Moon-gazers at this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival are in for a treat as for the first time in nearly a decade a full moon is expected.
The festival this year falls on Thursday, September 19, with the full moon set to occur at 7.13pm, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
The last time a full moon occurred on the night of the festival itself was in 2004, the observatory said, adding that – weather permitting – moon-gazers this year will be able to view a “bright and clear moon” from open spaces in all districts.
Hong Kong has a number of prime locations for moon-gazing, including Victoria Peak and the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade.
However, this year, the focus will be on Victoria Park, where the Tourism Board is constructing a three-storey high lantern especially for moon-gazing.
Created from 7,000 recycled plastic bottles, the hemispheric lantern will be accessible to the public and offer a vantage point in its roof for revelers to view the moon, the Tourism Board said.