Moon gazing

Visitors to Singapore this October have the opportunity to see the city transformed into a beautiful lantern-lit wonderland and eat tasty cakes for the annual Mooncake Festival.

Also known as the Lantern Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival, the celebrations takes place annually on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar when the moon is at its fullest and brightest, which this year falls on October 6th.

Traditionally a celebration of the harvest, on this special day people take to the streets of Singapore, lighting paper lanterns and eating special mooncakes while gazing at the full moon.

Surrounded by numerous legends and stories, one favourite mooncake festival tale tells of how the Chinese rebels succeeded in overthrowing the Yuan dynasty by passing on secret messages embedded in mooncake pastry, while another tells of Chang Er, who lives on the moon with her rabbit and can be seen when the moon is full and bright.

As well as the different varieties of mooncake, which traditionally are stuffed with lotus paste, those visiting Singapore can also enjoy various seasonal foods including, salted eggs, piglet biscuits and pomelo, a large, sweet and auspicious citrus fruit.

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