival spectacles and neighbourhood traditions light up the city, creating a celebration that reaches far beyond any single venue. Visitors can journey from world-class lantern artistry to centuries-old living heritage, while exploring Mid- Autumn theme activities, shopping and dining offer, large- scale lantern installations, and seasonal food markets presented by shopping centres and merchants across Hong Kong.
