Carpenter Street lights up for mooncake festival
KUCHING: Colourful lanterns can be seen lighting up Carpenter Street in the city centre as it hosts the annual Kuching Inter-Cultural Mooncake Festival.
Now in its 17th year, the event not only celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival but showcases Sarawak's rich cultural diversity.
Some 100 stalls have been set up along the street, selling lanterns, handicraft works, food and mooncakes during the festival, which runs from Sept 17 to 24.
Co-organising chairman Sim Kiang Chiok said the festival had expanded over the years from just one to eight nights of fun activities for the public.
“We are looking at this festival as a platform to celebrate our multicultural identity, with something for everyone to enjoy.
“This year we also invited the Brunei and Indonesian consulates to join us,” he said.
Minister in the Chief Minister's Office Datuk Talib Zulpilip said Carpenter Street was a fitting venue for the festival as it had seen many events throughout its history dating back to Sarawak's pre-colonial Brooke era.
“Ordinary people have shopped, worked and walked in Carpenter Street, which has reinvented itself time and again to host countless businesses and celebrations,” he said when visiting the festival.
Talib also said the state government was committed to maintaining Sarawak's culture of living and working together harmoniously.
“As such, events such as the Kuching Intercultural Mooncake Festival will be encouraged and supported. The event exemplifies the nature of Sarawakians who are accepting of one another,” he said.
Activities include a battle of the bands, colouring contest and competitions to make mooncakes and lanterns.
There are also cultural performances such as dragon dance, Chinese opera, sape (Orang Ulu boat lute) music and Malay begendang (drums).