Tonight, the moon is at its fullest and brightest for 2008. It’s Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节), a day that falls on the 15th of the 8th Chinese lunar month for celebration of togetherness and abundance. The festival is also known as Lantern or Mooncake festival as you will see beautifully lit lanterns everywhere, and Chinese families and friends eating mooncakes (月饼) together while appreciating the bright full moon.
Oh man, these are really fierce “Power Rangers” lanterns with vampire fangs! The Ultraman lanterns are cuter!
Traditionally, Chinese lanterns are made of paper and lit by candle light. When we were young, we loved to play with fire, lighting many candles along the pathways. Due to fire safety reason, nowadays, children usually carry battery operated lanterns for fun during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Many battery operated lanterns play music too!
Can you spot the “Powerpuff girls” and “Stitch” lanterns?
This roaster design lantern is one that is lit by candle light. I like this kind of translucent plastic material for lanterns.
Pomelos are also eaten on this day. And mini yams too!
The mooncake market is fiercely competitive; bakers always come up with new mooncake receipes. There are ice-cream mooncakes, jelly mooncakes, mooncakes filled with champagne, etc. These pictures were taken from the mooncake bazaar at Vivo City.
Not only the mooncakes should taste good, they should be packaged nicely like a gift box too. While these lovely mooncake boxes are good for your eyes, you pay alot extra for that.
Sale of mooncakes packaged with Chinese teapots and tea leaves.
A mooncake is usually round or rectangular with thick filling of lotus seed paste surrounded by a thin soft crust. Some may contain salted duck eggs, just like those shown below. The green mooncake is one with snow skin (unbaked skin) and like the name suggests, it needs to be kept refrigerated!
Mooncakes come in different shapes, sizes, colours, fillings and flavours. Some non-traditional mooncakes (or are they really called mooncakes?) are agar agar filled with custard (just like the big round purple “mooncake”). These mooncakes are baked by my auntie. I’ve almost finished them while blogging, can’t resist the temptation while snapping this shot! My cholesterol level has skyrocketed!!
The traditional Chinese pastries below are for the celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival…
Beautifully hand painted lanterns by children.
Beijing Olympic mascot – FUWA!
Rows of lovely hand-painted lanterns hanging around the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple at Chinatown.
Oh ya! All of the above photos are taken from Singapore, mostly from Chinatown. Read Mid-Autumn Festival Part 2.
Read posts on Singapore Attractions | Chinatown.
Happy Mid Autumn my dear Eunice!
Wo you lantern and mooncakes!
Hehehe~
I’m so happy to see all of this.
Even, my friend in Singapore also sent me a SMS and wish me this festival..
hehehe…
I miss u dear!
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. I need to run to Chinatown Honolulu and see if they have an event going on.
By the way, that mooncake with the salt egg inside tastes very good. Mrs. Young gave me one. I love it. I wish to buy one. I wonder if it’s cheap. She said it’s occasionally made.
Have fun =) P.S. I went to the beach again today, haha! Hope I can bring you here someday!
The lantern there is much more beautiful than here. I also post something about mid autumn in my blog. Check it out
so many kind of moon cake nowadays!! i love the lantern pictures, nice!
yay! the mooncakes were awesome! 🙂
hm, battery operated lanterns?
sounds not interesting as carry lighted candle lantern.. :S
but it’s for the safety reasons so, kids just have to bear with it..
@Bridge: Did you catch the Mid-Autumn celebration? There should be dragon dance too! Mooncakes are getting more and more expensive! I like white lotus seed paste with salted egg yokes.
@Zara: Haha did you carry your lantern around and do you like to eat mooncakes?
@Borneo Falcon & Kikey: There are more lanterns in part 2, stay tuned!
@Jasmine: Yeah, battery operated lanterns come with music too! XD But it’s safer to carry around. Children like to play with fire, it’s pretty dangerous.
I visited Singapore during this festival a few years ago and it was wonderful..I love the lanterns..for many years the paper ones were adorning the house where we stayed..thanks for bringing in the memories again
好多美丽的灯笼哦！连福娃的也有啊？哈哈。。。
haiz….我这里啊，竟然偏偏在中秋节时候下雨！害得我没得体灯笼 :P，也没得看月亮。>_<
蕾蕾~
I want the power rangers one!
@Forever HL: Luckily no rain in Singapore when I took those pictures! But I think it was drizzling in SG too (I was staying indoor for family gathering). And yeah, think the moon was hidden behind the cloud. It was supposed to be the brightest moon for the year on 14 Sept (15th of lunar month) at 11pm Singapore time.
@lakshmi: I like the paper lanterns too, the traditional ones.
@peteformation: Haha! cute hor
Chinatown here in Manila also celebrate Mooncake festival but not as grand like yours in Singapore. I’ve tasted a mooncake the brownish one, it’s sweet and calorie packed.
Oh, I love the painted lanterns. Can I have one? 🙂
I used to work before with a chinese employer and I remember receiving all those goodies from them during this kind of season. Those mooncakes tasted unforgettably sweet and yummy!
Great coverage of the Mid Autumn Festival ! Especially the mooncakes, something that I wanted to blog yet I end not doing …
I guess your part 2 would be the displays along the Singapore River 😉 …..
Happy Mid Autumn Festival !
@Asian Traveler: Mooncakes are sweet and really calorie packed! I had enough of them now, though I still have some in my fridge!
@JH: Nah, didn’t go to Singapore River, I didn’t know about that! All were taken from Chinatown… Coming up next! =D
eunice! i really am intrigued with this mooncake festival. sounds yummy. hehe. is that a one-day event? those photos make me crave to have a taste of it. have seen a lot of mooncakes while blog hopping. 🙂
Yummyy.. I love only black forest cakes which Kc buys me.. Next time i want these moon cakes from Sg !!! :p Anyway Happy Mooncake festival !! 🙂
@Miss Elle: Yes, Mid-Autumn festival is on the 15th of the 8th Chinese lunar month at which the moon will be at its brightest and fullest for the year. Mooncakes are really sweet with high calories so can’t eat much though.
@Hbk: Kakaka
Very lovely photos of one of my favourite festive occasions! My son got one of those power ranger red lanterns, and he adores it (even bringing it to bed with him). We do spend quite a lot of time in Chinatown as it just has all the colour, bustle and life. Plus its where my in laws live.
I have also blogged about the Mid-Autumn Festival, though my focus is at Central and Signapore River near Clarke Quay.
wow, i tod i’ve seen sth nice during mooncake festy, but now i c even nicer pics from u..=) thnx!!
@Walter: Your shots at Clarke Quay are very nice! And there seems to be more children and activities going on. I didn’t know Clarke Quay was so happening that day, should have gone there too.
@meimei: Your coverage is a good one!