Hong Kong Festivals and Cultural Events in 2018 You Must Not Miss

Cosmopolitan yet cultural, futuristic yet old world—welcome to Hong Kong! Let us help you scratch the surface and discover the many gems of this multi-faceted city, through its various festivals, events and culture! Read on...

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival

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The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival is a celebration like no other that brings out the best of Hong Kong. This three-day event that sees dragon boat teams and athletes from across the world compete for the winning title. Like all great parties, the carnival-like atmosphere includes plenty of visitor activities and games along with local and international food, beer stalls and souvenir vendors.

When: June
Where: Central Harbourfront

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Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

In the 19th century, the people of Tai Hang began performing a dragon dance to stop a run of bad luck afflicting their village. Accompanied by drummers and erupting firecrackers, they danced for three days and three nights. Did you know? It takes about 300 performers and over 24,000 incense sticks per night to put on a three-day performance with a 67-metre dragon, which consists of 32 sections and whose head alone weighs 48 kg. It is led by men holding up two ‘pearls’, or pomelos with numerous incense sticks inserted into them. Till today, the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival, dragon dance participants perform a series of rituals in the Hakka dialect at Lin Fa Temple, a Declared Monument known for its unique East-meets-West style architectural features. The commemorative performance then wends its way in fire, smoke and festive fury through the backstreets of Tai Hang over three moon-fuelled days.

When: 23–25 September 2018

Time:
Around 8:15–10:30pm, 23–24 September
Around 8:15–10pm, 25 September

Where: Tai Hang, Causeway Bay
(Best vantage point: Wun Sha Street)​

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Mid-Autumn Festival

One of the cultural events you must not miss in Hong Kong is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Traditionally a harvest festival, the spirit of the celebrations centre around gatherings, thanksgiving and prayer. Mooncakes are a prominent feature and symbolic of an ancient Chinese tradition and the sharing and eating of them signifies unity. The Fire Dragon Race is another spectacle that sees 300 performers guiding a 67-metre dragon over three nights. Also interesting is that about 24,000 incense sticks are burned. The most mesmerising feature of the festival is the night sky being lit up with paper lanterns across the city with the grandest display at Victoria Park. Experience the best of Hong Kong during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

When: Fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month
Where: Across Hong Kong

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