Singapore Lantern Festival Design – F8 Kitty Go Races!

Introduction

Chinese Garden has developed her lantern festival from a humble beginning some 33 years ago. Today it has created such a stir that it is now celebrated as part of the Singapore Tourism Board’S annual calendar. This annual event is also multi pronged and has been able to attract multiracial SingaDoreans and our neighbors extensively, including the tourists that are in Singapore during that time of the year.

For 2008, Singapore would be organizing the first ever Formula One night race in September and the P 1 Power Boat Race immediately thereafter. Singapore also won the honor to host three world’s first ever Youth Olympic Games in 2010. And as a prelude, would be organizing the ASIAN games in 2009. These angles together with the elements of our rich Chinese heritage, has been factored into the planning ofthe Lantern Festival 2008

The Theme

“F8 Kitty Go Races!”(Featuring Hello Kitty and friends)will be wide ranging with the Mid—Autumn flavor and colors of the Chinese culture intertwined into the overall event. It will showcase sub-themes popular to every segment and races：
1. Branded Intellectual Property which is recognized worldwide.
2. Fun and lovable characters which promote family togetherness.
3. Exciting and educational sub themes fe. g. Games opening displayed in a traditional Greek settin9, the Mongolian Races, Sailin9, etc. ).
4. Cultural showcases of Chang Erh and her mid autumn beauties in its natural environment(displayed through four themes of lanterns) around the 7-storey pagoda landscape.
5. Educational promotion of 20 1 0 Youth Olympic Games and the Olympic Games in general.
6. Lanterns on display encompass land, aquatic and aerial lanterns in different modes and forms. Various techniques to increase interactivity will be utilized to display the liveliness, sounds and movements ofIhe exhibits. )

Target Audience

“F8 Kitty Go Races!” will undoubtedly bring about Hello Kitty fans as  well as entice the young and young at heart to seek out what Chinese Garden would have installed for them. Tourists will be thrilled at the magnificent and colorful displays of lanterns ranging from small traditional palace lanterns to maj estic sized lanterns. Multicultural Singaporeans would be able to associate dearly with the characters of Hello Kitty and Friends, the different types of sporting races, as well as a Chinese festival with a fun twist that would fill the ambience of Chinese, Garden.

Event Dates: 29 August to 28 September 2008

The event will take place just before the school holidays and would run through the entire Mid-Autumn month. It would also overlap the F 1 race that is scheduled to be held during the September period.

The 21 Displays

The colorful designs that have been crafted provide an overview of the conceptual approach to the types of displays which has been planned.Upon confirmation of the tender award, the details will be further refined based on feedback and request from various supporting agencies.

Agency Support: Singapore Tourism Board Support

Based on our understanding, Lantern Festival conducted at the mega level would have a positive support from STB in conjunction with their annual MAF calendar. In addition, as our theme is closely associated with and supportive of the Formula One, our event may get further endorsement and support in terms of A&P. Fringe activities like ours would provide an option for tourists to see our multi-faceted Singapore.

Other Support: P1, Asian Youth Games And 2010 Youth Olympic

“F8 Kitty Go Races!” would cover a segment of each of these events and it would be opportunity for these games to be further promoted during our festival. In the event that our tender is accepted, Lanterns In Motion would venture to harness for their participations in our festival.

The Lantern Displays

All 21 displays promise to be exciting and engaging, providing continuous photo opportunities for all visitors who come to our event.It would cover three broad segments, namely:
1. Segment One  Hello Kitty and Friends: It will showcase the different characters having a day of fun at the races. These scenes will contain a kaleidoscope of events that the characters are engaged in which include the championship awards ceremony, sailboat racing, tricycle race, racing pit stops, and so forth.
2.  Segment Two Chinese Culture: Change Erh and her mid autumn beauties will be the main focus of the Chinese segment. There will be four distinct settings which will showcase the beauty of the ladies, as well as the talent of the lantern craftsmen. The Mongolian Race Day is also another segment within the festival, shown with a horseback riding competition to blend with the overall theme in addition colorful and majestic red and palace lanterns will grace the entire Chinese garden along walkways, on pagodas and lining treetops to give it a complete mid autumn splendor.

3.  Segment Three  Sports: A third segment of the event will showcase various sporting activities and races, intertwined with elegant Chinese lanterns in conjunction with Mid-Autumn Festival.

Supporting Activities
In order to complete the entire activity, supporting highlights are significant in creating the proper mood and atmosphere of the festival. To make it fun and engaging, a carnival spirit with a touch of “old-time” trends plus photo opportunities will be introduced to make the entire event experience as interactive as possible. Buskers as well as cultural performances will be
introduced into the entire festive celebrations, with tea session ceremonies.
It is the intent to create an energetic, carnival mood. At the event,we will engage cultural shows and performances, food and drink stalls, trade stalls as well as an area dedicated as a children’s entertainment area.
Official Opening
The Official Opening is recommended to be held on 28th August2008, a day before the event is open to the members of the public.It is planned that  selected charity homes will be invited to partake in the launch of the event.
Conclusion

“F8 Kitty Go Races!” strives to be a family-focused event that is rich in Chinese culture and traditions. We will project with an array of colors and lights through the form of lanterns and ensure that Chinese Garden is turned into a magical land when the lights go on.

These  pictures were part planning pictures of this Lantern Festival.

You can click here to view the lanterns scenery in this Singapore F8 Kitty Lantern Festival

1. Hello Kitty Discount says:

   November 2, 2010 at 10:05 pm

   Hi there, just browsing for information for my Hello Kitty website. Lots of information out there. Wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, but good site. Take care.