The Mid-Autumn Festival in Singapore

The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15^th day of the eighth lunar month, honours the cherished theme of reunion. It stands alongside Chinese New Year as one of the most significant festivals for the Chinese Singaporean community.

Celebratory activities

In the past, Chinese Singaporean families keenly observed the custom of praying to the moon on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Each household would lay out a delectable spread of food offerings comprising mooncakes, yam, water caltrop, pomelo, and steaming cups of Chinese tea. Excitement filled the air as children weaved through the streets with lanterns in their hands. These lanterns typically depicted animal characters — specifically the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. The lanterns came in various forms: some were crafted from paper while others were structured from bamboo and wire frames, then wrapped with vibrant cellophane sheets. The traditional art of handcrafting these lanterns, however, is vanishing in Singapore today.

In Chinese culture, the pomelo symbolises reunion. It also carries a highly auspicious meaning — that of safeguarding one’s offspring. This stems from the similarities, in Mandarin, between the fruit’s name and the phrase “protecting one’s child”. The fragrant, succulent pomelos from Ipoh, Malaysia are especially popular among Singaporeans. Creating a pomelo lantern is a great way to celebrate the festival. Simply start by carefully peeling the pomelo to ensure the rind does not fall apart. Next, carve a few slits in the rind to allow oxygen to reach the flame. Place a small candle in the centre of the rind. Form small holes near the edges of the rind, then thread a thin rope through them to fashion a handle. Your pomelo lantern is ready to light the night.

With Singapore’s urban development transforming traditional villages into modern, high-rise buildings, the time-honoured ritual of praying to the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival has waned. However, cosy gatherings among family and friends have since emerged and formed the core of today’s celebrations.

The celebrations of the 1980s were marked by grand displays of lanterns and light installations at the Chinese Garden. Today, this festive spirit has spread across the island, with central town areas being the primary hotspots. Their convenient access beckons both residents and tourists to enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. Gardens by the Bay is one such venue where crowds can marvel at the massive lanterns and illuminated sculptures. Equally fascinating is the festival light-up and opening ceremony in Chinatown. Traditional clan associations, or huiguan, also hold their own Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. Likewise, the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall hosts the Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival, adding a touch of festive charm to the neighbourhood celebrations.

The mooncake and its origins

The Mid-Autumn Festival as we know it today has seen various transformations throughout history. The term “mid-autumn” can be traced to the Chinese classic the Rites of Zhou. This ancient Chinese text documents that emperors once worshipped the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. The Book of Tang’s “Chronicle of Taizong”, further details the moon rituals held on the 15^th day of the eighth lunar month. During the reign of the inaugural Tang Emperor Taizong, an era marked by peace and prosperity, the practice of praying to the moon flourished among the masses. A poignant verse by Tang poet Li Shangyin brings to life the tale of Chang’e, the lady of the moon. For stealing her husband Hou Yi’s elixir, Chang’e is condemned to an eternity of solitude in the moonlit night. By the Tang dynasty (618–907), this legend had firmly anchored itself in the collective imagination of the populace.

Mooncakes, which are central to the Mid-Autumn Festival, boast numerous origin tales. One such story recounts that on the 15^th day of the eighth lunar month, Emperor Gaozu of Tang held a round cake towards the sky as he admired the moon’s beauty. Another narrative, from the zenith of the Tang dynasty, describes Emperor Xuanzong and his beloved consort, Yang Guifei, revelling in the moonlight while savouring cakes. Yang Guifei casually dubbed the cake a “mooncake”. Then, as if by magic, the term quickly spread throughout the realm.

Another narrative tracing the origins of mooncakes dates back to the waning years of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). The tale centres on Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang’s strategic moves to overthrow the Yuan dynasty and lay the foundation for the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). According to legend, Zhu Yuanzhang had scheduled the rebellion for the 15^th day of the eighth month. To communicate the plan discreetly, messages were ingeniously concealed within mooncakes and then distributed throughout the country. When the appointed day arrived, the rebels successfully toppled the Yuan dynasty. To commemorate this monumental victory, the tradition of eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival took root and served as an enduring reminder of that pivotal moment in history.

By the late 1970s, the southern region of the Singapore River (known as Dapo¹ or present-day South Bridge Road) had garnered fame for its mooncakes. Crowd favourites include the mooncakes by Tai Thong and Tai Chong Kok cake shops, as well as Tai Tong and Nam Tong restaurants. So popular was the demand that Tai Tong and Nam Tong had to suspend their Cantonese-style breakfast and lunch services a month ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival to channel their full energies into mooncake production. During this period, the main flavours were white lotus paste and salted egg yolk. There were also varieties such as red bean paste and mixed nut mooncakes. The latter featured a blend of five nuts: almonds, walnuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, and melon seeds.

During the economic boom of the 1980s, the number of businesses in mooncake production increased, thus providing consumers with a wider array of choices. Intense market competition in the mooncake industry prompted hotels, restaurants, and eateries to enhance their marketing strategies by introducing exquisite mooncake gift boxes. Notably, certain restaurants launched the “Seven Stars with the Moon” premium gift box, featuring a central mooncake surrounded by seven smaller ones, mirroring the arrangement of stars encircling the full moon during mid-autumn.

Today’s consumers find themselves spoilt for choice amid the dazzling array of mooncake brands and flavours. Beyond the traditional baked mooncakes and delicate snow skin variants, a broad spectrum of flavours has captivated the market. These range from the rich taste of durian, the sweetness of red dates, and the creamy texture of yam to the nutty fragrances of mung bean and black sesame. Some mooncakes even feature premium ingredients such as dried scallops, dry-cured ham and barbecued pork. This expansive range of flavours is especially a hit with the younger demographic.

Amid labour shortages and rising business costs, a significant portion of the mooncakes on the market today are mass-produced. Every year, factories churn out and package hundreds of thousands of mooncakes according to the specifications provided by mooncake businesses.² However, there remains a dedicated clientele for handmade mooncakes. There are old-school cake shops and confectioneries which remain committed to offering these artisanal treats, and their reach has been significantly widened by online sales and marketing. One notable initiative is the Yellow Ribbon Bakery in Changi Prison. This bakery not only imparts baking skills to ex-offenders, but also offers them a chance to produce mooncakes and other items for sale. It plays a crucial role in helping them reintegrate into society.³