by Rachel Au (Originally published September 24, 2020, updated on September 15, 2024) An interesting sight appears every August in Hong Kong. Mooncake advertisements begin to line wall after wall at any given MTR train station, starring celebrities ranging from veteran comedian Eric Tsang to Japanese actress Alice Hirose. Such is the result of aggressive marketing campaigns by various Hong Kong bakeries, hoping to capture maximum market share during the sliver of time mooncakes are consumed – the Mid Autumn Festival. But what is the Mid Autumn Festival? Why do Chinese communities across the globe celebrate it with such enthusiasm? Here, we explore what the festival is and the legends behind it, each a story that has been passed down ...
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by Rachel Au (Originally published in 2020, updated in September 2024) Aside from being Hong Kong’s cradle for countless culinary ventures, Tai Hang is also home to one of the city’s most spectacular festivities– the annual Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. This Mid-Autumn Festival, treat yourself to a dazzling display of fire and fury, where around 300 people parade a 67-meter-long dragon lined with sticks of incense from head to tail, enshrouding the neighborhood in a warm, smoky glow. How the fire dragon dance began Legend has it that this 138-year-old tradition began when Tai Hang was struck with three consecutive disasters a few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 19th century. Still a small Hakka village at the ...
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What is the Double Ninth Festival (重陽節)? Also called the Chung Yeung Festival and Chongyang Festival, the Double Ninth Festival is an ancient memorial festival that falls on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar. In 2020, the Double Ninth Festival falls on the 25th October in the Greogorian calendar. On this day, families visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects. People also go hiking together as heading to higher ground symbolizes climbing to a higher position in life and living longer. Chrysanthemums are also ubiquitous on the Double Ninth Festival, as the Festival takes place when the flowers are in full bloom. Drinking chrysanthemum wine and admiring chrysanthemums have thus become part ...
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