With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, more than 800 Chinese lanterns have gone on display at Lee Tung Avenue in Wan Chai, adding a festive touch to the pedestrian street ahead of the celebrations.
The lantern display runs until October 19 along the 200-metre avenue, featuring traditional red lanterns and palace lanterns.
The palace lanterns are being introduced for the first time this year, with designs inspired by traditional Chinese paper-cutting. They depict familiar Mid-Autumn stories, including Hou Yi shooting down the suns, Chang’e’s ascent to the moon, the Jade Rabbit making the elixir of life and Wu Gang chopping the osmanthus tree.
Other lantern designs feature family scenes associated with the festival, including making lanterns and mooncakes, reunion dinners and spending time together.
An 18-metre LED fire dragon will also return on September 25, the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, with a parade from 8.30pm to 9.15pm.
Starting from Central Piazza, the dragon will travel towards the Queen’s Road East and Johnston Road entrances before returning to the piazza. The program will also feature an LED lion, a drum troupe, smoke effects and fixed-point performances.
The festival program also includes mini palace lantern workshops on September 19 and 20, while a Mid-Autumn concert featuring local music groups and school performers will be held on September 26.
The lantern display is open from 10am to 11pm, with the lights switched on from 5pm. Opening hours will be extended to midnight on September 25.
