Re-discover the origin and history of the Mid-Autumn Festival at Chinatown’s Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations this August. A myriad of colorful and dazzling LED lantern displays will bring alive the beloved folk tale of Chang’E and Hou Yi while lighting up the streets of the Chinatown precinct.
Besides the impressive lantern display, visitors to Chinatown can look forward to various other festival activities organised by Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee (KA-KS CCC) from Sun, 28 Aug to Fri, 30 Sep 2016. Themed “A Sparkling Mid-Autumn Festival”, <<星光闪耀牛车水, 月满中秋庆团圆>>, event highlights for the Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2016 includes…
Official Light-Up and Opening Ceremony 开幕典礼于亮灯仪式
Kicking off the Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations 2016 is the much-anticipated Official Light-Up and Opening Ceremony where the streets of the heritage precinct will come alive in a myriad of colours forming this year’s lantern displays. During the Opening Ceremony, be awed by the lighting and visual effects, combined with spectacular live performances including acrobatic acts and dances by talented performers from Singapore and China.
Location: New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street
Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2016
Time: 7.00pm – 10.00pm
Street Light-Up 牛车水庆中秋亮灯
Following the Official Light-Up and Opening Ceremony, the annual Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations’ Street Light-Up will adorn the streets for a month. This year, visitors will be intrigued with dazzling lantern displays telling the origin and history of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Designed and conceptualised by the faculty and students of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), the Street Light-Up features vivid lantern displays that tell the legendary story of Chang’E and Hou Yi.
Location: Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road and South Bridge Road
Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2016 – Fri, 30 Sep 2016
Time: 7.00pm – 2.00am (Fri & Sat), 7.00pm – 12.00mn (Sun – Thu)
Festive Bazaar & Carnival 中秋街头市集
At night, Chinatown will come alive with a plethora of stalls lining the streets and selling a wide variety of items including traditional and modern mooncakes, decorative ornaments, preserved fruits, potted plants, clothing and more.
Location: Along Pagoda Street, Trengganu Street, Sago Street, Smith Street and open space in front of People’s Park Complex
Date: Fri, 02 Sep 2016 – Thu, 15 Sep 2016
Time: 10.30am – 10.30pm
Lantern Painting Competition 灯笼彩绘比赛
The annual Lantern Painting Competition will see 500 children and students aged below 16 from all over Singapore gather to compete for the most creative lantern of the Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations 2016! The winning lanterns will be displayed along Pagoda Street until 15 September 2016.
Location: Chinatown Point
Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2016
Time: 9.00am – 12.00pm
Nightly Stage Shows 中秋综艺晚会
Showcasing performances by local entertainers and troupes from China, the Nightly Stage Shows at Kreta Ayer Square will wow visitors during the Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations. Look out for an exciting line-up of Chinese cultural performances, festive songs, music and dance performances to bring in the celebratory mood of the Festival.
Location: Kreta Ayer Square
Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2016 – Thu, 15 Sep 2016
Time: 8.00pm – 10.30pm
Heritage Walking Trail 牛车水中秋文化之旅
Stroll down the four main streets of Chinatown – Kreta Ayer Road, Sago Street, Pagoda Street and New Bridge Road – on this special guided tour and experience for yourself the liveliness of Singapore’s best-kept Chinese enclave. Take in the sights and sounds of the Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations at Chinatown while learning about its rich heritage and culture. Complimentary for all, the Heritage Walking Trail is conducted in English and limited to 10 participants per session. Pre-registration is required at www.chinatownfestivals.sg, and slots are allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Location: Kreta Ayer Square
Date: Sun, 4 Sep, Sat, 10 Sep, Sun, 11 Sep 2016
Time: 3.30pm – 5.00pm
Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival Heritage Tour
牛车水中秋文化学习之旅 (Event by invitation only)
To keep the conversation going with the younger generation and connect them to Chinese culture, the Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee will be organizing the first-ever Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival Heritage Tour for 200 primary and secondary school students from Jalan Besar GRC. During the Walking Trail, they will learn about Chinatown’s rich heritage and culture as well as the origins and history of the Mid-Autumn Festival. At the Chinatown Heritage Centre, the students will make a stop to tour a special Mid-Autumn Festival exhibition. They will also get to savour food specially arranged by Chinatown Food Street.
Location: Chinatown
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2016
Time: 11.30am – 2.00pm
Mass Lantern Walk 中秋大型游灯会
Soak in the festive mood of the Mid-Autumn Festival at the annual Mass Lantern Walk.Walk amongst 3,000 participants and eat to your heart’s content at the food trucks and push carts selling a delectable menu of yummy goodies. Take a leisurely stroll under the dazzling lantern displays around Chinatown while being entertained by live performances along the way, featuring local dragon dance troupes, dancers and artists as well as overseas performing groups.
Location: Starting point – Kreta Ayer Square (Registration location), End point – Main Stage at New Bridge Road
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2016
Time: 7.00pm – 10.00pm
All images credited to “Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee”.