The annual Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in Singapore will be scaled down (Photo: visitsingapore.com).Singapore (VNA) – The annual Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations inSingapore will be scaled down withmost events held online to ensure safe distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Onlinecompetitions such as lantern painting or Instagram photo contests will be heldinstead of nightly stage shows, festive bazaars and mass lantern walks.
A 360-degreevirtual tour of the decorations in Singapore’s Chinatown will be made available so that peoplecan admire them from the comfort of their homes.
This year’s light-upceremony, to be live-streamed online, will comprise about 700 lanterns andsculptures depicting traditional festival motifs and characters.
The displaywill illustrate this year's theme – family – and underscore the central rolethat familial ties play in getting Singaporeans through the crisis.
“It remindsall Singaporeans that we can weather through this crisis as one unitedSingapore family,” said Vincent Tan, chairman of the Chinatown Mid-AutumnFestival 2020 Organising Committee.
It provides achance to uplift the spirits of Singaporeans during this difficult time, Tannoted, adding that it also demonstrates the committee's commitment to promotethe heritage and traditions of the festival despite the current hard circumstances.
He said thecommittee decided to scale down the event and be more financially prudent inmarking the festival this year, in view of COVID-19. This year's celebrationsare expected to cost 70 percent less than in previous years.
Thecelebrations will run through October 16./.
VNA
