Mid-Autumn Festival is a significant cultural tradition in China. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, and fell on Sept 12 this year. People in the Chinese culture community celebrate this ancient tradition by getting together and sharing family comforts.
Hong Kong staged its traditional "Fire Dragon Dance" event to celebrate the Mid-autumn Festival. Colorful lights along with a huge carp lantern lit up Victoria Park. People placed lit candles on the head of the fire dragon to symbolize getting rid of bad luck and ensuring an auspicious future. The event has a history of more than 100 years and has just been listed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
In addition, an evening gala sponsored by the Ministry of China brought a series of programs, including acrobatics, instrumental performances and dancing by a group of artists from the inland.
The show has been held for 12 years successively and has become an artistic brand which surprised with both their rigor and modernity.
Traditionally, Mid-Autumn Day features moon cakes. This baked treat contains various fillings and is an indispensable part of the holiday. But the origin of the festival comes from something a bit loftier. In ancient China, emperors offered sacrifices to the full moon, while common folks saw the full moon as a blessing and made the day a time for family reunion. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the day was officially declared the Mid-Autumn Festival.
With emotional bonding and activities on a national scale, Mid-Autumn Festival stands as a key player and cultural mover within an extensive, multifaceted, economic and social framework that is in continuous evolution.
Editor: Xu Xinlei
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