This is the Fire Dragon Ceremony, celebrating the mid-autumn Moon Festival in Hong Kong.

Each year it attracts thousands of spectators.

The 67-meter dragon is alight with over 10,000 burning incense sticks, carried through crowded streets by 300 performers.

The dragon patrols through the tiny district of Tai Hang village in Hong Kong, a neighborhood with mostly low-rise buildings right next to one of Hong Kong’s busiest shopping districts.

It’s been an annual event for 140 years.

The origin of the ritual is a 19th century outbreak of a plague which residents tried to banish with this special ceremony.

Even today, the century-old ritual is still restricted to male participation only.

Fire dragon performer Leo Tsang thinks team work is a must for the dance.

“The most difficult part is when the dragon is turning around. We just need to cooperate and work together to bring out a good performance.”

After performing for nearly an hour, Chan Man-fung is covered in ashes from the burning incense sticks.

“This performance represents a traditional custom being passed on. The meaning behind this tradition is to keep everyone healthy after an outbreak of a plague,” he explains.

Hong Kong resident Abbey Au stands for hours in advance to get the best position from which to watch the atmospheric performance.

“This tradition definitely should be passed on as it’s a main part of mid-autumn celebrations. It attracts so many tourists and it’s certainly good for our tourism.”

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance takes place on three consecutive nights from 5 to 7 October from 8pm and lasts for roughly two hours.

The mid-autumn festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is a celebration in east Asia with family gatherings.

It is scheduled to coincide with the full moon. This year, the festival falls on 6 October according to the traditional lunar calendar.

AP Video by Alice Fung