My World Tuesday - Joo Chiat Complex

The Hari Raya Puasa is next month on 10th September 2010.

Every year Geylang Serai will be lighted up to celebrate the occasion. This year the light up will be from 6th August to 10th September 2010.

Even the malls in Geylang Serai are decorated too. Joo Chiat Complex is a very old mall and I used to come here to make/renew my passport when the old immigration department was at Joo Chiat Complex. But now the immigration department has shifted to Lavender Street.

As Geylang Serai used to be a malay village, so the goods sold here are mostly catered to the muslim population.

Please visit "That's my World" for other parts of the world.

What's happening in Chinatown?

What's all the commotion? The road in front of People's Park Complex in Chinatown, Singapore was closed and everyone waiting for some kind of parade or performance but nothing happen.

Glad hubby and me, smart enough to just go for our dinner and not wait for it to happen. True enough, nothing happen...lol. Road closed for about 1 hour (i think) then reopen...hahaha. So people who crossed to the middle of the road had problem crossing back when the road reopen.

I think the performance/lantern carrying was cancelled due to the rain??? No idea really.

Chang Er and the Rabbit

This is Chang Er and the Rabbit. They both lived in the moon.

Chang Er on lanterns.

Story of Chang Er (I am posting this story again so you dont have to look for them in my previous post)

Legend of Chang Er

Hou Yi and Chang-E
An archer, Hou Yi, saved the earth from scorching when he shot nine suns that originally circled the earth. As a reward, Hou Yi obtained the Elixir of life but he became so tyrannical that his wife, Chang-E, stole the Elixir and drank it. Chang-E found herself ascending to the moon and thereafter was escalated to status of Moon Goddess. Hou Yi in turn was given a cake by the Queen Mother of the Western Paradise (Xi Wangmu). He could withstand heat upon eating the cake and was sent to remain in the sun. With a special talisman he was able to visit his wife Chang-E on the 15th of every month. Thus the moon's brightness on this day. This legend is believed to have been started during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD) although some believe it may have started earlier, tracing it to the rule of Emperor Yuan (2346 BC).

Rabbit in the moon

Buddha had disguised himself as a hungry, old man and approached three animals; a fox, a monkey and a rabbit, for help. The fox caught a fish for him, the monkey brought some fruits but the rabbit offered its own body as meat by throwing itself into the fire. In gratitude, Buddha resurrected the rabbit and sent it to the moon to be venerated.

(Source: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_804_2005-01-13.html)

Moon Cake Festival Decorations in Chinatown

These beautiful decorations were found around the beautiful temple in chinatown. You can see the photos of the temple in my earlier post.

I love these little chicks they can move.

Streets along chinatown were decorated with beautiful lights at night.

Lanterns

More lanterns for sale in chinatown. These photos were taken at night.

Which lanterns do you like?

These lanterns are decorated and designed by children in a lantern making contest.

Moon cake shopping in Chinatown

Mooncakes on sale

Pomelos - some are bought as gifts to relatives or used as offerings in addition to the mooncakes to God on mid autumn festval day. As the pomelos in chinese sounds like blessings.

Mini yams or taros are also used as offerings to God during this day. This reminds me I had four in my fridge....lol

Beautiful lanterns on sale in Chinatown. Those that are made of plastic comes with electric bulbs while those traditional lanterns are lighted by candles.

Moon Cake Fair at Takashimaya - Part 3

On the 15th day of the eight chinese lunar month, children would carry lanterns and parade down the street to celebrate the occasion.

Traditionally, the lanterns would be lighted by candles but nowadays some of the lanterns comes in plastic with electric light bulbs for safety reasons so that young children would not get hurt by the burning candles.

As a child, I would loved to carry the lantern with the lighted candle inside and swing them left and right and the result was a buring lantern and I would cry when I saw my lantern goes in flame...lol

Other Legends of the moon cake festival or mid autumn festival

Hou Yi and Chang-EAn archer, Hou Yi, saved the earth from scorching when he shot nine suns that originally circled the earth. As a reward, Hou Yi obtained the Elixir of life but he became so tyrannical that his wife, Chang-E, stole the Elixir and drank it. Chang-E found herself ascending to the moon and thereafter was escalated to status of Moon Goddess. Hou Yi in turn was given a cake by the Queen Mother of the Western Paradise (Xi Wangmu). He could withstand heat upon eating the cake and was sent to remain in the sun. With a special talisman he was able to visit his wife Chang-E on the 15th of every month. Thus the moon's brightness on this day. This legend is believed to have been started during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD) although some believe it may have started earlier, tracing it to the rule of Emperor Yuan (2346 BC).


Rabbit in the moon

Buddha had disguised himself as a hungry, old man and approached three animals; a fox, a monkey and a rabbit, for help. The fox caught a fish for him, the monkey brought some fruits but the rabbit offered its own body as meat by throwing itself into the fire. In gratitude, Buddha resurrected the rabbit and sent it to the moon to be venerated.

Overthrow of the Mongols

Mooncakes played a major role in liberating Yuan China (1206 - 1341 AD) from the oppressive Mongols in the 14th century. Despite a prohibition against large gatherings, Zhu Yuan Zhang was able to instigate a rebellion by placing secret messages in mooncakes. The rebellion took place during the Mid-Autumn Festival and henceforth the celebration of the festival and the eating of mooncakes took on a different meaning.

(Source: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_804_2005-01-13.html)

Moon Cake Fair at Takashimaya - Part 2

The moon cake fair will be ending this Sunday, 14th September being the 15th day of eight chinese lunar month.

Crowds were here to get the best of the moon cakes.

Traditionally, people buy gifts for their elderly parents or in laws. Some also bought for their friends and relatives. Even businessmen bought these as gifts for their clients.

Nowadays they come in many flavour such as durians, chocolates, ice cream, etc. But I still prefer the traditional ones that comes with lotus paste.

And looking at these crowds, I give up queuing to buy and to queue to pay for them too...lol. Anyway I already had few boxes of moon cakes that were given to us by friends. I do not want to eat so much. But I am yearning for the traditonal mooncakes in chinatown. I think I will get them this weekend provided the queue is short...lol.

Mooncake Fair at B2 of Takashimaya

There was a moon cake fair at the basement of Takashimaya. Many different stores participated in the fair.

You might like to view the interesting videos on the chef making the mooncake on hand in my food blog.

Origins of Mid Autumn Festival
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival)

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is a popular celebration of abundance and togetherness, dating back over 3,000 years to China's Zhou Dynasty. In Malaysia and Singapore, it is also sometimes referred to as the Lantern Festival or Mooncake Festival.The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calendar (usually around mid- or late-September in the Gregorian calendar), a date that parallels the Autumn Equinox of the solar calendar.

Origins of the mooncake

(Source: http://china-corner.com/article_list.asp?id=828)

There is this story about the moon-cake. during the Yuan dynasty (A.D. 1280-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty (A.D. 960-1280) were unhappy at submitting to the foreign rule. and set how to coordinate the rebellion without being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Backed into each moon caked was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival. the rebels successfully attached and overthrew the government. Today. moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this legend and was called the Moon Cake.