The Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated on Friday, but the festivities continue at Albergue SCM’s* A2 Gallery through an exhibition highlighting some of the most important and characteristic parts of the festivity.
Visitors to the gallery will find a variety of creative exhibits on display through next month for “Little Rabbit Lanterns - An Exhibition by Carlos Marreiros and Friends - Part 20 | Celebration of the 77th Anniversary of the People’s Republic of China”, an annual themed exhibition organised by CAC - Círculo dos Amigos da Cultura de Macau (“Circle of the Friends of Macau’s Culture”).
The showcase presents a total of 39 exhibits of varying shapes, styles and sizes. Just as in previous iterations, the designs by a variety of artists from Macau and elsewhere each illuminate different parts of the venue, many of which were brought to life together with or by master craftsman Alfredo Ceynas, or by the artists themselves.
In all, the display shows everything from the colourful and traditional takes on the rabbit lantern theme, to those that also reinterpret the theme with a twist, including displays by artists Carlos Marreiros, Clara Brito, Fortes Pakeong Sequeira, and Guilherme Ung Vai Meng.
A recent statement by the organisers puts it best by pointing out that the joint showcase “blends culture and creativity from artists around the world. It is a celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival where artists come together to create unique and artistic interpretations of rabbit lanterns”.
The 20th part of the annual showcase was unveiled during the association’s festive “Celebration of the Moon - Mid-Autumn Festival 2026 Party” on Friday.
Tradition and symbolism
With a history spanning around 3,000 years, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a deeply cherished harvest festival in Chinese culture. It is traditionally celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, when the Moon is believed to be at its fullest and brightest.
The lantern became an important part of the festival during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) and became a widespread public custom in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It symbolises both family reunion and good fortune, as noted in the China Highlights website.
Beyond that, the China Highlights website added that lanterns also create a festive atmosphere while symbolising togetherness, which is reminiscent of the whole Moon, as well as prosperity and good luck. In some parts of China, it even represents a prayer from a mother to a daughter to have babies.
The rabbit, or Jade Rabbit, meanwhile represents factors like selflessness and virtue; companionship through being the Moon goddess Chang’e’s companion in the Moon palace; health and protection; as well as good fortune, according to AI chatbot Gemini.
Bringing the community together
In keeping with the spirit of the festival’s traditions, Friday’s Mid-Autumn Festival Party at Albergue SCM highlighted some of the festival’s core values, namely togetherness and reunion, bringing the local community together.
The annual celebration gathers participants for traditional festival snacks, live music, and a variety of activities, with this year’s programme featuring live calligraphy demonstrations and a showcase of art by the Macau Women Calligraphers, Painters and Sculptors Association.
Exhibitiongoers can continue to view the works until October 25, with the gallery open daily, specifically 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Mondays and 12:00 noon through 7:00 p.m. during the rest of the week.
Meanwhile, during the exhibition’s run, CAC is also hosting another free admission Cantonese-language “Intangible Cultural Heritage Series – Mid‑Autumn Festival Lantern Craft Workshop” on October 10 and 11 that will be led by Foshan’s young lantern maker Zhang Wenfeng, with more details available on the association’s Facebook page.
*Albergue is Portuguese for “hospice”. SCM stands for Santa Casa da Misericórdia (“Holy House of Mercy”), Macau’s oldest charitable organisation. – MPD
– Photos taken by Rui Pastorin
