VI
EN
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the traditional festivals in Asian countries and is very important to the Chinese community. In Singapore, Chinatown – home to a large Chinese community – often hosts many special activities during the full moon festival. Visitors are not only amazed by the creatively crafted lanterns but also treated to unique culinary experiences throughout the Mid-Autumn Festival season.
Amazed by the dazzling and magical atmosphere of the festival.
From now until the end of September, the streets of Chinatown will be transformed into a magnificent spectacle at night, themed "Flowers Blooming Under the Moonlight." With this theme, visitors will be able to admire countless lanterns of all shapes, colors, materials, and sizes.
Eu Tong Shen Street in Chinatown (Singapore) is illuminated during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Singaporeans and tourists alike enjoy wandering the streets to admire the scenery and capture memorable moments with family and friends. They are also excited to explore food fairs and souvenir stalls, participate in lantern decorating competitions, or enjoy live music performances every weekend.
A display of giant lanterns with a "World of Love" theme at Jurong Lake Gardens.
At Jurong Lake Gardens, located about 18km west of Chinatown, visitors can admire magnificent lanterns handcrafted by Chinese artisans. Twelve themed areas will be illuminated, featuring themes such as people and life in ancient times, the four seasons, and family bonds. Outdoor band performances on weekends, the release of floating lanterns on the lake, and Mid-Autumn Festival workshops will further enhance the festive atmosphere.
Enjoy traditional mooncakes to savor the beauty of time.
A truly authentic Mid-Autumn Festival wouldn't be complete without the delicious flavor of mooncakes. Amidst the emergence of many modern preparation methods and ingredients, traditional mooncakes still hold a special place in the hearts of visitors.
Poh Guan Cake House, a family-run bakery passed down through three generations, is located in Chinatown, Singapore.
Established in Chinatown in 1930, Poh Guan Cake House, a family-run bakery passed down through three generations, continues to preserve the tradition of handcrafted mooncakes. They offer over 30 types of traditional mooncakes originating from Southern China. The Teochew-style thousand-layer mooncakes with bean paste, black sesame, or durian fillings, as well as the Cantonese-style ones, prepared by experienced bakers, have become a familiar treat on the reunion feast tables of many Singaporean families.
Some of the shop's signature products are handcrafted pastries that have been sold since 1930, including tau sar piah (mung bean paste mooncakes) and gong tang (peanut candy often found on ancestral altars). In addition, during the Lunar New Year, many families in the island nation still maintain the tradition of visiting Poh Guan Cake House to purchase pineapple tarts and chi kak kueh (mung bean paste mochi with a dark green crust made from a type of herb).
Traditional Teochew-style mooncakes at Poh Guan Cake House.
Savor the taste of freshly brewed tea to fully appreciate the warmth of family.
The sweet and savory taste of mooncakes, combined with the slightly bitter flavor of fine tea, creates the perfect pairing for enjoyable conversations with family and friends during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It's not just the elderly or middle-aged who are rediscovering traditional culinary culture; today's youth are also seeking out this peaceful and serene experience.
As one of the oldest tea brands in Singapore, Pek Sin Choon Tea Merchants often collaborates with other organizations to hold tea brewing and tasting workshops during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Attendees of all ages learn about the origins of famous teas such as Nanyang tea and the significance of tea in Singaporean culinary culture.
Kenny Peh – the fourth-generation owner of the long-standing tea brand – stands beside hand-roasted and packaged tea bags.
Established in 1925, Pek Sin Choon has weathered many ups and downs, experiencing milestones, changes of location, and even periods of war. Currently, it remains one of the few brands in Singapore that maintains the tradition of hand-packaging tea with whole tea leaves and no artificial flavorings. All these efforts are aimed at ensuring quality in every product, even the most affordable White Fur Monkey tea. Visitors can enjoy or purchase as souvenirs the Unknown Fragrance tea – a blend of different oolong teas and Pek Sin Choon's most famous product.
In addition, Pek Sin Choon is also a supplier of tea leaves to nearly 80% of bak kut teh (a popular and well-loved pork rib soup with tea) shops in the island nation and some large Chinese restaurants such as Din Tai Fung.
