Mooncake lanterns set Chinatown aglow ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival
The streets of Chinatown are aglow with lanterns as the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept 10 this year, draws near.
Visitors can view the light-up from 7pm to midnight daily till Sept 25 in Upper Cross Street for the first time, in addition to New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street, as in previous celebrations.
The Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival is making a physical comeback after two years of virtual festivities.
This year's theme of "Blossoming Flowers under the Full Moon" celebrates reunions with family and loved ones.
The centrepiece in Eu Tong Sen Street is a 10m-tall candy-coloured sculpture of snowskin mooncakes accompanied by jade rabbits. There are also mooncake lanterns representing different Chinese dialect groups in Singapore.
For the first time, there will be a food fair in Smith Street, from noon to 10pm daily, until Sept 10.
The festival is organised by the Chinatown Festival Committee and supported by the Kreta Ayer - Kim Seng Citizens' Consultative Committee.
Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs, graced the official light-up and opening ceremony at Kreta Ayer Square on Friday (Aug 26).
Said Mrs Teo, who is also MP for Jalan Besar GRC (Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng): "The Mid-Autumn Festival brings together the traditions and heritage passed through the generations and this year’s light-up celebrates the diversity of our local Chinese communities."
Visitors can look forward to free weekend stage shows and a lantern painting competition. The full festival programme can be found at this website.
The Chinatown Business Association will also be organising crafts workshops and the first Chang Er (Chinese moon goddess) games station at Kreta Ayer Square and Chinatown Street Market on Aug 27 and 28.
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