Hong Kong lantern festival brings global cultures to Mid-Autumn celebrations

2026-09-22 21:16 Last Updated At：09-23 17:14

The International Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival, organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, is lighting up the city's Victoria Park from Sept 17 to 27, featuring more than 3,000 lanterns from around the world and drawing large crowds of residents and visitors.

This year's festival takes "Reunion" as its theme, bringing together traditional and innovative elements, as well as local and international cultures.

For the first time, the festival incorporates global cultural elements into the traditional Mid-Autumn celebrations, creating a distinctive festive experience.

Lanterns representing diverse traditions are on display, including Nanjing’s historic Qinhuai lanterns, handmade Hong Kong lanterns and overseas lanterns.

At the main entrance of Victoria Park, an eight-meter-tall installation inspired by Hong Kong's great banyan trees greets visitors. It is one of four giant works custom-made for Hong Kong by a Qinhuai lantern-making team whose craft is listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

More than 3,000 lanterns from 20 countries and regions across Asia and Europe are on show, allowing visitors to explore folk customs and festive cultures from around the world through lantern art.

"The streets and alleys of Hong Kong are filled with a festive atmosphere during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Today's lantern festival is very beautiful, showcasing the charm of traditional Chinese culture and international lantern culture. It has attracted many residents and tourists. Hong Kong's economy has been stable this year, and people have a strong sense of gain and happiness," said Michael Woo Kim-kong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) from Hong Kong.

"The lantern festival this year has a strong traditional atmosphere, and the lanterns have a real festive feel. At the same time, it incorporates lanterns from other countries and regions, reflecting Hong Kong as an international metropolis that brings together visitors from all over the world to share the joy of reunion. With the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day approaching, Hong Kong is immersed in joy," said William So Wing-on, a member of Hong Kong's business community.

Visitors from the mainland were also among those drawn to the display.

"I came specially from the mainland to see the lanterns in Hong Kong. I'm very excited to be here today because the environment is particularly good and the lanterns are really beautiful," said a visitor from the mainland surnamed Cai.

More exhibitors debut high-end products at CIIE

A growing number of exhibitors are launching their newest products at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) first and then taking them to market from here.

The ninth edition of CIIE is under way in Shanghai, with more than 480 representative exhibits making their global, Asian or Chinese debuts this year, a record high.

A laser confocal fluorescence imaging device can present cell-level microscopic structures in real time during a doctor's surgery. An innovative flexible-material intraocular lens for myopia offers precisely tailored lens dimensions and is about to be localized for production.

The CIIE stage helps innovative R and D achievements debut and accelerate their path to market.

"Optics is our fundamental research, or rather our fundamental technology. We are now applying optical technology more to different fields such as industry and medicine. We can bring in more cooperation to help us develop products that are better suited to China," said Xie Lei, Chief Operating Officer, Carl Zeiss Greater China.

In the field of mobility, tires can collect tactile data from the tread and the road surface, bringing users a safer and more reliable driving experience; a renewable tire making its Asian debut contains 75 percent recycled materials, driving the green transformation of the industrial chain. From "bringing products into China" to "keeping R and D in China," what the CIIE has witnessed is increasingly deep localized cooperation.

"Smart sensing technology can actually be adapted to vehicles of different tire brands. This is also the kind of exhibit we hope to share with the market at this CIIE. Another point is that this is not only an Asian debut - we have already carried out scenario validation in China with the first batch of OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and intelligent-driving partners, and we should very soon see China's first-use cases next year," said Song Fen, Vice President of Michelin China.

"At this CIIE, on the one hand, we are showcasing SK hynix's AI-oriented memory solutions. On the other hand, we are also showcasing the group's technological reserves and future development vision in the AI data center field, which represents the group's future direction. We hope to work with partners to contribute to China's further development and jointly open up new business opportunities," said Chung Eun Tae, Co-CEO of SK China.

Launched in 2018, the CIIE is the world's first national-level expo dedicated to import, and has become an important gateway for foreign businesses seeking access to China's vast consumer and industrial markets. This year, the exhibition is held from Nov. 5 to 10.