Thousands of revellers gathered along Wun Sha Street in Tai Hang in Causeway Bay yesterday for the first night of the annual Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance.
This year’s event includes a 20-metre-long LED fire dragon held by around 100 children, a first for the annual night-time event. The fire dragon dance route also extends to Causeway Bay Road, passing souvenir booths for event-goers to visit and take photos.
“The participation of children can help promote the younger generation's understanding of the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and better inherit our culture,” said Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun at the opening ceremony.
A small area with old public housing estates, Tai Hang livens when the dragon dance attracts a tide of admirers.
Dancers manoeuvred the dragon while carrying over 30,000 burning incense sticks. The event included performances accompanied by traditional drumming and gongs.
Among the thousands in attendance was Gao Junyang, who creates and sells hand-made dragon lanterns.
His first time visiting, the 17-year-old described the atmosphere as "full of life"
"Every corner is teeming with excited people, who stretch their necks and hold phones above their heads,” he said.
Zoe Wong, one of the Lotus Sisters, a team consisting of little girls dressed in pink cheongsams and carrying pink lotus lanterns, in this year’s show said her excitement overwhelmed her feelings of exhaustion.
“I can play with friends, and grab some incense sticks for fun and fortune,” the 7-year-old said. “I would love to come and perform again next year.”
Linda Chen, 23, from Fujian Province in mainland China, also enjoyed the fire dragon dance.
“Seeking happiness, health and unity with family not only means a lot to me but also follows the tradition,” she said.
However, Chen said the horde of people made it difficult to see the dragon dance at times. “It is a pity, but I think I will come back to make up for the next Mid-autumn festival.”
As thousands gather to embrace this year’s Mid-Autumn festivities, temperatures soared, causing one woman to faint. This year's Mid-Autumn is the hottest on record, hitting 35.7 degrees Celsius yesterday while recording the hottest day of the year so far with 37 degrees.
The event dates back to the 19th century when a plague hit Tai Hang. To eliminate the plague, villagers danced with fire dragons and paraded around the village around the Mid-Autumn Festival to pray for the health and safety of the villagers.
Since then, the villagers have held a three-day fire dragon dance every year to ensure the safety of Tai Hang. Until now, it is not only a celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival but also a cultural heritage event aimed at promoting community unity.
It will be held from Sept. 16 to 18.
《The Young Reporter》
The Young Reporter (TYR) started as a newspaper in 1969. Today, it is published across multiple media platforms and updated constantly to bring the latest news and analyses to its readers.
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