Singapore - Singapore will once again celebrate the three ethnic festivals of Mid-Autumn Festival, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Deepavali from September through November, and visitors can look forward to a first-hand cultural experience of the festivities through a host of activities specially designed for them.
From learning about the mythical tales behind the Mid-Autumn Festival and joining the Muslim community in the traditional breaking of fast, to visiting the magnificent Hindu temples of Little India, visitors can have a uniquely personal experience and understanding of local customs through a series of free walking tours in Chinatown, Kampong Glam, and Little India. Organised for the first time to coincide with the festivals, the walking tours take place in the ethnic enclaves in the heart of the city.
This is the second year in a row where the three festivals are celebrated close together. Ms Margaret Teo, Assistant Chief Executive (Leisure), Singapore Tourism Board, said, “Visitors who attended the celebrations last year enjoyed the crowds, the lights, and generally soaking in the festive atmosphere. This has prompted STB to introduce these walking tours this year so that visitors can have a more immersive experience of the culture and traditions of the local ethnic communities.”
During the “One City Three Festivals” period last year, tourists made up an average of 12% of the total visitors to the ethnic districts. More significantly, according to a survey by the STB, nine in ten of the tourists were there for the first time, and they had gone specifically for the festivals. Additionally, more than one in three of these visitors had timed their trips to Singapore to coincide with the festivities.
This year‘s “One City Three Festivals” celebration features an extensive calendar of events, starting with two spectacular light-up ceremonies for Hari Raya Aidilfitri, on 8 September at Geylang Serai, and on 9 September at Kampong Glam, which is the anchor venue for the festival. A highlight at both districts will be the traditional street bazaars that will be held in the lead-up to Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, until 21 October 2007. For Kampong Glam, the Malay Heritage Centre will be the focal point of the festival, with weekend performances, bazaars and cultural demonstrations.
Chinatown and the Singapore River will also be transformed with a multitude of lanterns, street lighting and festive bazaars for the Mid-Autumn Festival (8 – 30 September 2007). The celebration is a Chinese tradition where families and friends gather for reunions, enjoying mooncakes and sipping tea while viewing the moon at its fullest and brightest. This year, Chinatown will become a magical fairyland filled with lanterns and musical fairies. To complement the main festivities in Chinatown for the very first time, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum will showcase lantern art by local schoolchildren. As part of the celebrations along Singapore River, there will also be a unique lantern display of 100 Chinese surnames and cultural performances at Hong Lim Park.
Little India completes the celebrations when it comes alive with a burst of lights and street carnivals from 12 October to 18 November 2007 to usher in Deepavali, or the Festival of Lights. The festival marks the triumph of good over evil and many homes light up oil lamps to usher in light and good fortune. Festive highlights include Navarathiri (Nine Nights Festival), Theemithi (Fire Walking Festival) as well as a lively street parade along Race Course Road.
“The celebrations of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Mid-Autumn Festival and Deepavali are a perfect showcase of Singapore‘s multi-cultural heritage. This is a unique opportunity for families as well as those keen to discover and experience diverse Asian cultures to visit Singapore and discover the special charm of our distinctive blend of cultures,” Ms Teo added.
Together with Chinese New Year and Christmas celebrations, ethnic festivities such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Deepavali and Hari Raya Aidilfitri have grown over the years to become Uniquely Singapore signature events with strong visitor appeal. These signature events will help Singapore attract 17 million visitors and Sin$30 billion in tourism receipts by 2015.
Source: www.asiatraveltips.com (5 September 2007)