Mid-Autumn at Gardens by the Bay

 

Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2022

Young cousin and I went to Chinatown Point to see the Mid-Autumn Festival light-up yesterday. Finally saw the beautiful lanterns around the bustling Chinatown with many tourists and locals. 

Today is 15th of the 8th lunar month in Chinese calendar. Later I will just eat mooncake and pomelo at home.  Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to all my friends, relatives and readers!

This year Mid-Autumn Festival lantern designs is cute with mooncake theme and small rabbit.

Mid-Autumn Festival Light-up at Chinatown Singapore

From now till 5th October, 880 m of Chinatown's streets are decorated with 900 lanterns including the beautiful 12 metres tall Chinese Goddess of the moon Chang-Er. This year Chang-Er lantern design is more beautiful compared to last year. To read more on this year Chinatown's Mid-Autumn Festival Light-up, click here.

Yesterday I went to Chinatown to view the Mid-Autumn light-up. The street was quiet and not crowded on Friday night perhaps due to the rising covid cases in Singapore. I hope appropriate and necessary actions can be implemented to stem the rise of covid cases in Singapore. The government needs to come up with feasible plan to cope with the rising covid cases. One death is simply too many.

Chang-Er, the legendary Chinese goddess of the Moon.

Streets are adorned with lanterns inspired from pomelo and mooncakes.

Lantern walkway sculpture outside Chinatown Point.

Honouring the wise

From the Straits Times 

SINGAPORE - Chinatown's Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations will kick off next Tuesday (Sept 7) with a virtual light-up and opening ceremony.

The light-up, which will be streamed on Chinatown Festivals' Facebook page, will see some 880m of Chinatown's streets lined with 900 lanterns till Oct 5.

Lanterns sculpted as mooncakes and jade rabbits will be hung along the stretch of road between Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road, while South Bridge Road will be decorated with lanterns styled as snow skin mooncakes.

This year's light-up takes the theme of reunion - in tribute to how Singaporeans have stood together to overcome the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The centre divider between Eu Tong Sen Street and North Bridge Road will feature scenes of a family reunion, which represent three values - honouring the wise, harmony and happiness.

The highlight of this year's lantern display is a towering 12m-tall centrepiece depicting Chang-E, the Chinese goddess of the moon, located opposite Chinatown Point.

 

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

Today is Mid-Autumn Festival with the bright full moon hanging high up in the sky for all to admire its sheer beauty. 

I had one small orh nee yam paste mooncake and 2 slices of pomelo for dinner.  I also took the opportunity to take photo of the beautiful bright illuminous moon today. 

Bright full moon on 15th of lunar month. Today is Mid-Autumn Festival.

Orh nee or yam paste mooncake is my favourite mooncake. I don't like baby yam as I find it a troublesome to eat. 

Had two slices of pomelo. 

I love this song 但愿人长久 by Faye Wong. The lyrics is actually from a Song Dynasty poem by the famous artist, poet and politician  Su Shi (8 January 1037 – 24 August 1101) popularly known as Su DongPo.  

苏轼 苏东坡

明月几时有，把酒问青天。不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。起舞弄清影，何似在人间？

转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。

I took the translation from this blog here

但愿人长久 (Wish People for a Long Time(literal translation) or May People Live Long)

明月幾時有 when will there be a bright moon,

把酒問青天 raise my glass of wine and ask the clear sky.

不知天上宮闕 do not know in the heavenly palace,

今夕是何年 this evening is what year.

我欲乘風歸去 I wish to ride the wind back,

唯恐瓊樓玉宇 for fear that this jade palace,

高處不勝寒 high above is unbearably cold.

起舞弄清影   dancing with my quiet shadow,

何似在人間 how can it compare to the human world.

轉朱閣  rounds the red pavilion,

低綺戶 stoops beneath ornate doors,

照無眠 shines upon the sleepless.

不應有恨 should not bear a grudge,

何事長向別時圓 why is the moon full when we are apart?

人有悲歡離合 man has joy, sorrow, parting, reunion,*

月有陰晴圓缺 moon has overcast, clear, full, crescent,

此事古難全 these matters from old are difficult to complete.*

但願人長久 wish people for a long time,

千里共嬋娟  thousand miles distant together share the beautiful moon.

Indulging in Mooncakes

This Tuesday is Mid-Autumn Festival and I be celebrating by eating more mooncakes and pomelo with my family at home. I will skip dinner and just eat mooncake this Tuesday.

This year my elder brother brought back many mooncakes distributed by his company and my younger brother's girlfriend also brought yam mooncake for us. I just had my favourite yam or orh nee mooncake and tried premium black and white sesame paste mooncake. I love black sesame seed and the moon cake is not so sweet. Next Friday I go to Gardens by the Bay and Chinatown to see lantern lighting. 

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to you all in advance!

This orh nee or yam mooncake from Yan is generously filled with yam paste with layered flaky crust skin. I love it! 

Premium black and white sesame paste mooncake from Peach Garden Chinese restaurant. Quite nice for me as I like black sesame paste and it is not so sweet.

I had coffee with mooncake instead of tea. :)

Lotus paste mooncake from Marriott Tang plaza  hotel.