- Annual Street Light-Up goes environmentally-friendly with LED
lights
- First Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival Learning Journey for
students
|
Photo: Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens'
Consultative Committee |
SINGAPORE, Aug 31, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - An annual affair not to
be missed, the Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival returns this year with
a retelling of the most traditional folklore behind the festival to
let visitors, and especially our younger generation, to rediscover
its origins and history.
During the month-long celebrations from 2 to 30 September 2016,
locals and overseas visitors to Chinatown will not only be able to
admire the impressive lantern display that brings to life the
traditional folklore of Chang'e and Hou Yi, the legend will also be
told through spectacular stage performances such as acrobatic acts
and dances, combined with special lighting and high-tech visual
effects, at the Official Light-Up and Opening Ceremony on 3
September 2016. The opening ceremony will be graced by
Guest-of-Honour, Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister and
Coordinating Minister for National Security.
Visitors can also learn about the meaning and heritage behind the
Mid-Autumn Festival through the line-up of special programmes and
activities such as the Heritage Walking Trail and Mass Lantern
Walk.
This Mid-Autumn Festival also marks the very first time that the
streets of Chinatown will be lit up with LED light lanterns,
employed by organiser, Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens' Consultative
Committee (KA-KS CCC) to make the Street Light-Up more
environmentally-friendly. About 900 lanterns have been fitted with
LED lights, which will help to reduce the total amount of
electricity used by up to 70%. The LED lights, which also shine
brighter, will enhance the overall visual effect of the street
decorations for the annual festival, themed "A Sparkling Mid-Autumn
Festival @ Chinatown".
To keep the conversation going with the younger generation, KA-KS
CCC will be organising the first-ever Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival
Learning Journey for 200 students aged 16 and below from Jalan
Besar GRC. During this special tour, they will get to learn more
about the festival's history as well as the rich heritage of
Chinatown.
Dr Lily Neo, Adviser to Jalan Besar GRC GRO (KRETA AYER - KIM SENG)
said: "The Chinatown Festivals play an important role in keeping
the cultural traditions and heritage of Chinese festivals alive.
This year places emphasis on rediscovering the origins and history
of the Mid-Autumn Festival by retelling the traditional story
behind the occasion, which today's generation, especially the
younger audience, may have forgotten or lost touch with. From the
Street Light-Up to various activities, we are delighted to be able
to use this platform to meaningfully engage Singaporeans and
tourists alike in the festivities and nurture an appreciation of
Chinese cultural heritage."
"We are pleased that the Mid-Autumn Festival has been delighting
Singaporeans and visitors alike in the past 17 years, as it brings
to life the fascinating heritage and character of Chinatown with
lanterns and festivities. For the 2016 Festival, we hope to create
more memorable moments for visitors to Chinatown with the Learning
Journey, which showcases the history and story of Chinatown, and
the complimentary Heritage Walking Trail guided tours," said Mr
Kenneth Lim, Director, Cultural Precincts Development, Singapore
Tourism Board.
Traditional tale meets modern technology at this year's Mid-Autumn
Festival
About 900 handcrafted lanterns will paint the skies in a myriad of
colours in the highly-anticipated Street Light-Up. Inspired by the
traditional Mid-Autumn folklore, the various lantern displays
depict scenes of Hou Yi shooting down the nine suns but one,
Chang'e ascending to the moon and the Jade Rabbit pounding the
elixir of life using a pestle as it accompanies Chang'e at the Moon
Palace.
Fitted with LED lights, this marks the very first time that the
streets of Chinatown will be lit with LED light lanterns in a move
to be more environmentally-friendly. The brighter LED lights will
also enhance the overall visual effect, dazzling onlookers.
Stretching from Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road to South
Bridge Road, this year's Street Light-Up includes a 12-metre tall
Chang'e sculptured lantern as the centerpiece, and was
conceptualised and designed in collaboration with eight Year Two
students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). Working with
expert lantern craftsmen from China, the partnership is one of the
ways KA-KS CCC engages the youth in its cultural festivals.
