Zhongqiu: the Chinese mainland's Mid-Autumn Festival

In parts of Southern China the full moon is time for a little romance. Masquerades are held at Festival time to pair up single guys and girls from neighboring villages with the quaint yet symbolic dropping of a handkerchief.

One of the most spectacular aspects of Mid-Autumn Festival is the building of huge bamboo and stone towers, often rising over 50 feet high, which are then set ablaze after dark in order to ensure a good harvest.

Mid-Autumn celebrations in Hong Kong 

Hong Kong is arguably the best place of all to be for the Festival. The teeming city goes mad for moon cakes and the famous city skyline is even more dramatic among thousands of shimmering lanterns and the glow of the full moon.

Seemingly every household in the city takes the kids up to Victoria Peak to see the cityscape and harbor view in all its glory. From here you can see a flotilla of boats ferrying couples around the harbor on romantic moonlight cruises. Throughout Kowloon there are special street markets, extravagant lantern processions (including the world’s largest structure made entirely of lanterns) and the famous fire dragon dances shows.

Mid-Autumn Festival in Singapore 

Although not a designated public holiday in Singapore, the city celebrates in typically over-the-top fashion which is as ever, well stage-managed.

All the action takes place in Chinatown with an official opening ceremony and light up of shimmering lanterns. There are numerous troupes of lion dancers all jostling for position to the sound of deafening firecrackers and cheesy Mandarin pop songs.

This being Singapore, there is a huge moon-inspired street bazaar with the usual mix of tacky Chinese souvenirs and fabulous street food.

Chuseok in South Korea 

Falling on the same date as the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, Chuseok is a big deal; hands down the most celebrated holiday on Korea’s calendar. For outsiders, it’s sometimes difficult to grasp the significance of this three-day event, as it is extremely family-oriented. If you have an in with a kind Korean family, this would be a great opportunity for an in depth look at Confucianism in action