| As the longest lingering bastion of the British Empire, | | | | Moreover, the Mid-Autumn Festival is often called the |
| Hong Kong has often attracted attention from | | | | 'mooncake' festival, since mooncakes are traditionally |
| historians, media stalwarts and ordinary travellers | | | | eaten during this time. Mooncakes (or yuek beng) are |
| alike. However, anyone keen to escape the hustle | | | | widely considered a delicacy, and are sweet, baked |
| and bustle of Kowloon and the crowded streets of | | | | cakes that consist of a thin, soft skin with a sugary, |
| Central should make sure to visit Hong Kong when | | | | oily filling. Often, mooncakes will contain one or more |
| it's in its least commercial time of year - during the | | | | whole salted duck egg yolks in the centre to |
| Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. | | | | symbolise the full moon, while the actual filling can |
| The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in a range of | | | | vary according to regional culture. |
| East Asian countries, including China, Taiwan, Korea, | | | | The original mooncake filling is popularly believed to |
| Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore. Originally, the | | | | be lotus seed paste, which (due to its high price) is |
| festival commemorated the 14th century Chinese | | | | often substituted by white kidney bean paste |
| uprising against the Mongols, in which the rebels | | | | instead. Other seed pastes that are used to fill |
| spread the word of revolution on pieces of paper | | | | mooncakes include red bean paste (made from |
| that were hidden in cakes. Today, however, the | | | | adzuki beans), mung bean and black bean paste; but |
| Mid-Autumn Festival is a pan-Asian celebration of | | | | jujube paste and five kernel paste are also popular. |
| togetherness and harmony, and generally falls on the | | | | As well as indulging in special mooncakes, many |
| 15th day of the eighth lunar month of the Chinese | | | | Chinese families will also eat pomeloes (a large type |
| calendar (often mid-to-late September or early | | | | of grapefruit) while having barbeques outside under |
| October). | | | | the moon. |
| Anyone visiting Hong Kong during the Mid-Autumn | | | | Flights to Hong Kong leave London so regularly that |
| Festival will be treated to a colourful showcase, | | | | it's relatively simple these days to make a quick trip |
| where families make up and light bright lanterns | | | | to the city over a period of a few days. And, if |
| throughout the city. Traditionally, lanterns are made in | | | | you've got friends or family in Hong Kong, or you |
| the shape of animals but more recently, modern | | | | simply want to explore one of Asia's most fascinating |
| technological icons, like space ships and aeroplanes, | | | | cities, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the perfect time to |
| have also been a popular choice. | | | | visit. |