Moon-watching tips for Mid-Autumn Festival 2025
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on October 6 (Monday) this year. While the full moon will occur on the day following the Mid-Autumn Festival (October 7), weather permitting, a bright and round moon can still be observable at night during the Mid-Autumn Festival period.
To facilitate moon watching by the public, the times of moonrise, transit, moonset and full moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival period are listed in the table. At transit, the moon passes the local meridian, reaching its highest elevation for the night due south.
October 5 (Sunday) – the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival |
Moonrise |
4.50pm |
Transit (elevation 64 degrees) |
10.54pm |
Moonset |
5.03am (next morning) |
October 6 (Monday) – Mid-Autumn Festival |
Moonrise |
5.27pm |
Transit (elevation 72 degrees) |
11.43pm |
Moonset |
6.05am (next morning) |
October 7 (Tuesday) – the day following the Mid-Autumn Festival |
Full moon (the moon is below the horizon of Hong Kong at this moment) |
11.48am |
Moonrise |
6.06pm |
Transit (elevation 79 degrees) |
0.34am (next morning) |
Moonset |
7.10am (next morning) |
Please refer to the 9-day Weather Forecast issued by the Hong Kong Observatory and the Weather Information for Astronomical Observation webpage for the latest weather conditions and the astronomical observing conditions during the Mid-Autumn Festival period to plan moon-watching activities.
Note: At full moon, the moon is completely illuminated as seen from the Earth, with the moon and the sun located on the opposite sides of the Earth.
Source: AI-found images
Speech by SITI at 2026 WAIC UP! Global Summit
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the 2026 WAIC UP! Global Summit today (January 16):
Professor Sun Dong, Photo by Bastille Post
Ms Qiu (Vice President of DLG Exhibitions & Events Co Ltd, Ms Qiu Haoming), Hendrick (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, Mr Hendrick Sin), Terry (Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Mr Terry Wong), Duncan (Member of the Legislative Council, Mr Duncan Chiu), Alex (President of the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, Dr Alex Chung), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. I am delighted to join you at the 2026 WAIC UP! Global Summit.Today's theme, "Wake Up More!", is a call not only for any single company, city, or country but also a timely reminder for all of us to embrace a new era of intelligence, possibility, and shared responsibility.
A big thank you to the organiser for choosing Hong Kong as a destination for this remarkable Summit. This is another testament to Hong Kong's unique position as a "super connector" and a "super value-adder" that thrives on global connection and creativity. We are delighted to see that world-class academics, industry experts and leading entrepreneurs from around the world gather here today to explore the future of AI and the opportunities it brings to us.
AI has become a core engine driving global technological and economic progress, and all economies recognise its strategic importance.Under the unique advantages of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong is also seizing this AI moment.With a focus on "strengthening infrastructure and promoting the application-oriented approach", Hong Kong is steadily advancing a series of AI initiatives.
In terms of R&D (research and development), the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government is working to establish the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute within this year, which is a new engine for discovery, translation, and real-world impact.Through our AIR@InnoHK research cluster, we have funded the establishment of 16 R&D laboratories focusing on AI and robotics technologies.Notably, the "HKChat" AI chatbot developed by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center has already launched its public version.
Hong Kong's total computing power has now reached 5 000 PFLOPS, with the Cyberport AI Supercomputing Centre contributing 3 000 PFLOPS. This centre is a critical hub that supports Hong Kong's AI development, and its capacity will continue to expand to meet growing demand. The upcoming data facility cluster at Sandy Ridge in North District will further provide advanced computing power facilities, promoting the development of data and AI-related industries in Hong Kong.
And at the heart of all progress is talent. We recognise that people, not algorithms, will shape the future of AI. Our strategy is simple yet powerful: "Promote technology with talent, lead industries with technology, and attract talent with industries". To this end, we have included in the Talent List a number of professions in the I&T (innovation and technology) segment, including experienced AI Specialists, to facilitate global experts, like all of you here, in developing your careers in Hong Kong.
Looking ahead, the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to foster strong collaboration among the Government and the industry, academia, research and investment sectors. The future of AI cannot be built by anyone or any place alone. It requires a global community that is awake, aware, and aligned.I am confident that this Summit will spark new ideas and inspire us to wake up more for high-quality AI development.
I wish the Summit great success. Thank you.
The 2026 WAIC UP! Global Summit, Photo by Bastille Post
