Monday, October 5, 2009

Mid-autumn festival lanterns in Hong Kong (photo-essay)


When I was a young girl in Penang, I used to enjoy celebrating that which I used to think of as the lantern festival -- Malaysia being a place where it's perennially summer (and there thus being no autumn, never mind mid-autumn). So the mid-autumn festival's small portable lanterns that kids like to carry about at night are familiar enough to me (even while I have to say that in my time, one never saw any lanterns in the shape of Hello Kitty or CJ7 (the latter of which was the rage last year)).

On the other hand, extravagant public displays are another matter altogether. Consequently, they are something that I do really enjoy seeing around this time of the year in Hong Kong in each of the three falls and counting that I've now been a resident of the Big Lychee... ;)


From Victoria Park, 2007:
something very Chinese and red!


From 2007 too, but looking ahead to
the 2008 Olympics (whose equestrian portion,

lest we forget, Hong Kong hosted!)

For some reason, the 2008 lantern display at the
Hong Kong Cultural Centre piazza in Tsim Sha Tsui

was partly oceanic in theme and nature

Other parts of that 2008 lantern display
also had a biology emphasis


Tsim Sha Tsui, 2009: lantern dragon,
lantern 2
009 East Asian Games mascots
and real Clock Tower, among other things

Victoria Park 2009: Cute panda lantern display...
and a toilet banner right down below!

Wide-angle view of this year's very well attended
Lantern Carnival in Victoria Park


The female half of the phoenix display that complemented
the dragon display, a picture of which I put up
previously
-- yin and yang times two, it might be said! :)


13 comments:

Glenn, kenixfan said...

Very nice! It's weird to look at your lovely pics of Hong Kong and actually know the very spot where at least two of them were taken!

Anonymous said...

Wah... hou leng ah!

It looks like I might need to schedule my next HK trip during this time of year. ;)

Eleanor said...

Yvonne,

What a terrific collection of photos! Thanks for posting these, and the ones from 2009. Sadly, I have already consumed my small stock of mooncakes. Enjoy yours!

YTSL said...

Hi Glenn --

Actually photos number 3-5 from the top were all taken in the outdoor area between the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Clock Tower and Victoria Harbour. :)

Hi duriandave --

There are so many times of the year that Hong Kong is better than when you visited this last time, right? More seriously though, each day, week, month and season brings its own particular pleasures, I reckon. :)

Hi Eleanor (from Mobius, right?) --

Glad you like the photos. Have tons more to share. As for mooncakes: there are still 3 3/4 regular sized ones and 1 mini one in my fridge. If I eat them slowly (I'm averaging 1/4 a day for breakfast and three days a week), I figure that I have a month or so to go before they're finished! :D

Horsoon said...

Amazing! This is some lanterns display I don't get to see often in M'sia :)

中秋節快乐!

YTSL said...

Hi Horsoon --

Reactions like yours make me glad I put up this photo-essay. Truth be told: familiarity can breed... if not contempt, then a certain jadedness. Put another way: I did wonder if the lantern displays were worth a whole photo-essay... but not anymore! ;b

Bengbeng said...

they were worth a whole photo essay. but u raised a valid point. abt being jaded and familiarity breeds contempt. after blogging for almost three years now, things sort of repeat themselves annually like this mooncake festival. sometimes i just dont post anymore for fear of repeating myself but the individuals involved like my coverage and being taken photos of

YTSL said...

Hi bengbeng --

One of the reasons why I like tnchick's Photo Hunt is that it gets me looking at my photos (and Hong Kong) in new ways. Often times, photos that I might not put up otherwise I end up doing -- and finding that they're appreciated. Of course, I do wish that more Photo Hunters would check out my non-Photo Hunt entries but hey, even their visiting the blog at all is nice. :)

Randi said...

This is a great sequence of colourful and beautiful shots of HK.
I love your photos - you show me places I never see when I visit HK and I always learn something new here. Thanks for sharing.

LifeRamblings said...

what a great display of beautiful lanterns. thanks for sharing.

YTSL said...

Hi Randi --

Thanks much for appreciating -- and I hope you visit Hong Kong again before too long. :)

Hi Life Ramblings --

Thanks to you too for appreciating. :)

alejna said...

Gorgeous photos! I think I would love to see that in real life. Maybe some day..

YTSL said...

Hi Alejna --

Hope that that "some day" will eventually come. :)