Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Located mere minutes from neon-drenched Causeway Bay, character-packed Tai Hang is one of Hong Kong’s most charming neighbourhoods. During Mid-Autumn Festival, this low-rise pocket is also host to the spectacular Fire Dragon Dance.

Dating back to the 19th century, the Tai Hai Fire Dragon Dance originated when local villagers conceived a dragon made of straw and embellished with incense sticks as a talisman against a recent spate of disasters, which included a plague and a typhoon. Though most of the original fishing village buildings have since been replaced, the festival still takes place over three days every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival and is one of Hong Kong’s most enthralling experiences.

Traditionally proceedings begin on the day before Mid-Autumn Festival, with a series of Hakka rituals held at Lin Fa Temple. For the following three moon-lit evenings, the event becomes a more spirited affair as 300 participants dance and weave their way through the neighbourhood’s streets with the enormous incense-adorned 67-metre dragon, accompanied by lively drumming and firecrackers. Crowds tend to cluster around Wun Sha St, but you can easily avoid the crush as the parade wends its way through the surrounding streets.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance Festival/ 16-18 Sep, 2024 / 8.15-10.30pm 16&18 Sep, until 10pm 17 Sep / Tai Hang / Causeway Bay / +852 2577 2649 / taihangfiredragon.com