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7. Take a mooncation
Not the outdoorsy type Get away from the moon-staring crowds with a
staycation at the Mira Moon Hotel. With interiors inspired by traditional
Mid-Autumn Festival stories, you’ll feel like a part of the legend yourself.
The outdoor terrace is the perfect place to spend a moony evening—plus
there’s a half-off happy hour every night from 4pm.
From $1,920 per night. 388 Jaffe Rd., Wan Chai, 2643-8888,
www.miramoonhotel.com.
Hong Kong Tourism Board
K.Y. Cheng/SCMP
8. Ditch the cakes
It sounds counterintuitive, but these bad boys are not your friends: the
sheer amount of flour, lard, and sugar in each mooncake can add up to
some 1,000 calories. For a healthy alternative, stick to other traditional
Mid-Autumn snacks. Try round foods such as watermelon or pomelo—the
shape symbolizes family unity.
9. Make a sweet donation
After curbing your mooncake diet, what to do with the surplus Donate
your extra mooncakes to needy Hong Kong citizens with Food Angel.
If you have enough, they’ll even send over a minivan to pick up the boxes.
2801-5333, www.foodangel.org.hk.
10. Run off that moon weight
You may be lighter on the moon, but after all those huge family meals
here on earth you’re going to weigh a whole lot more. Run it off in the
Hong Kong Marathon coming up on January 25. Not quite up to the
challenge Start with something less intimidating, such as the AVOHK 5K
on October 11. Be sure to register for these competitions in advance, as
spots go fast. Good luck, and we hope you lose those lunar pounds…
www.avohk.org; www.hkmarathon.com.
Mid-Autumn Mishaps
A firey dragon dance in Tai Hang
Avoid lunar misadventures this festival with Adam White’s
foolproof tips.
1. Don’t offer to light your date’s lantern. Nothing says “not getting
laid” like taking a trip to the burns ward.
2. Don’t flip the bird at the moon. Chang’e and the rabbit may be
lunar deities, but gods have feelings too.
3. Don’t get bitten by a werewolf, such that every time the moon
is full, you too become half-man, half-slavering beast. It is very hard
to hold down a job in Hong Kong’s fast-paced business environment
if you cannot be relied upon to refrain from eating your client.
4. Don’t drink so much in Wan Chai that you insist on “mooning”
strangers as you snicker over the pun. In fact, this is simply called
“indecent exposure.”
5. Don’t make a single moon-based joke or pun. It would be lunacy.
Victoria Park’s new moon
Go Mira-mooning
HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, September 5, 2014 21