Colours of Mid-Autumn 2012, Singapore

 
[组图] 新加坡各界中秋庆祝活动拉开帷幕
星期一, 9月 17, 2012

综合讯，以“彩灯辉映牛车水，花好月圆庆中秋”为主题的牛车水中秋节亮灯仪式暨系列庆祝活动开幕式16日晚拉开帷幕，新加坡总统陈庆炎作为主宾出席亮灯仪式，并点亮了牛车水大街小巷的彩灯。

在长达2000米的街道上，今年点亮了16800盏灯笼，创历年之最。五颜六色的彩灯将牛车水这一新加坡传统华人聚居区装点得缤纷夺目，营造出喜庆祥和的节日气氛。

亮灯仪式后，来自新加坡当地和中国的艺术家为观众献上了多元民族特色的音乐歌舞。有歌颂中国维吾尔族、汉族青年男女美好情感的舞蹈，有新加坡四大种族共同 演绎的《月亮代表我的心》，也有孩童、老人等祖孙三代表演的象征中秋团圆的情景剧。在演员的邀请下，台下观众也走上舞台同庆中秋佳节，焰火表演更是将整台 晚会推向了高潮。

与往年活动一样，今年的中秋节还举办了创意灯笼设计比赛、灯笼彩绘比赛等。主办方表示，希望通过长达近一个月的中秋系列活动，增进人们对华族文化和传统的了解，并通过社区不同种族群众更广泛的参与促进家庭和谐。

15日晚，新加坡庆中秋的另一项活动“月圆河畔庆中秋”也在陈庆炎总统的见证下放飞天灯，鸣锣开幕。本次活动是主办方第一次与中国贵阳地方政府合作，除延 续以往在新加坡河畔克拉码头的彩灯展示活动以外，还首次在牛车水附近的芳林公园设置灯组，来自贵阳歌舞艺术团和新加坡本地的艺术表演团体也将每晚在这里为 游客呈现精彩的歌舞表演。

开幕当晚，贵阳苗族绝技“刀尖上的舞蹈”让现场观众叹为观止。光着脚丫的苗族小姑娘在一排明晃晃的刀尖上行走自如，时而还做出惊险难度动作，让观众的心都 提到了嗓子眼。芳林公园布置了形态各异的灯组，有神话传说中的孙悟空，也有以“龙生九子”为主题的系列灯组。为吸引更多民众参与，活动组织者辟出专门互动 区域，民众可以在这里猜灯谜、品茶、用象棋灯笼下棋等。

在克拉码头的彩灯展示区，由中国四川艺人制作的灯笼装点了新加坡河岸。灯笼主题大多表现中国和新加坡的神话传说，其中的十二生肖灯笼颇引人注目。而装饰在新加坡河上的浮动灯组、横跨新加坡河桥上的系列灯组，更引得众人纷纷合影留念。

活动期间，新加坡河畔的“亚洲美食街”汇集了20多个亚洲风味的美食摊位，游客在这里就可以品尝到贵阳的特色小吃。（文，新华社；图，南洋视界）

Nanyang Post, People's Republic of China. The article published on 17 September, 2012 reproduced with acknowledgement and thanks.

The Official Light-Up & Opening Ceremony of the Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2012 by Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of Singapore on 16 September, 2012 (Sunday) at 6:15pm at New Bridge Road in front of Lucky Chinatown.

Mr Vincent Tan, Chairman of the Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2012 Organising Committee receiving the Singapore Book of Records for the "largest display of street lanterns" while Dr Lily Neo, Grassroots Adviser & Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC looks on.

Four streets - New Bridge Road, Eu Tong Sen Street, Smith Street and South Bridge Road - are lighted up by 16,800 lanterns over 2km of road in Chinatown.

Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2012 celebration is organised by the Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens Consultative Committee. This is the 15th year Chinatown's Mid-Autumn Festival organised by them.

Mr Vincent Tan said,  "We hope the festival will attract more people to Chinatown and help people understand more about Chinese culture,"  He noted that work on the festival began in April, 2012.  "Hopefully this will also help to bring more business to the shops here."

The festival will run till Oct 14. During this period, lantern exhibitions and stage shows will be held at Kreta Ayer Square.

On Sept 29, a mass lantern walk - stretching from Banda Street to Eu Tong Sen Street - will be held.

Some roads will be closed during the festival. For information on the festival program and road closures, visit Chinatown Festivals .

Greatest Show in Chinatown - Colours of Mid-Autumn 2012

Celebrate the traditional mid-autumn festival in Singapore.

Experience the Mid-Autumn Festival—a celebration of family unity at a time of year when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. For this grand community event, Chinatown has been decorated with bright vibrant lanterns. Enjoy fun activities like lantern painting and shopping at a festive bazaar with over 300 stalls. It’s a rich cultural experience that’s not to be missed.

Join in a grand celebration of family unity and thanksgiving during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Also known as the Chinese Lantern Festival, the festivities traditionally happen on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. (Source:  Your Singapore - What's On)