The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will stage the first-ever International Lantern Spectacular at Victoria Park from 17 to 27 September, under the theme “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.
The International Lantern Spectacular will offer visitors and locals three major showcases of Chinese and international lantern art, creating an immersive cultural experience.
At the World Lantern Boulevard, more than 3,000 distinctive lanterns from 20 countries and regions will be displayed. The collection includes silk lanterns from Jinju in South Korea, traditionally made to wish family members health and wellbeing; multicoloured patchwork lanterns from Brazil; and Polish lanterns incorporating traditional folk paper-cutting techniques.
The display will bring together lantern works featuring different styles, crafts and cultural elements, allowing visitors to experience a range of folk customs and artistic traditions in a single promenade. The showcase will also reflect Hong Kong’s diversity and inclusion while sharing the spirit of festive reunion with visitors from around the world.
Nanjing’s Qinhuai lantern craftsmanship, with a history of more than 1,700 years, will also take centre stage. The tradition is internationally renowned and inscribed on China’s National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
One of the main attractions will be Shadowlight, an eight-metre-tall giant themed lantern at the main entrance to Victoria Park. Inspired by Hong Kong’s iconic banyan trees, the installation will invite visitors and locals to move through its interplay of light and shadow before looking up at a canopy of layered coloured gauze representing the tree’s luxuriant growth in three-dimensional form.
Another highlight, Lotus Fish, will feature rows of giant lotus leaves with brightly coloured carp moving through the interplay of light and shadows. Visitors and locals will be able to walk between the rows and experience the scene of fish among the lotus leaves.
Several lanterns will incorporate circular elements symbolising harmony and togetherness in keeping with the theme of “Reunion”, creating settings for visitors and locals to gather with loved ones and capture festive moments.
At Victoria Park’s Hill Knoll Pavilion, the Hong Kong Lantern Galleria will showcase more than 400 classic Hong Kong handcrafted lanterns. Traditional designs, including rabbit, star fruit and goldfish lanterns, will hang overhead, creating a colourful scene reminiscent of “Lantern Street” at Yuen Long’s Tai Kiu Market and reflecting the local character of a Hong Kong Mid-Autumn celebration.
Ambient light decorations will extend through the lantern zones and across Victoria Park, creating an immersive festive night-time experience.
From 17 to 20 September, the HKTB will partner with Po Leung Kuk to set up speciality mooncake stalls at the South Pavilion Plaza in Victoria Park. Festival-goers will be able to sample regional flavours and purchase mooncakes for family and friends while exploring the lantern displays. All proceeds will be donated to Po Leung Kuk for charitable purposes.
The celebrations will also feature the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, a long-standing Mid-Autumn tradition now in its 147th edition and inscribed on China’s National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The Fire Dragon Dance will take place from 24 to 26 September. A 67-metre fire dragon illuminated by 12,000 incense sticks will weave through the streets of Tai Hang in a choreographed journey powered by the collective energy of performers. Accompanied by the fragrance of incense and the rhythm of drums, the dance is widely believed to spread blessings and good fortune.
Visitors will be invited to experience the tradition by arriving early to secure a vantage point close to the action. After the dance, performers will share burning incense sticks with spectators, turning visitors into participants through a gesture of goodwill.
Throughout September, festival spectacles and neighbourhood traditions will light up Hong Kong beyond the main venues. Visitors will be able to move from international lantern artistry to centuries-old living heritage while exploring Mid-Autumn-themed activities, shopping and dining offers, large-scale lantern installations and seasonal food markets presented by shopping centres and merchants across Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is a government-subvented body tasked with marketing and promoting Hong Kong as a travel destination worldwide and enhancing visitors’ experience once they arrive. Its responsibilities include making recommendations to the Government and other relevant bodies on the range and quality of visitor facilities.
The HKTB’s missions are to maximise the social and economic contribution made by tourism to the community of Hong Kong and to consolidate Hong Kong’s position as a unique, world-class, and most desired destination.
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