A good time to head to Singapore is when the Mid-Autumn Festival is on.

The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which means this year it will start on September 14th.

Chinatown will be the place to be, with many events to mark the occasion and plenty of opportunities for visitors to join in.

Despite it being a Chinese festival, people of all cultures and nations are invited to try moon cakes - a type of pastry - and drink Chinese tea.

Lanterns and festive light displays will appear along the streets and there will be stage shows at Kreta Ayer square.

The festival commemorates Shu Yuan Zhang, who plotted to stop the Yuan dynasty being in power in the 14th century.

Tradition says that the plans were passed to fellow rebels by hiding them in moon cakes, hence the eating of the cakes during the festival.


14/08/2008