Looking for an interesting place to celebrate this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival?
Well, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is having a “Celestial Bodies” light installation, plus a whole array of workshops that explore the myth and legends surrounding the occasion, as well as Mid-Autumn activities like making lanterns and mooncakes!
The Memorial Hall is located at 12 Tai Gin Road, behind Zhongshan Mall and near Balestier Road.
It is a 20-minute walk away from Toa Payoh and Novena MRT stations, or you can check out the most convenient bus services to take here.
“Celestial Bodies” Installation
Since it is a light installation, it is best to visit the Memorial Hall in the evening to take in the adorable spherical lanterns that represent the Moon, Earth, Sun, Saturn and Mercury.
They will be displayed on the lawn of the Memorial Hall from 16 August to 25 September, from 10am to 9pm daily.
Don’t worry, admission is free!
After checking out the Celestial Bodies, you can also explore the Memorial Hall’s gallery as well, to learn about Singapore and Nanyang’s involvement in the 1911 Revolution which left a lasting impact on education and print media.
It is an indelible part of Singapore’s history, so it will definitely be worth you time.
The gallery hours will be extended to 9pm on these dates:
- 20 & 21 August
- 27 & 28 August
- 3 & 4 September
- 10 & 11 September
Mid-Autumn Festival Activities
One of the most interesting free events that will be happening on 4 September, from 10am to 11:30am, is a Public Talk entitled The Qixi Festival: A Forgotten Love Story.
This talk will be conducted in Mandarin.
It will cover the love story between the Cowherd and Weaver Girl—the stars Altair and Vega—and how they were separated by 16 light years, only allowed to meet once a year during qixi (七夕), which is also known as the Double Seventh Festival.
The talk will be held by Lee Kok Leong, who engages in freelance heritage research and has published several books about the immigrant history between Singapore and China.
There will also be a Drop-In Craft Station for Mid-Autumn Inspired Crafts on both 3 and 4 September, from 11am to 6pm. Admission is free of charge.
At this station, you can learn to create your own clay mooncake and mini rabbit origami lantern.
If you are looking for more engaging crafts that will entertain the children, there is also a Chinese Opera Workshop for Children and Woodblock Printing Workshop.
Supported by Nam Hwa Opera, the Chinese Opera Workshop will allow the children to explore the world of Chinese Opera and its classical pieces. Since it is the Mid-Autumn festival, the Chinese Opera will revolve around Chang’e and Nezha, two popular and mythical characters in Chinese canon.
This workshop will be held on 4 September, either from 1:30pm to 3pm, or 3:30pm to 5pm.
It costs $20 per person, and you can purchase your tickets here.
For the Woodblock Printing, it is recommended for participants that are 12 years old and above.
It will teach the children the process and history of letterpress printing in Singapore, while giving them a hands-on experience using traditional equipment of letter prints.
Participants can also choose from a variety of designs to ink print their wood blocks, including using the customised printing kits provided.
Admission is $15 per person; tickets can be purchased here.
There are a whole array of Mid-Autumn Festival activities happening on 3 and 4 September at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, so do check it out!
Featured Image: Facebook (Chelsey Chen)