Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong: A Guide for Expats

Mandarin Time
Oct 6
3 min read

Updated: Oct 28

The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节 Zhōngqiū Jié) is a significant occasion. It falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. In 2025, it will be celebrated on October 6. This night is about reunion, gratitude for the harvest, and moon-gazing.

You can see the festival celebrated in Chinese communities across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Similar harvest full-moon observances also take place in Vietnam (Tết Trung Thu), Korea (Chuseok), and Japan (Tsukimi).

The Deep-rooted History of The Mid-Autumn Festival in China and Hong Kong

The Mid-Autumn Festival has a rich history. It combines ancient moon worship and farming rituals. The festival gained popularity during the Tang Dynasty. One famous legend is about Chang’e. She drank an elixir and flew to the moon. Her husband, Hou Yi, laid out her favorite fruits and cakes. This is why we offer these treats today. The tale lives on in poems, lanterns, and stories for children, adding myth to the holiday beyond just snacks and photos.

Mooncakes are a traditional treat. They often contain lotus seed or red-bean paste, sometimes with a salted egg yolk “moon” inside. These mooncakes are shared in wedges as a wish for togetherness.

Unique Celebrations Across Regions

Different regions have their own unique ways to celebrate the festival. In Hong Kong, neighborhoods glow with lanterns. The famous Tai Hang Fire Dragon is a highlight. This 67-meter incense-studded dragon snakes through Tai Hang’s lanes over three nights. It moves to Victoria Park on the main evening, scheduled for October 5–7, 2025. The event is loud, smoky, and spectacular.

Check out the video to see it live:

In Taiwan, a popular twist is balcony and riverside barbecue with friends. This trend began in the 1980s after barbecue-sauce TV ads made grilling the Mid-Autumn thing. Today, grills pop up in alleys and on rooftops as families trade mooncakes for skewers.

Vietnam celebrates Tết Trung Thu as a children’s festival. Star lanterns, lion-dance troupes, and family mooncake boxes fill the streets from Hanoi to Hội An.

Singapore transforms its downtown gardens into a glowing wonderland. This year’s Gardens by the Bay program lights up nightly with themed lantern sets and activities.

Meanwhile, Korea’s Chuseok is a three-day homecoming focused on ancestor rites and songpyeon (half-moon rice cakes). Japan’s Tsukimi is a gentler moon-viewing experience. It features pampas grass (susuki) and tsukimi dango set by the window for the moon.

How to Wish Friends a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

If you want to share the festival spirit, here are some greetings you can say to your friends and colleagues during the festivities.

Idioms Often Used as Greetings:

花好月圆
拼音：huā hǎo yuè yuán
英文翻译：Blooming flowers and full moon (symbolizing perfect harmony and happiness for the Mid-Autumn Festival)
Audio:

花好月圆