Singapore Lantern Festival 2011: Some Tips for Visitors

The Lantern Festival ("Mid-autumn Festival") falls on the 8th Lunar Month, which runs from 30 Aug 2011 to 25 Sep 2011.

Here are the highlights for Singapore Lantern Festival 2011...

Lantern Festival Events in Chinatown

> Chinatown Lantern Festival Street Light Up:

- Huge lanterns and fairy lights brightened up Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road and the street bazaars along the side streets.

- From Sat, 30 Aug 2011 to 25 Sep 2011.

- From 7pm till late nightly.

- Lantern Festival Opening Night.The festival will be launched on the evening (7pm-10pm) of Tuesday, 30 Aug 2011 near Chinatown MRT - with a flurry of energetic activities. Enjoy the lantern street parade, lion dance performance and fireworks.

>Street Bazaar

- Pagoda Street, Terrenganu Street, Sago Street and Chinatown Complex become pretty busy with vendors selling mooncakes, savouries, lanterns and other festive wares.

- From Mon, 29 Aug 2011 to Mon, 12 Sep 2011.

- From 11am till late daily.

> Stage Shows

- A good mix of traditional and comtemporary entertainmnet at Kreta Ayer Square (near Buddha Tooth Relic Temple).

- From Tue, 30 Aug 2011 to Mon, 12 Sep 2011.

- From 8-10pm nightly.

> Mass Lantern Procession

- From 7.30pm to 10pm on Sat, 10 Sep 2011.

- The procession starts at the open field near Outram MRT Station and loops around Eu Ton Sen Street back to the heart of Chinatown. Join in with your own lanterns!

Lantern Festival Events in Chinatown

Chinatown Lantern Festival Street Light Up
Huge lanterns and fairy lights brightened up Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road and the street bazaars along the side streets.
From Sat, 11 Sep 2010 to 10 Oct 2010
From 7pm till late nightly.
Mass Lantern Procession
From 7.30pm on Sat, 18 Sep 2010.
The procession starts at the open field near Outram MRT Station and ends near the river banks in Clarke Quay. Join in with your own lanterns!

Lantern Festival Events @ Singapore River
Check out the huge lanterns near Clarke Quay and on the River, and the cultural performances near The Central.
Nightly, 8-22 Sep 2010.

Impressions from the Mid Autumn Festival

Beautifully decorated Eu Tong Sen Street

The Festival takes place in the Chinese Garden and Chinatown in Singapore.

Stalls selling all kind of lanterns

Singapore's largest recycled lantern, 5.3m tall, made from 6,000 used mineral water bottles and 2,000 compact discs.

Sweet pomelos
There are also other forms of cultural shows and performances singers, Chinese instrumentalists and others add to the excitement of the Mooncake festival. A huge crowd listening to stage performances in chinatown

This cute little girl is an excellent singer and of course loved by the people

and items such as traditional paper lanterns, decorations and other souvenirs


Erich is very busy every night

but there is always time for a chatt with his regulars

The mid autumn festival is on till October 3

It's Pomelo Time!

It's party time!
Finally the "gates of hell" are closed for another year and we're celebrating the mid autumn or lantern festival.

Lanterns are usually the highlight of this festival for the kids.
And the highlight for adults? You guessed right: It's gotta be food!!

Pomelo stalls are all over Chinatown..... ...and even Erich's Backstube for the first time is selling a local delicacy tied up to this festival: MOON CAKES!
You can buy them at his Backstube-Kiosk close to the Wuerstelstand.
To cater for the expected huge crowd Erich even increased the space of his stall.

Mid Autumn Festival also known as Chinese Moon Festival

The Mid-autumn Festival also known as Chinese Moon Festival is celebrated on the 15th moon day of 8th Chinese lunar month which is the 14 September in 2008.
The first day of 8th lunar month this year is 31st August.
Moon cakes have played a central role in Moon Festival traditions. Once, according to Chinese legend (not necessarily supported by historical records), moon cakes helped bring about a revolution. I was during the Yuan dynasty (AD 1280-1368), when the Mongolians invaded from the north and subjugated the Han Chinese. The rebel leader Zhu Yuanzhang (left) who plotted to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the Yuan dynasty sought permission from Mongolian leaders to give gifts to friends as a symbolic gesture to honor the longevity of the Mongolian emperor.

These gifts were round moon cakes. Inside, Zhu had his followers place pieces of paper with the date the Han Chinese were to strike out in rebellion to overthrow the Mongols, thus ending the Yuan dynasty -- on the fifteenth night of the eighth month. These days lanterns were used at night as signals from higher grounds and hilltop.
Hence today, far from the exotic and heroic legends, Chinese communities all over the world make, consume and exchange as gifts these moon-shaped pastries with sweet fillings of red bean and lotus seed paste, during the traditional autumn Moon Festival.
This is a day to worship the moon god an according to folk legend it is also the birthday of the earth god (T'u-ti Kung). The Chinese believe in praying to the moon god for protection, family unity, and good fortune.
The moon festival signals that the year's hard work in the fields will soon come to an end, with only the harvest left to attend to. People use this opportunity to express their gratitude to heaven (represented by the moon) and earth (symbolized by the earth god) for the blessings they have enjoyed over the past year. Traditionally, on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomelos together. The round "moon cakes" are symbolic of family unity and closeness.

Pomelos are also eaten on this day. The Chinese word for "pomelo" or "grapefruit" is yu, which is homophonous with the word for "protection," yu, expressing the hope that the moon god give them protection. Moon gazing is another essential part of this festival. On this day, the moon is at its roundest and brightest. This is also a time for lovers to tryst and pray for togetherness, symbolized by the roundness of the moon. Lanterns were used at night as signals from higher grounds and hilltop.

Today, this festival is celebrated with moon cakes and lantern hanging on the house. The lantern and the moon cakes have attracted many children and adults attention. In certain area, lantern procession and competition are held.

In Singapore the Chinese Garden is the special venue for this most beautiful of all the Chinese festivals. Many traditional festivals all over the world have been transformed into highly commercial ones and lots of kitsch is displayed for sale.

I definitely can't find any link between Chinese tradition, moon cakes or lanterns and David Beckham, can you?

Even this "white" guy has no resemblance with any ancient customs, however he is probably the most renown and popular "ang moh" in the Chinatown Night Market.

Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival Official Light-Up and Opening Ceremony

Don't miss the official light up and opening ceremony for the mid autumn festival on August 31 6:45 to 10pm. The colourful and exciting event will include a lantern parade, the largest dragon dance street performance, lion dances, other invigorating performances as well as a spectacular fireworks display.

The festivities will culminate with the widely acclaimed performances by renowned Japanese troupe, Akita Kanto.

Chinatown Mid-Autumn, Mooncake and Lantern Festival, 29 Aug - 14 Sep

Get ready for another big event in Chinatown coming up soon. The Mid-Autumn festival is just around the corner.

Check out more than 250 festive stalls selling traditional goodies like moon cakes, pomelos, lanterns and more that will be lining the streets of Chinatown to cater for every festive need.

Stop by at Erich's Wuerstelstand or Backstube to boost your energy with his delicious sausages, meatloaf and bread for more walking around Chinatown's Festive Street Bazaar 29 Aug - 14 Sep:

Stalls are open:
11am – 11pm Sun – Thu
11am – 1am Fri, Sat and PH
in Pagoda Street, Trengganu Street and Sago Street.
Expecting a huge crowd of visitors after a month long hiatus, during the hungry ghost festival, the best bet getting there will be taking public transport.

Take MRT to Chinatown (NE4) or Outram Park (EW16) stations or bus services.