Large crowds gathered for a century-old fire dragon dance along the streets of the Tai Hang neighborhood in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival on Monday.

For a dazzling climax of the event, crowds followed the dancing fire dragon into Victoria Park, where the annual lantern carnival is ongoing.

HONG KONG, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- A century-old fire dragon dance and a kaleidoscopic lanterns carnival enthralled locals and visitors alike in Hong Kong on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Monday this year.

Under the full moon, over 300 performers hoisted up a 67-meter fire dragon straw skeleton bristling with more than 12,000 burning incense sticks all over.

The team of performers progressed along the streets of the Tai Hang neighborhood in Causeway Bay to a symphony of gongs and cymbals. The fire dragon undulated and rolled into a coil as the performers swing the poles from side to side in shifting formations.

The Mid-Autumn Festival ritual, now a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in China, is endemic to Tai Hang. Created in the 19th century as a way for Tai Hang residents to combat a plague that had consumed what was then a small village, the performance and the making of the dragon bring together the whole neighborhood, including those who had moved out.

Crowds thronged Tai Hang blocks and chased the dancing fire dragon, filming the show with dropped jaws. Sparks spurted from incense sticks in the movements amazed spectators.

Having toured around the blocks, the fire dragon formation stopped at Wun Sha Street for a change of incense sticks. The performers plucked the burnt-out sticks from the dragon and passed them around the spectators -- a tradition of spreading luck and joy.

"Now I'm really a part of the show, which gave me a taste of Hong Kong's lifestyle," said a tourist surnamed Tong after receiving a lucky stick.

Donning fresh incense sticks, the fire dragon entered Victoria Park, where large crowds had already gathered for the annual lantern carnival. Some cheered along the fire dragon, while others snapped selfies with light installations under such themes as the upcoming 15th National Games co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

"I filmed the fire dragon dance and sent the clip to my parents. We should definitely spend the holiday together in Hong Kong next year," said a homesick spectator surnamed Wang, who is alone in Hong Kong during a festival usually celebrated by family reunions.

Folk customs like fire dragon dance and lantern carnivals sharpened Hong Kong's appeal as a tourist destination for visitors from the Chinese mainland during the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday to last through Wednesday. By 9 p.m. on Monday, tourist arrivals in Hong Kong had topped 1.15 million, local data showed.