KUCHING, Sept 3: With the annual Kuching Intercultural Mooncake Festival just around the corner, entrepreneurs and operators selling food items, souvenirs and other products are invited to set up stalls at the event at Carpenter Street from Sept 17 to 24.
Organising chairman Sim Kiang Chiok told reporters at the Kuching Resident’s Office this afternoon that this year’s edition would feature See Hua Club Street Magic; China Arts and Calligraphy; and Business Exchange Forum from Fushan in China; Association of Sarawak Inbound Agencies (Asia); Consulate General of Brunei Darussalam Kuching and the Social Security Organisation (Socso).
To make the ambience merrier, there would be a children’s colouring competition, lantern fabrication competition, Snow Skin Mooncake making competition and photography competition.
“The festival would be from 6pm till 11pm to allow our host and businesses at Carpenter Street to continue with their daily businesses unhindered and for all of us to have a joyful time in the evening with our friends and families,” said Sim.
Sim advised those driving to the festival to park their vehicles at Merdeka Plaza, Merdeka Palace, St Thomas’ Cathedral or the Kuching Waterfront. He also urged other road users not to park indiscriminately, thus blocking traffic.
He targeted about 14,000 people patronising the spectacle each evening, and gave assurance that public security and safety would be well looked after by the police and Rela members.
“Throughout the years, we have built the event on the thrust of the slogan ‘Sight, Sound and Taste’, aiming at fostering unity among the multiracial community of Sarawak with the slogan ‘Unity in Diversity’. We will continue with this thrust this year.
“We aim to showcase as many ethnic cultures as possible in all their glory,” said Sim, adding that artistic, cultural, traditional and contemporary performers and entertainers had been invited to perform at the festival.
Sim also mentioned his late father, Dato Sim Swee Yong, who founded the festival in 2002.
“Without him we would not be able to have this festival where we can come together to celebrate our differences, unity in diversity, and continuously remind ourselves to work in our unity as Sarawakians where we can progress and prosper in peace and harmony,” he said.
For application forms or information about the various competitions, call festival vice-chairwoman Pung Siok Eng at 082-242940 or 012-8865396. The fee for each trading slot is RM320 for the whole duration of the festival. — DayakDaily
