KUCHING: Kuching Intercultural Mooncake Festival 2018 created a record with roughly 200,000 people patronising the 8-day fiesta.
The festival, which began on Sept 17 and ended on Sept 24, may even have done better if not for the intermittent bad weather due to Typhoon Mangkhut, which swept across the Pacific last month.
However, that did not deter the organising committee from ensuring visitors had a good time at the festival, this time overwhelmingly, according to a press statement from the organising co-chairman Sim Kiang Chiok.
“The organising committee is elated to announce that the number of visitors has broken all previous records. This year, a record 200,000 visitors celebrated together over the course of the eight days of festivity.
“The committee would like to thank all the participants, be it the arts and culture performers, the stall operators, including those from Brunei and Indonesia, the street magicians and dancers, the Teochew Chinese orchestra, Han Clothes exhibitors, Calligraphy workshop between Masters from our Malaysia and Fushan, China.
“We also thank all those responsible for the arts and photography exhibitions, Monica’s legendary RM2 charity haircut, our lantern quiz in Mandarin, free Chinese ‘sensei’ medical check-up, Social Security Organisation (Socso) information and help counter, Indian, Malay, Dayak dancers, Rela members, the police, and all the volunteers, including Kuching City North Commission (DBKU), for making this year’s festival a success and the much talked about event in the month of September here,” he said.
Sim also took the opportunity to announce the winner of the halal mooncake making competition, which was won by Siti Aisyah Abdullah, who was also the champion last year.
He said there were over 20 participants for the halal mooncake making competition, and many Malay women from Pantai Damai area joined in the fun. This was the second year running that the competition was held.
“It was held in Merdeka Plaza on Sept 22, and the organiser and competitors were happy that they were able to share our culinary arts among all Sarawakians to promote better understanding and mutual respect among the different races,” said Sim. — DayakDaily
