By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Mid-Autumn FestivalWednesday 15 September 2027
- Public holiday, the day after Mid-AutumnThursday 16 September 2027
- Where
- Wun Sha Street and Tung Lo Wan Road, Tai Hang
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- September or October
- Dates
- Move each year with the lunar calendar
The dance runs on the three nights around Mid-Autumn, from the 14th to the 16th of the eighth lunar month, here taken from the Hong Kong Observatory’s table. The Tai Hang Residents’ Welfare Association publishes the times and route nearer the date.
For three nights around Mid-Autumn, more than 300 performers carry a 67-metre straw dragon stuck with burning incense through the small streets of Tai Hang, behind Causeway Bay. It is free, it is loud, it smells wonderful, and it is one of the best street spectacles in Asia. Arrive well before dark, stand on Wun Sha Street or Tung Lo Wan Road, and hold on to children.
What Tai Hang Fire Dragon actually is
The dance began in the nineteenth century, when Tai Hang was a Hakka village, as a rite to stop a plague. The story goes that a soothsayer told the villagers to dance a dragon of fire for three nights, and the plague stopped. They have kept it up ever since.
The dragon is built fresh from straw, with about 12,000 sticks of incense pushed into its body. Teams run it through the streets in relays, weaving and rolling it to drums and gongs, and sticks are swapped as they burn down. Children carry a small dragon of their own, now lit by LEDs.
It is on China’s national list of intangible cultural heritage, and it is run by the local residents, not by the Tourism Board, which is why it still feels like a neighbourhood event despite the crowds.
Where to watch Tai Hang Fire Dragon
- Wun Sha Street, the main stretch. The dragon passes through repeatedly, and the view is close. It is also where the crowd is deepest, so aim to be there well before the start.
- Tung Lo Wan Road, at the edge of the village. There is more room here, and you can see the dragon from a greater distance as it turns.
- The Fire Dragon Heritage Centre in Tai Hang tells the story of the dance. Check its opening hours, and go before the crowd arrives.
- Victoria Park is a short walk away, and its lantern carnival makes a natural second half of the evening at Mid-Autumn.
Tickets and what it costs
There is nothing to buy. The streets are open, and the route is managed by marshals and police, who may hold people back from the sections where the dragon turns.
Official information and booking: www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/events/tai-hang-s-fire-dragon-dance.html
Getting there
Walk from Causeway Bay station, about ten minutes, or from Tin Hau station on the Island line. Roads in the village are closed to traffic for the dance, so taxis and buses will drop you some way off.
Trams along Causeway Road pass the end of the district, and Tai Hang’s small cafés and restaurants fill up on the night, so reserve or eat early.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Arriving as it starts
By then the pavements are several people deep, and you will mostly see the smoke. Thousands turn up on each of the three nights, so allow at least an hour or two.
Standing too close in good clothes
Sparks fly, ash falls and incense smoke gets into everything. Wear something you do not mind washing, and keep clear of the performers when the dragon turns.
Forgetting the weather
Mid-Autumn sits inside typhoon season. A No. 8 signal or heavy rain can change the programme, so check the Observatory before setting off.
Bringing a pushchair
The streets are narrow and packed. Carry small children if you can, and agree a meeting point with older ones.
Other Hong Kong events
Frequently asked questions
When is the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance?
On the three nights around Mid-Autumn, the 14th to 16th of the eighth lunar month. The dates card above has this year’s, and the organisers publish the times nearer the date.
Where does the Fire Dragon go?
Through the streets of Tai Hang, chiefly Wun Sha Street and Tung Lo Wan Road, behind Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island. The nearest stations are Causeway Bay and Tin Hau.
How big is the Fire Dragon?
About 67 metres long, with roughly 12,000 sticks of burning incense, carried by more than 300 performers in relays, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Is the Fire Dragon free?
Yes. There are no tickets, and you watch from the street. Marshals manage the crowd, and the best spots go well before the start.
Sources
- Hong Kong Tourism Board, Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance
- Hong Kong Observatory, conversion table
- GovHK, general holidays
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2027. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.