Day 2: Chinatown MAF (Part II)

& so it was dark after our dinner @ Maxwell. Soya bean milk goes well with sweet bubble tea pearls, a good alternative to the market variance of grass jelly (which has tastes bitter by itself). Wandering around, we see Sri Mariamman Temple holding some sort of service, and the lights are brilliant. The temple is a beauty after its restoration, and is worth a revisit some other time.

The street market is abuzz with business, but the crowds are moderate, and the streets enjoyable.

A traditional lanterns stall, in pretty lights.

It's hard to find good old lanterns nowadays, as plastic battery-operated ones are safer, brighter, and has music coming out of them. They also come in shapes of favourite cartoon characters. However, I miss the old cylindrical paper lanterns, & how they make round shadows on the floor that shrink as you get nearer. There is also the joy of playing with candles, and then carefully peeping into the lantern every few seconds to make sure the candle hasn't fallen off its stand. The tiny fire flickers and the lantern has a warm glow to it. That is certainly more enjoyable than the mechanical melody of the light-bulb-lit lanterns.

A huge lantern decoration over the MRT station exit.

It's traditional festive mood with these huge rectangular lanterns with Chinese paintings on its screens, and intricate patterns lining its sides. Of course a stark contrast with the station exit architecture, but something locals have gotten used to & taken for granted these few years.

Beautiful design of a traditional lantern.

This is just one of the many similar lanterns they used to decorate the area. It has a very nice picture of Chang Er, drawn in the traditional Chinese way used to depict mythic & cultural characters, with the gold outlines & warm pastel colours with fading gradient.

Dragons rehearsing for CNY.

Of course the centre of attraction would be the Garden Bridge, a location famous for its CNY Firecrackers light-up. Two dragons line the bridge & meet at the city gate on one side. The symmetrical wave movement of their bodies symbolise an energetic and vibrant personality that is always on the move. Their orange glow exudes happiness and prosperity. It was an appreciable effort in decoration that brings on the festive mood. However, the Garden Bridge is flooded with too much pale white street lighting that spoils the ambience of the glowing lanterns.

The magnificent city gate & its guardians.

These dragons guard the grand city gate, which signifies the well-being of the community within, with its elaborate & intricate patterns & bright red lights. The Full Moon shines down from above, and the city is in a mood of festivity.

Lady Chang Er in her full glory.

Chang Er is a popular folk myth that tells the forlorn story of a relationship between her & the Qin Emperor. Soon she became the only representative role in that story, and had to prepare for lone appearances like this. Her second love on the Moon was also hardly around to be seen; most likely he would have been busy with his chores like we are on Earth. Poor Chang Er would appear in the clouds alone, while couples in love surround her to take photos. Even her rabbit is nowhere to be seen. She stands in the courtyard of two houses in an elegant pose, but behind that smile hides her sadness & loneliness.

She waves to us, as she prepares to board the shuttle home.

After we passed Chinatown Point and a little further toward Clarke Quay, it was time for us to go. Chang Er stood at the end, and once again waved to us. The bright 15th Moon shines behind her.

Mid-Autumn Festival in full bloom.

Enjoy your Mid-Autumn Festival with mooncakes and a cup of hot Chinese tea!