Hong Kong to light up the night with host of Mid-Autumn activities and return of Tai Hang fire dragon dance
- Series of nighttime events lined up across city for September, October and through to new year
- Highlights at Lan Kwai Fong nightlife area include music, magic, flash mob and street dance performances
Hong Kong is gearing up for a series of events to liven up the city’s nightlife, including everything from food to music, magic shows and the return of the Tai Hang fire dragon dance after a four-year break.
There will be coupons and shopping rewards too, to entice people to eat out and shop as part of a government plan to revive the lacklustre night economy.
From the end of September, the popular nightlife area Lan Kwai Fong will put on evening shows and flash mob performances, with well-known DJs playing at its plaza on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
There will also be street dance performances, magic shows, music performances and live art demonstrations with dining offers at the restaurants, bars and clubs there.
The first series of activities will be put on around the Mid-Autumn Festival on September 29 and the National Day holidays on October 1 and 2, and continue through to the new year.
The spectacular Tai Hang fire dragon dance, which was an annual event during the Mid-Autumn Festival before the protests of 2019 and the Covid-19 pandemic, will be back this year.
The dragon dance performance, with a dazzling display of fire and fury involving around 300 people and a 67-metre-long (220 foot) dragon decorated with incense sticks from head to tail, will run for three evenings in Tai Hang from September 28 to 30.
Listed as a national intangible cultural heritage since 2011, the dragon dance performance is expected to draw large crowds who will also be treated to marching bands and a parade with children in traditional costumes.
At Lee Tung Avenue, a 200-metre pedestrian walkway in Wan Chai with cafes and gourmet restaurants, the “Moon Fest Lumiere” will be held until October 23 and features more than 800 Chinese lanterns.
On September 29, the street will host a performance featuring an 18-metre glowing fire dragon lit up with LED bulbs.
On most weekends this month, it will have charity pop-ups, free workshops on dragon dancing, music performances and dining and shopping cash coupons that give patrons 20 per cent cash rewards and limited-edition gift boxes.
Sino Group shopping centres plan to give away 10,000 drink coupons to people who come after 8pm. From September 28 to October 2, the group will also hand out drink coupons at the high-speed railway station and bus stops, inviting visitors to get a free drink in Alfresco Lane along the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront.
A Mid-Autumn Festival night bazaar at Citywalk in Tsuen Wan and China Hong Kong City in Tsim Sha Tsui will offer a variety of delicacies and festive products.
APM, a flagship shopping centre of Sun Hung Kai Properties in Kwan Tong, will have several night events this month and next month, including a performance by Cantopop girl band XIX on September 16 and a night bazaar from September 28 until October 8. Those who spend HK$100 (US$13) or more after 10pm will get an hour’s free parking.
Maureen Fung Sau-yim, executive director of Sun Hung Kai Properties, said the group would have celebrity shows, art and cultural exhibitions, light displays and night bazaars to support the government's plan to boost the city’s night economy.
“We expect our night activities to increase customer flow by 10 to 20 per cent,” she said.
A spokeswoman for New World Development said it would consider having longer operating hours at its shopping centres on certain days.
At Hong Kong Disneyland, opening hours would be extended for guests to enjoy seasonal offerings such as Halloween in October.
It is counting on the world’s first and largest “World of Frozen” attraction, based on the Disney film Frozen, to pull in crowds when it opens in November.
A spokeswoman said the series of new offerings at the park aimed to attract locals and visitors alike.
Ocean Park will hold a series of music concerts at Water World this month, and its signature event, Halloween Fest, will be back next month with haunted houses and nighttime thrills and chills.
