- HONG KONG
Family-Friendly Guide To Celebrating Mid Autumn Festival In Hong Kong In 2025
Top Mid-Autumn Festival Events + Where To Buy Mooncakes & Lanterns + History
The Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner! Also known as the Moon Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong will take place on October 6, 2025. Get into the spirit and celebrate the festive event with traditional mooncakes, colorful lanterns, dragon dances, and so much more!
More Mid-Autumn Festival Fun!
- CELEBRATE AT THE BEACH: On Monday, many families head to the beaches in Hong Kong with lanterns – pick your favorite beach and celebrate!
- WHERE TO BUY LANTERNS IN HONG KONG: Fuk Wing Street (Toy Street) and Pottinger Street
- GIVEBACK: Mooncake Madness With Feeding Hong Kong, on until September 26, 2025
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Main image: Hong Kong Tourism Board
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MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL HISTORY
Celebrating Mid Autumn Festival In Hong Kong In 2025The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture at the end of the fall harvest.
The history of when it was first celebrated goes back to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC) to when it first appeared in Rites of Zhou, in which it was mentioned that the royal family would offer sacrifices to the Moon Goddess to thank for a good harvest.
But it only started to gain popularity during the Tang dynasty between 618–907 CE. According to Chinese folklore, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang started to hold formal celebrations in his home after exploring the Moon Palace. After that, it began to catch on, and commoners also started nightly celebrations in honor of the moon goddess.
By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Mid-Autumn festival had become the main festival, second only to Chinese New Year.
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THE HISTORY OF MOONCAKES AND WHERE TO BUY THEM IN HONG KONG?
Celebrating Mid Autumn Festival In Hong Kong In 2025Mooncakes are one of the key traditions of celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. In Chinese culture, a round shape symbolizes completeness and reunion. So sharing round mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival signifies the unity of families.
According to Chinese legend, mooncakes originated during the Yuan Dynasty, when Mongolia ruled China. The leaders from the preceding Sung Dynasty decided to rebel against foreign rule. They ordered the making of special cakes during the Moon Festival to put a message into each mooncake with details of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebel leaders overthrew the government and successfully established the Ming Dynasty.
Traditional mooncakes are made of ground lotus and egg yolk, but nowadays, there are more and more innovative mooncake flavors and designs. Check out our rundown of the hottest mooncakes to try this year:
Guide to the best mooncakes of 2025 - Click here!
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Victoria Park Mid-Autumn Festival And Lantern Display
September 30 - October 7, 2025If you're looking for the perfect family outing this season, don't miss the Victoria Park Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. This year's theme surrounds the traditional Chinese elements and the upcoming 2025 National Games, and comes to life with dazzling, intricately designed lantern displays. Beyond the visual spectacle, explore a lively Mid-Autumn festival market brimming with pop-up shops and food stalls, where you can indulge in traditional festival snacks and discover unique crafts and treats for both kids and adults. Click here for all the details.
- How much: free
- When: September 30 – October 7, 2025 | Lighting-up time: 6:30pm - 11:00pm (extended to midnight on October 6, 2025)
- Where: Victoria Park Soccer Pitch, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, https://www.cpo.gov.hk/
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Hong Kong Cultural Center Piazza Mid-Autumn Lantern Display
September 25 - October 19, 2025The Hong Kong Cultural Center Piazza always has some beautiful lantern displays, and if you're in the area, it's always worth checking out as it's close to the Star Ferry Terminal and on the way to major hotspots in TST. Kids will love it.
- How much: free
- When: September 25 to October 19, 2025: Lighting-up time: 6:30pm - 11:00pm (extended to midnight on October 6, 2025)
- Where: Hong Kong Cultural Center Piazza, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, https://www.cpo.gov.hk/
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Moon Fest Lumiere At Lee Tung Avenue
October 1 - 26, 2025- How much: free
- When: October 1 - 26, 2025
- Where: Lee Tung Avenue, 200 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, https://www.leetungavenue.com.hk/
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Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance
October 5-7, 2025The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance is a captivating Mid-Autumn Festival tradition in Hong Kong. Each year, a colossal, glowing dragon winds through the streets of the Tai Hang neighborhood, carried by over 300 synchronized performers. This 19th-century custom originates from a time when the village faced a devastating plague, and the fiery dragon display was believed to have quelled the outbreak. Today, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance is officially recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, drawing spectators from near and far to witness the breathtaking pageantry over three electrifying nights, as the serpentine creature undulates through the narrow streets, its scales glittering with thousands of incense sticks, culminating in a dramatic finale with the dragon's fiery breath illuminating the night sky.
- How much: free
- When: October 5-7, 2025 at around 8:15–10:30pm
- Where: Tai Hang, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong | Best vantage point: Wun Sha Street and Tung Lo Wan Road
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Bimbo Concept's Mid-Autumn Workshops
Themed STEM & Cooking Activities For Kids- When: selected dates from September 27 to October 8, 2025
- Where: Bimbo Concept Children's Residency, Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong, https://www.bimboconcept.com/collections/mid-autumn-activities
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Go Lantern Shopping!
Throughout SeptemberGather the family and make your way to Fuk Wing Street (also known as Toy Street) in Sham Shui Po or Yuen Long Lantern Street (Tai Kiu Market) to marvel at the stunning festive displays. Let the kids pick out their favorite lanterns. Afterward, continue the celebration by heading to the nearest park or beach to light up the lanterns. For a more limited selection, you can also visit Pottinger Street and The Lanes in Central.
- How much: free to attend
- When: throughout September
- Where: Fuk Wing Street and Yuen Long Lantern Street
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Next Stop: MARS Vacation Plan At The Mills
September 19 - October 25, 2025 -
Mid-Autumn At Kai Tak Sports Park
Now - October 13, 2025- When: Now - October 13, 2025
- Where: Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong, https://www.kaitaksportspark.com.hk/
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JOGUMAN Meets AIRSIDE: THE SUPERPOWER DREAMSCAPE
Now - November 9, 2025- Where: AIRSIDE, 2 Concorde Road, Kai Tak, Hong Kong, https://www.airside.com.hk/happenings/the-superpower-dreamscape
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