Creative tradition: The Mid-Autumn Lantern Design Competition 2008 is open for entries. The deadline is July 18.

Entries are now being accepted for the Mid-Autumn Lantern Design Competition 2008, organised by the Leisure & Cultural Services Department and the Education Bureau.

The competition promotes lantern-making and traditional Chinese arts. It has three divisions - primary school, secondary school and the open division for the general public.

Each participant can submit one entry, but up to four people may have worked together to craft the lantern. Each lantern may be submitted to only one division.

The open division now calls for entries and participants should send their entry forms to the department's Entertainment Office, 9/F, Queen Elizabeth Stadium, 18 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai, or by fax to 2575 0864, by July 18.

Handmade lanterns with completed official labels should be submitted to the Exhibition Hall, 1/F, Low Block, Hong Kong City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central, from September 4 to 6, from 10am to 7pm.

The first three winners of each division will be awarded book coupons worth $1,800, $1,500 and $1,200 respectively, and entries judged to be outstanding will be awarded book coupons of $400. All winners will be awarded certificates of merit and other prizes. Three grand prizes will also be awarded to those with distinguished designs.

All lanterns will be displayed at the Hong Kong City Hall Exhibition Hall from September 11 to 20.

Entry forms for the open division are available at the department's major cultural venues and all public libraries, or can be downloaded from here. For enquiries call 2591 1340.