The Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival returns in a hybrid format for the second year running, to share the rich culture and traditions of the festival with local and international audiences. A series of online activities to engage residents, such as mooncake making, will be organised for those interested to learn more about the culture and traditions behind the Mid-Autumn Festival. The iconic Mid-Autumn Festival Street lanterns continue to light the streets of Chinatown with beautiful lanterns to get people into the festive mood where family and friends can view and enjoy either physically or through a 360 virtual tour.
Themed “Celebration of Tradition” (狮城明月照万心，承继传统庆团圆), this year’s Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival (牛车水庆中秋活动) will commence with the virtual Official Light-up and Opening Ceremony (牛车水庆中秋活动开幕典礼与亮灯仪式) on Tuesday, 7 September 2021 at 8pm. The light up will be livestreamed on the Chinatown Festivals’ Facebook page (www.facebook.com/chinatown.festivals).
The event is organised by the Chinatown Festival Committee and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board. It is also part of the SingapoRediscovers campaign, which spurs locals to rediscover Singapore anew. The Street Light-Up concept was designed in collaboration with students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).
The iconic Street Light-Up (中秋节亮灯) will be centred around the theme of reunion – as a tribute to how Singaporeans have stood together to overcome the challenges brought about by COVID-19 and bring festive cheer to the streets of Chinatown.
Spanning 880 metres with 900 lantern pieces, this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival Street Light-Up combines traditional elements with contemporary design that will delight visitors. The centre divider between Eu Tong Sen Street and North Bridge Road will feature scenes of family reunion which represent three values – Honouring the Wise (敬老尊贤), Harmony (和睦共处) and Happiness (幸福快乐). Sculptured lanterns of characters symbolic of the Mid-Autumn Festival such as the jade rabbit, mooncakes, pomelos, and the full moon will also be featured.
Mooncakes and jade rabbit lanterns with Osmanthus flowers will also be hung along the stretch of road between Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road, while South Bridge Road will be decorated with snow skin mooncakes. The osmanthus flower, which typically blooms during the Mid-Autumn Festival, symbolises prosperity and longevity.
The highlight of this year’s lantern display is a towering 12-metre-tall Chang-E (Chinese goddess of the Moon) centrepiece located opposite Chinatown Point. The centrepiece depicts the classic scene of Chang-E ascending to the moon. The Chinese believe that a round, bright and full moon symbolises completeness and is regarded as a symbol of reunion. The streets of Chinatown will be aglow with lanterns till 5 October 2021.
Singaporeans and overseas audience can also enjoy this year’s Street Light-Up on the culture and heritage of the historic Chinatown precinct via the 360 Virtual Tour and Heritage Trail (360度虚拟导览与文化之旅).
The Festival Committee has also organised a series of online activities and virtual tours for local and international audiences to celebrate and learn about Mid-Autumn Festival traditions from the comfort of their homes. For more details and check out the event highlights for Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2021, please visit https://chinatownfestivals.sg/.
Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2021 Street Light-Up
Date: 7 September – 5 October 2021
Time: 7pm – Midnight, daily
Venue: Along New Bridge Road, Eu Tong Sen Street and South Bridge Road
