A revamped Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, the first Mid-Autumn Festival-themed drone show, Tai O Lantern Festival and a host of amazing activities are set to take center stage in Hong Kong to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Fire Dragon Dance, one of Hong Kong’s flagship events for the festival, will be performed from Sept 17 to19, starting at 7:30 pm each night.

A National Intangible Cultural Heritage, the dragon dance will feature a 67-meter fire dragon made of incense sticks, which will be carried by 300 performers.

This year’s performance area will be extended from Wun Sha Street to Tung Lo Wan Road, with the addition of a live broadcast in Victoria Park to attract more visitors and residents.

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New for this year, about 100 children will wave a 20-meter long LED dragon, which will be illuminated with approximately 10,000 LEDs.

Also for the first time, the event will feature performances like fancy rope skipping and glow-in-the-dark nunchaku.

To fuel the festival atmosphere, two illuminated trams with fire-dragon dance decorations have been traveling around Hong Kong Island.

Information about the event is being displayed in tourism hotspots such as the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator, Star Ferry Concourse, screens at MTR stations, and the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s (HKTB) visitor centers at the airport.

The first Mid-Autumn Festival themed drone show will be staged at 8 pm on Sept 17 at Wan Chai harbourfront area. A total of 1,000 drones will illuminate the night sky with intricate and dynamic patterns of adorable rabbits, traditional lanterns and fire dragons.

The stunning show will last for about 10 minutes. According to advice from the HKTB, the best vantage point is believed to be Wan Chai HarbourChill and Water Sports and Recreation Precinct.

Lasting from Sept 7 to Oct 1, this year’s Tai O Lantern Festival is centered on Kat Hing Street, with more than 800 paper lanterns, all handmade by local residents, hanging in the neighboring streets. The light-up time is from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

The 102-year-old historic building Blue House will be adorned with around 600 lanterns and a series of activities will be held in the tourist attraction, including art workshops, weekend markets, and a Mid-Autumn Festival gala.

The organizer invited representatives of various sectors to paint the lanterns, including local athletes who participated in the Paris Olympics and Hangzhou Asian Ganmes, artists and residents in Wan Chai.

In Southern District on Hong Kong Island, a Mid-Autumn Fire Dragon Festival in Aberdeen will start from 8 pm on Sept 17. The parade will set off from Aberdeen Square and perform throughout the surrounding streets.

A variety of activities and installations will be staged at Tai Po’s Lake House, including a 10-meter-high moon decoration, a sightseeing boat tour, and water lanterns, from Sept 7 to 18.

In Mong Kok’s Langham Place, a 4.5-meter giant moon decoration and 8 Argyle Street mailbox will be installed on the 12th floor from Sept 10 to 26.

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During the Mid-Autumn Festival, special Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals will be held at various locations, including Victoria Park, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Lee Tung Street in Wan Chai, Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple, and Tsing Yi Park in the New Territories.

Wan Chai District, councilor Peggy Lee Pik-yee said she believed that the upgraded Fire Dragon Dance can boost visitor numbers and stimulate spending in the district.

Hong Kong Tourism Association executive director Timothy Chui Ting-pong said he believed that activities put on during the Mid-Autumn Festival can not only attract short-haul visitors, but also encourage residents stay in Hong Kong to spend and boost the economy.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com