"It was an enriching experience for us. Besides being able to put
what we learnt in school to good use, this collaboration with the
organisers provided an opportunity for us to research and learn
about the classic tale of Chang'e and Hou Yi. After the master
craftsmen gave us first-hand insight to how the design is applied
to the materials used to bring about the final outcome, we applied
programming tools to further tweak our designs to fit the needs of
the project and medium. We are happy to be able to bring the
traditional folk tale to life through our designs, and we hope that
our work will act as a bridge to tell the origin and symbolism of
the Mid-Autumn Festival, especially to our peers", says Chua Jia
Hong, 19, who is studying for a Diploma in Design (Landscape and
Architecture) in NAFA.
Inaugural Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival Learning Journey
This year, KA-KS CCC will be organising the first-ever Chinatown
Mid-Autumn Festival Learning Journey for primary and secondary
school students from local and international schools in Singapore.
About 200 students are expected to join the learning journey, where
they get to visit Chinatown to learn about the festival as well the
precinct's history from volunteer guides. They will also be making
a stop at the Chinatown Heritage Centre to visit its galleries and
enjoy the series of Mid-Autumn festivities taking place there.
Presented by KA-KS CCC and Chinatown Heritage Centre, "Celebrating
the Moon @ Chinatown Heritage Centre" is a series of Mid-Autumn
festivities highlighting traditional stories, customs, childhood
joys and memories related to the festival. It brings traditions
back with a fun twist with interactive activities to engage both
young and old, such as guessing lantern riddles (a traditional
activity often played during the Mid-Autumn Festival) in English
and Chinese, a photo booth with Mid-Autumn themed photo props and
greetings, including handcrafted lanterns from this year's Street
Light-Up, for visitors to take home memorable snaps, and old-school
games like Tikam Tikam with festive goodies and retro games to be
won. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also a time for people to make
wishes and visitors can pen their festive wishes at the Chinatown
Heritage Centre. There will also be tea appreciation workshops on
17 & 18 September for the public to take part in. The
exhibition will be on display from 3 to 22 September. (Please refer
to Annex I Key Events for registration details)
Take part in various cultural activities till 30 Sep
A line-up of exciting festive activities awaits both young and old.
Besides the lantern display decorating the streets of Chinatown,
visitors can also admire the creative artworks of 430 children and
students who took part in the Lantern Painting Competition, an
annual pre-opening ceremony event on 28 August 2016. The public can
view these beautiful lanterns on display at Pagoda Street from 3 to
15 September 2016.
Take a trip down memory lane on the Heritage Walking Trail, a
special complimentary guided tour on 4, 10 and 11 September led by
friendly volunteers as participants explore the historical
Chinatown precinct and learn about the rich Chinese heritage. Or
soak in the sights and sounds of the Mid-Autumn Festival at the
ever-buzzing Mid-Autumn Festival Festive Bazaar, where visitors can
satisfy their shopping needs with the wide variety of traditional
and modern mooncakes, decorative ornaments and more on offer.
For a dose of cultural entertainment, the Nightly Stage Shows at
Kreta Ayer Square will have talented local entertainers and
performing troupes from China wowing visitors with lively cultural
songs, music and dance performances.
The Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival will culminate with the Mass
Lantern Walk on 11 September 2016, as the streets of Chinatown will
be further lit up by lanterns of all shapes and sizes as an
expected 3,000 participants take part in this annual activity. Take
a leisurely stroll while eating to your heart's content as local
food trucks and push carts sell a delectable menu of yummy goodies.
There will also be live performances along the 1.2 km route,
featuring local lion and dragon dance troupes, dancers and
artistes.
For more information, please visit us at:
Website: www.chinatownfestivals.sg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chinatown.festivals
Source: Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens' Consultative Committee
Copyright 2016 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
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