Wolverine star Hugh Jackman celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong and headlines the "Fire Dragon Dance" on the 28th!

▲ Experience Hong Kong’s unique “Fire Dragon Dance” tradition by celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival in Tai Hang from September 26 to 28.

Reporter Li Zi Yi / Comprehensive Report

Giant fire dragons appearing in Hong Kong’s bustling districts? This isn’t a movie scene, but the unique Mid-Autumn tradition of the “Fire Dragon Dance.” The event runs for three consecutive days from September 26 to 28. Globally renowned for his iconic role as Wolverine, Hugh Jackman will be in Hong Kong on September 28 to learn firsthand from a legendary master and take on the challenging role of leading the dragon pearl. Amidst the beat of drums, nearly 300 participants will dance a 73-meter-long fire dragon adorned with tens of thousands of incense sticks through the streets—an incredibly lively spectacle!

The “Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance” tradition during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong dates back to the 19th century. Legend has it that on the eve of the 1880 Mid-Autumn Festival, a typhoon hit Tai Hang Village, where a large python was preying on villagers’ livestock. The villagers joined forces to kill it in an abandoned house. The next day, after the typhoon had passed, the python’s body mysteriously disappeared, and a plague soon broke out in the village, claiming many lives. A Taoist priest claimed the python was actually the son of the Dragon King, who brought the plague to punish the villagers for killing his child. An elderly man said he dreamed that the Sea Dragon King feared fire dragons the most, and that using fire over three consecutive nights during the Mid-Autumn Festival (i.e., from September 26 to 28 in the Gregorian calendar) would dispel the disaster. The villagers followed his advice, and the practice has been observed ever since.

To promote the film "Pan: Voyage to Neverland," starring Hugh Jackman, the production company selected Hong Kong as the first stop of its Asian promotional tour. In addition to attending a movie promotion event at Times Square, Hugh Jackman also embraced local customs and experienced Hong Kong’s unique “Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance.” Master Chan Tak-fai, who has performed in the Fire Dragon Dance for decades, gave him a crash course so he could step in and lead the crucial role of the dragon pearl. Jackman will guide the 73-meter-long fire dragon, made up of over 300 performers, as it weaves through the streets and alleys, joining in the joyous celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival.