SINGAPORE, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Some 1,000 people of different races and associations gathered here together Friday night to celebrate the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, an occasion for family reunion in a gesture of national integration.
The 12th Mid-Autumn Festival National Integration Gala Dinner attracted around 1,000 participants, including Sun Xueling, senior parliamentary secretary of Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development, and Hong Xiaoyong, the Chinese ambassador to Singapore.
The event, which was originated by the Singapore Amoy Association in 2008, has over the years won support from other associations of migrants of Chinese origin, as well as Singapore's People's Association, which is a statutory board with an aim to act as a bridge between the government and the Singaporeans. In the meantime, it has gained influences and enlarged participants dramatically.
The Singapore Amoy Association, by bringing about the Chinese traditional Mid-Autumn celebration to Singapore, has tried to carry forward the essences of the Chinese traditional cultures in Singapore, said its president Lim Kue Lay.
Sun, in her speech, praised the organizers for having invited local residents of Malay and Indian origins this year so as to promote social harmony and make the event more meaningful.
Participants enjoyed performances of singing, dancing and poem recital.
One of the highlights of the dinner is "Bo Bing" Game, in which each participant takes turn to roll dice and win prizes accordingly. Bo Bing is said to be a unique custom on the Mid-Autumn Festival in Southeast China's Xiamen city, also known in Singapore as Amoy.
