Where to celebrate Mid-Autumn fest

Where to celebrate Mid-Autumn fest

The Mid-Autumn festival is not just about chomping on mooncakes and carrying lanterns. There are other events held to celebrate the Chinese harvest holiday, which typically coincides with a full moon.

The significance of the day has also spun around legends: the tradition of eating mooncakes as a nod to an ancient rebellion in China, successfully carried out by inserting secret notes in the cakes.

Activities-wise, you can take a historical walk along Sago and Pagoda streets, take part in an arts festival with lantern riddles and Chinese chess at the Esplanade or join stargazing sessions with astronomy buffs.

Those keen on the yearly light-ups can keep an eye out for dragonfly lanterns placed in a field of autumn blooms such as chrysanthenums and celosias at Gardens by the Bay, a show of 20,000 lanterns in Chinatown, and a Jurassic Safari - a display of lit dinosaur figurines - at Chinese Garden in Jurong.

The Chinatown light-up expects a million visitors this year, while the Chinese Garden is expecting about 70,000 people.

Life!Weekend lays out the offerings at the Mid-Autumn festival, which falls on Sept 19 this year.

keziatoh@sph.com.sg


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