Fascinating fish lanterns for festival

Sunway Velocity Mall is celebrating its inaugural Mid-Autumn Festival with elaborated decorations inspired by the old Chinese custom.

SHOPPING can be a tiring affair, especially if you have scoured the entire length of the mall to look for much-needed items.

At Sunway Velocity Mall, you can take a break at the Ground Floor Main Atrium and enjoy its inaugural Mid-Autumn Festival.

The area is decked in pretty ribbons that hang from the ceiling while fish-inspired lanterns “float” in mid-air.

Aptly themed “Mid-Autumn Serenity 2017”, the decorations were inspired by the old Chinese custom of watching the full moon from their courtyards.

More than 10 renowned mooncake brands are found at the booths, offering an assorted range of halal and non-halal mooncakes.

Sunway Velocity Mall general manager Danny Lee (left), Chan (second from right) and Sunway Velocity Mall senior general manager KS Wong (right) together with the top three winners of the lantern-making competition.

To usher in the auspicious festival, a media launch was held for media members and invited guests who were treated to a string of performances such as mask-changing, Chinese diabolo and music showcase.

Sunway Malls and Theme Parks chief executive officer HC Chan, who launched the event, said that they strived to create experiences that will enrich lives as shopping is no longer just transactional, but experiential.

“We recognise that with progress, communities live in an increasingly time-poor, cash-rich society.

“As such, malls need to deliver more holistic and deep-seated experiences due to time scarcity,” he said.

Since its opening last December, Sunway Velocity Mall has recorded 1.5 million visitors a month.

Chan added that this has allowed the mall to reach out to people from different backgrounds with various initiatives such as the Mid-Autumn celebration.

At the event, 13 finalists – 10 consolation and the top three winners – in a lantern-making competition, were presented with prizes for their outstanding lanterns.

The month-long competition was a hit among enthusiasts, and the lanterns that were submitted are currently on display at the mall.

Additionally, a mock cheque presentation was held with proceeds from a two-day carnival donated to Bodhi Homecare Cheras to help the disabled and abandoned children there.

A total of RM8,620.82 was raised from the Cultural Day collaboration between the mall and Pesta Tanglung Universiti Malaya that featured flour figurines and paper-cutting workshops as well as energetic performances.

The home also received goodies from sponsors Fipper, Skechers and KidzB.

A host of activities has been lined up for shoppers at the mall until Oct 4, including a special Lucky Dip in conjunction with the festival.

With every RM100 spent in a single receipt from participating vendors, shoppers stand a chance to win attractive prizes worth up to RM10,000.

Sunway Velocity Mall is celebrating its inaugural Mid-Autumn Festival with elaborated decorations inspired by the old Chinese custom.

There will be workshops on sugar cookie-decorating, lantern- and mooncake-making as well as jenga blocks, lantern riddle, Mid-Autumn colouring and pomelo peeling contests.

There is also a Little Miss Cheongsam talentime contest for the children. For details, visit www.sunwayvelocitymall.com