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The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present a wide spectrum of activities including lantern carnivals, lantern display and lanterns exhibition to celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. Admission to all programmes is free.
Featuring a variety of entertainment programmes, lantern carnivals will be held at Tung Chung Man Tung Road Park on September 22, at Tai Po Waterfront Park on September 23, at Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza on September 24, and at Victoria Park on September 25.
The four lantern carnivals will have the Ethnic Arts Parades presented by the Chinese Ethnic Arts Troupe. Demonstrating the diverse cultural spectrum of China, the parades have more than 150 performers including many renowned ethnic artists from all over China. The events feature traditional dance and indigenous music of the Mongolian, Tibetan, Miao, Korean, Yi, Tujia, Uygur, Dai and Han groups. Other highlights include demonstrations of making traditional handicraft and the exquisite ethnic costumes "fashion" shows displaying the aesthetics of various Chinese ethnic groups.
All the four venues to stage the lantern carnivals are decorated with beautiful lanterns. The Victoria Park lantern carnival features a 10-metre spectacular lantern "Harvest Harmony" depicting the reverence the Chinese ethnic minorities have for their ancestors and divinities, with the totem illumination showcasing the legends and myths of Chinese ethnic minorities about nature.
Details of the carnivals are as follows:
1. New Territories West Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival
September 22 (Saturday), 7.30pm-10.30pm
Tung Chung Man Tung Road Park
Programmes: Chinese Ethnic Arts Parade, handicraft demonstrations, lantern quiz, fortune-telling and lantern display
2. New Territories East Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival
September 23 (Sunday), 7.30pm-10.30pm
Tai Po Waterfront Park
Programmes: Lion dance, Chinese Ethnic Arts Parade, Chinese instrumental music, Chinese ethnic costume show, Chinese ethnic songs and dance performance, traditional stage arts show, nostalgic games, lantern quiz, fortune-telling, handicraft demonstrations and lantern display
3. Kowloon Region Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival
September 24 (Monday), 7.30pm-10.30pm
Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza
Programmes: Chinese Ethnic Arts Parade, Chinese instrumental music, Chinese ethnic songs and dance performance, traditional stage arts show, lantern quiz, fortune-telling, handicraft demonstrations and lantern display
4. Hong Kong Island Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival
September 25 (Tuesday), 8pm-11pm
Victoria Park
Programmes: Chinese Ethnic Arts Parade, traditional stage arts show, nostalgic games, lantern quiz, fortune-telling, handicraft demonstrations and lantern display
There are spectacular lantern displays "10 Brothers Dance with the Dragon" at Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza from now to October 21; and "100 Creatures Gather and Glitter" at West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade from now to October 1.
The display at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre features a spectacular 80-metre long dragon lantern, accompanied by the life-size lanterns of "10 brothers", symbolising the concerted efforts of Hong Kong people, while the display at West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade showcases lanterns in the shape of 10 types of creatures, among which is the eye-catching Fuwa Huanhuan, the mascot of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, riding on a horse and ready for the Equestrian Events.
An exhibition featuring the winning designs and all entries of the 2007 Mid-Autumn Lantern Design Competition, will be held at the Exhibition Gallery, G/F, Hong Kong Central Library from September 20 to 29.
People are urged to avoid littering and wax-burning while celebrating the festival.
For more information on the lantern carnivals, please call 2591 1340 or visit the website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/eoĦ@
Ends/Friday, September 14, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:15
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