Hong Kong embraced the Mid-Autumn Festival on Monday with free rides on its iconic “Ding Ding” trams and Light Rail services, vibrant street decorations, and dragon dances blending tradition with modernity, delighting both residents and tourists.

A free-ride campaign sponsored by the Huatai Financial Holdings (Hong Kong) Ltd covering tram and Light Rail services throughout Monday was launched to enhance accessibility during the festive period — an initiative that also benefited holidaymakers from the Chinese mainland, who have been enjoying an eight-day break that started on Oct 1, National Day, and who are exploring the city.

Trams passing through North Point on Hong Kong Island were packed with passengers on Monday morning. Zhang, a tourist from Guangzhou who is visiting her friend in Hong Kong from Monday until Wednesday, used the free tram to pick up her friend’s child from school.

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A frequent visitor to the city, Zhang had only planned on spending time with her friend during her short trip. However, they decided to go to Victoria Park in the evening to see the lantern carnival there, which runs from Sept 30 to Oct 7, to celebrate the festival.

Before leaving Hong Kong on Tuesday, Xu — who is on her first trip to the city with her sister and daughter— learned of the free tram rides from mainland social media platform Xiaohongshu and decided on a whim to experience this iconic slice of local life.

After a quick look at the route signs and a last-minute search for tips, the three of them decided to hop on a tram to Sheung Wan and go for a walk to explore the city on foot.

“We'll head back to Causeway Bay later and enjoy our final night (in the city) by immersing ourselves in the vibrant festivities of Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance,” Xu said.

The renowned Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance — a longstanding Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in the city — is being performed at night from Sunday to Tuesday, and features a 67-meter-long dragon animated by 300 performers.

Local resident Siu said she was surprised to learn of the free tram rides after picking up her daughter from kindergarten. “I knew about the National Day benefits but not about today’s,” she said. Her family has planned a dual celebration: “We’ll mark my son’s birthday and Mid-Autumn together at home.”

Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki endorsed the free-ride program as “fostering social connection and integration”.

The streets were alive with the spirit of the festival. Primary school children, freshly released from class, streamed along the pavements with paper lanterns they had crafted at school; colorful flags fluttered from roadside railings, adding a sense of celebration to the streets.

In Aberdeen Centre in Southern District, a bustling game booth drew the crowds, where players were concentrating and letting out occasional triumphant whoops if they successfully ringed a mooncake target— their reward being an adorable rabbit night light.

Southern District is also hosting a two-day fire dragon dance on Sunday and Monday. Preparations were underway as early as noon on Monday at Aberdeen Square for the grand celebration at 8 pm.

At Lee Tung Street in Wan Chai, over 800 traditional and golden fish-shaped lanterns will illuminate the avenue until Oct 26. The celebration will climax on Mid-Autumn Festival night with an 18m LED luminous fire dragon parading through the street, accompanied by lion dances, light effects and drum troupes.

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The Jao Tsung-I Academy in Lai Chi Kok is combining a lantern festival with an exhibition and displaying over 1,000 lanterns. A display at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre features a sports-themed lantern exhibition until Oct 19.

The festive spirit goes far beyond just being an observer. Residents and visitors are invited to explore specialty markets across the city for cultural creations, gourmet food, and entertainment. The Kwun Tong Promenade is hosting a Gen Z music concert, while the MegaBox in Kowloon Bay is drawing crowds with its10-m-tall rabbit installation, perfect for taking photos. Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill is hosting nostalgic carnival games.

To ensure people can get home smoothly after enjoying a night out, seven light rail routes and all local metro lines — excluding the Airport Express, the Disney Resort Line and those to the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau border stations — will run overnight, with select tram routes operating until 1 am the following day. Additional train trips will be available to accommodate passenger demand.

Contact the writer at stacyshi@chinadailyhk.com