Aberdeen Fire Dragon 2026

The Aberdeen Fire Dragon is the least known of the three fire dragon performances held in Hong Kong during Mid-Autumn Festival. Organized by The Hong Kong Southern District Community Association, the Aberdeen Fire Dragon is accompanied with a parade. It is a wholesome community celebration complete with LED illuminated dragons performed by troupes of all ages, including rollerskating kids! The parade begins at 8:30 pm starting at Aberdeen Centre and traverses through the main streets of Aberdeen. I was able to follow the Fire Dragon at an arm's length including when they made a pitstop in a small street to change the incense. After parading the neighborhood, the Fire Dragon loads onto trucks and goes to Wah Fu Estate convening with the Pokfulam Fire Dragon before "returning to the sea" at Waterfall Park Bay at midnight. As Wah Fu Estate is phased for demolition and redevelopment, this may have been the last year to witness the Fire Dragon performances here. Though according to The Standard (HK), the Housing Department is planning to keep the road accessible and plan to preserve some space for this annual event. Officially recognized as part of Hong Kong’s national Intangible Cultural Heritage, the spectacular Fire Dragon Dance is a tradition that began in the 1880s when the plague hit Hong Kong. It was believed that incense could ward off disease and the form of a dragon symbolizes power and good fortune. After successfully warding off the plague, this ritual has since been performed every year to commemorate the victory. Made of bamboo, wire, and straw, thousands of burning incense sticks are placed into the structure and hundreds of performers take turns parading the dragon throughout the night. DID YOU KNOW? Hong Kong 香港, or Fragrant Harbour, was the once the original name for the village of Aberdeen (Anglicized name) in the southwest part of the island as it was known for exporting fragrant incense trees. In the early 19th century, foreign settlers mistook the name of this port village for entire island and the name stuck and the neighborhood is now commonly known as "Little Hong Kong" 香港仔 FOR MORE FOOD, CULTURE & TRAVEL, FOLLOW ME ON Instagram -   / thevibrantveggietable   Substack - https://vibrantveggietable.substack.com/ #culturetrip #midautumnfestival #hongkong