By The Light Of The Silvery Moon.

Full Moon at Mid-Autumn Festival.

What a week it has been! It began well with our Silver Wedding Anniversary, but ended so sadly with the passing away of the queen. I don't consider myself a royalist, but the queen has simply been the queen forever and it just seems impossible that she isn't there any more. May she rest in peace.

Here in Hong Kong it is once again Mid-Autumn Festival. Tonight families will sit outside, eating brightly coloured round fruit and moon cakes while gazing at the full moon.

My friend, Iris, shared this picture of a Mid-Autumn dessert table with me. The boxes contain moon cakes.

Many people will be carrying lanterns with them when they go outside. This festival is linked to Harvest Time and is associated with a legend.

Long long ago, it is said that there were ten suns in the sky. It was always day time and endlessly hot. Plants struggled to survive in the heat and it was common for crops to shrivel up and die. The people were hungry and thirsty. One day, a skilful archer called Hou Yi got so fed up with the eternal heat and light that he pointed his bow towards the heavens and shot down nine of the suns. Hou Yi's actions improved life for the whole of mankind, so as a reward, the goddess Xiwangmu gave him a magic potion. Anyone who drank this would achieve immortality.

While Hou Yi liked the idea of being immortal, he only had enough potion for one person and he could not bear to live for all eternity without his beautiful young wife - Chang’e by his side, so instead of drinking the potion, he hid it under their bed. However, an evil man called Feng Meng, who was apprentice to Hou Yi, found out about the potion and wanted it for himself. One night, Feng Meng forced his way into Hou Yi's home when Chang’e was there by herself. He tried to make her give him the potion. Knowing she could not fight him off, Chang'e stopped him in the only way she could, she drank the potion herself. When she had finished, she became lighter and lighter until she began to float through the air. She floated right out of her window, up through the night sky and all the way up to the moon which became her new home forever and ever.

Hou Yi was heartbroken when he discovered his dear wife had gone, but knowing she was up on the moon, he would spend his nights gazing up at her. He also laid out fruits and cakes as offerings to her every evening until the day he died and from this practice Mid-Autumn Festival was born.

Now normally I have just started a new term at this point in the year and I am very busy and very tired. I don't usually have time to go out and look at all the Mid-Autumn decorations and activities, but this year I can do whatever I like. Yippee!!! I have been to three different places to see what is going on. I actually began with the nighttime one, but I'm going to show my photos the other way round, so that the earlier ones are by day and the later ones are at night.

On Friday I took a look at the relatively new East Coast Park in Fortress Hill which opened on September 25th 2021. To get here, go to Fortress Hill by MTR, then exit through exit A onto King's Road. Cross the road, go left to Oil Street. Walk down Oil Street, then turn left onto Electric Road. Walk along Electric Road till you reach Watson Road. Go right onto Watson Road and head towards the harbour. The entrance to the park is located under the Central Wanchai Bypass Flyover. This flyover makes it appear as if you are looking at the park through a huge window, so the park's architect designed the park's seating areas and other outdoor structures to also look like windows. This park is part of the harbour side promenade project. There is a construction site next to the park where the next phase of the promenade is still being built.

One unusual feature of this park is that it has a hundred metre long breakwater, offering 360 degree views over the harbour.There is a cylindrical vent shaft at the end of the breakwater, which bears a slight resemblance to the Burj Al Arab Hotel, earning this park the nickname Hong Kong's Dubai. Haha! There is also a word art installation spelling out Victoria Harbour. Apparently the letters are hollow and you can step inside them. I didn't go close enough to realise that.

Dubai comes to Hong Kong.

Victoria Harbour Word Art Installation.

Word Art.

Lanterns over Dubai.

The Breakwater.

The Breakwater.

The end of the breakwater.

View from the breakwater.

Looking back from the breakwater.

This park was beautifully decorated with lanterns. It also had many white rabbits, as Chang'e is associated with a white rabbit that lives on the moon with her. Plus it had lots of strange creatures I mistakenly thought were goats, but having checked, I now know these are actually Chinese dragon horses. These mythical creatures symbolise inspiration and are part of an art project called 'Drago Cavallo'. This project is the work of Chinese artist, Simon Ma. Apparently there are dragon horses dotted around various sights in Hong Kong, though these are the first I have seen. This project is sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. I think they are the ones doing the twenty-five years since the handover displays with the motto 'With you then, now, always.'

Celebrating twenty-five years.

Colourful Lanterns.

Window Shaped Shelters with Lanterns.

Window Shaped Shelters with Lanterns.

Window Shaped Shelters with Lanterns.

Lanterns.

Lanterns.

Lanterns.

Lanterns.

Large Dragon Horse with the motto of the Hong Kong Jockey Club - With you, then, now always.

Dragon horses.

Dandelions and Dragon Horses. Apparently the dandelions look like fireworks at night.

These rabbits appeared to be made out of oil cans. Oil Street is nearby. I think this was an attempt to link with the history of the area.

Rabbits and Dragon Horses.

Dandelions.

Mid-Autumn White Rabbits.

Lanterns.

Lanterns.

On my way to this park I had noticed a little temple so I had a quick look in there before heading to Victoria Park. It was pleasant and friendly, but very small, not much to see.

Temple.

Victoria Park in Causeway Bay is one of the main venues for seeing lanterns at Mid-Autumn. The lantern area is fee paying and only open in the evening. Fortunately, I had my camera with me, because I could really only photograph the lanterns with a powerful zoom. There were many of them, most of them were animal themed. I would like to see them lit up, but am sure this area would just be way too crowded at night.

Entrance.

Lanterns across the sky.

Central Library.

Moons.

Waving Lucky Cat.

Rabbits.

Horses.

Cats.

Cats.

Sea Creatures.

Animals on a boat.

Animals on a boat lantern.

Animal Lantern.

Robot Lanterns.

On the Thursday night, I went to Tung Chung in the evening and walked along the waterfront to see the colourful lanterns there. It was quite magical with all the lanterns lit up. It was also lovely to see so many people out celebrating, as over the last couple of years celebrations have been smaller or even nonexistent for so many events due to COVID.

Walk along the waterfront to get to the Lanterns.

Walking along the waterfront to the Lanterns.

Walking along the waterfront to the Lanterns.

Lanterns across the night sky.

Lanterns across the night sky.

Pink lanterns.

Lanterns across the night sky.

I kept seeing this extremely extrovert girl dancing everywhere.

Dogs and Lanterns.

Lanterns reflected in water.

A wall of lanterns.

Wall of Lanterns.

Wall of Lanterns.

In the centre of the display.

On my way back home I walked past the dancing musical fountain in Tung Chung's main square. It was not on, but the ground was all lit up where it would be. A painted display about local culture caught my eye as I headed for my bus home.

Tung Chung main square.

Tung Chung main square.

Artwork showing Hakka people carrying loads to market.

Tonight, which is the night of the actual festival, I took a quick walk to look at the moon.

The moon at Mid-Autumn Festival.

Our friend, Michael, sent us an amazing picture of the moon over Lion Rock which I will share here.

Great picture, sadly not mine.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!