SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1986
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FESTIVAL CELEBRATED IN STYLE AT EXPO
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THE BIGGEST HONG KONG STYLE LANTERN FESTIVAL EVER CELEBRATED IN VANCOUVER WAS STAGED LAST (FRIDAY) NIGHT BY THE HONG KONG PAVILION AT EXPO '86 IN CANADA.
ABOUT 15 000 PEOPLE WITH FREE TICKETS PACKED THE PACIFIC COLISEUM NEAR DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER WHERE A GALA PRESENTATION WAS HELD AND ABOUT 5 000 FAMILIES IN THE AUDIENCE WERE GIVEN PAPER LANTERNS OF DIFFERENT SHAPES AIRLIFTED FROM HONG KONG FOR THE OCCASION.
THEY ALSO ENJOYED A VARIETY SHOW OF CHINESE DANCES PERFORMED BY LOCAL ARTISTES WHILE TWO HONG KONG SINGERS, MR MICHAEL KWAN AND MISS PATRICIA CHAN, SANG SONGS ABOUT STORIES OF THE MOON.
MR IAN DEY, WHO FLEW SPECIALLY FROM HONG KONG TO VANCOUVER TO COMPERE THE SHOW, EXPLAINED THE MYTHS AND CELEBRATIONS ABOUT THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL IN CHINESE AND ENGLISH, WITH PERFORMERS ENACTING THE SCENES.
EARLIER, ABOUT 100 PEOPLE COMPRISING VANCOUVER ROAD SAFETY PATROL MEMBERS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM VARIOUS PAVILIONS AT EXPO, FORMED A LANTERN PROCESSION TEAM AT THE HONG KONG PAVILION AND MARCHED THROUGH THE MAIN ROADS.
THOUSANDS OF EXPO VISITORS DOTTED THE ROUTE, WAITING FOR A GLIMPSE OF THE PROCESSION WHICH WAS LED BY THE MOONLADY DRESSED IN ANCIENT COSTUME. CARRYING COLOURFUL LANTERNS, THE PROCESSION WOUND THROUGH THE CROWD WHO WAVED AND APPLAUŠED.
ON ARRIVAL AT THE COLISEUM, THE TEAM PARADED AROUND THE ARENA TO BEGIN THE GALA PRESENTATION. BEFORE THE SHOW STARTED, THE AUDIENCE WERE TREATED TO PIECES OF MOONCAKES, AND THE MOST FORTUNATE OF THEM ALL WAS MR JACOB CHEUNG FROM EDMONTON WHO WON TWO RETURN AIR TICKETS TO HONG KONG IN A LUCKY DRAW.
A CUTTING CEREMONY OF A SIX-FOOT DIAMETER PAPIER-MACHE MOONCAKE WAS OFFICIATED BY EXPO'S COMMISSIONER GENERAL, MR PATRICK REID.
SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE EVENT, ALL ADMISSION TICKETS WERE SNAPPED UP FROM THE HONG KONG PAVILION AND OTHER OUTLETS WITHIN AN HOUR.
THE LANTERN FESTIVAL WAS ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG PAVILION WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION, CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS AND THE SING TAO LIMITED. CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS ALSO DONATED THE TWO AIR TICKETS FOR THE LUCKY DRAW WHILE THE KEEFER CHINESE BAKERY IN VANCOUVER PROVIDED THE MOONCAKES.
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