The date for the Hong Kong Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance 2024 has been confirmed: September 16-18, 2024, the same day as this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival. The show will take place on September 17, the actual festival day, from 11pm to 11.30pm in Victoria Park. On other nights, the procession will take place from 7.30pm to 10pm.

The iconic Mid-Autumn Festival celebration has been held in the Tai Tang district for over 140 years and is an event that no one should miss.

All details about the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance 2024 in Hong Kong

Fire dragon dances have been part of the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations for years. There are many things to do in the city before and during the celebrations, but the dance in Tai Hang is one of the oldest and most famous.

During the dragon dance, residents carry a 67-meter-long dragon made of 72,000 incense sticks. It is then carried through the neighborhood for three nights and paraded. The dragon is known for its weight, the head alone weighs 45 kilograms. A total of 300 dancers will participate, including those who carry the dragon and those who accompany the parade. In this year’s edition, more than 100 children will also be part of the procession to hold lanterns and guide the dragon from the front.

Before the actual parade, a ceremony is held at the Lin Ka Fung Temple. From there, the procession starts on Sun Chun Street and moves through various streets of the Tai Hang district. Head to the intersection of Shepherd Street and Wun Sha Street for the best viewing point.

An iconic tradition from the 19th century

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance is said to have first taken place in 1880. Residents of a small Hakka village built a fire dragon with incense in the hope of defeating the plague. They also lit firecrackers, gongs and drums. Since then, the Fire Dragon Dance has adorned the streets of Tai Hang during the Mid-Autumn Festival, still drawing crowds every year with its spectacular display of fire, dance and celebration.

In 2011, the Fire Dragon Dance was added to the national list of intangible cultural heritage of Hong Kong. It thus joins the list of festivals that include the Cheung Chau Bun Festival and the Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade.

(Image credit: TaiHangFireDragon/Facebook)

This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Hong KonG.