The Game in Singapore

Since 1990, I have joined three of my SMU Sigma Chi fraternity brothers once a year to play a game of Hearts. Graham Gibbs, Jeff Kays, Greg Webb, and I used to play in college, and we had an impromptu game during Senior Week in 1990 (the week before my graduation), out of which came a vow to get together every year to play. If anything, we are true to our word, and we have played annually since then.

What started as a little game of Hearts has evolved into what we call The Game. And it has become quite the formal event. It is governed according to a constitution which the four of us drafted (we call ourselves the Recalcitrant Four, which will be familiar to Sigs out there). The loser every year has to display prominently "The Plaque", which shows his name as well as the location of his loss. We even have a history of the game, including past scorecards. It has become a great tradition.

One of the items in the constitution is that we will never play The Game in the same state twice. It has been fun traveling around the U.S. over the past 17 years to play - Arkansas, Tennessee, Minnesota, Texas, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Alabama, Nevada, Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, South Dakota, West Virginia, and South Carolina. This year, however, called for an international adventure. Jeff has been on an expat assignment in Sydney, which will end early in 2008, and Greg had business that brought him to the Lion City. So, after a careful reading of the constitution to verify that international play was indeed allowed (we interpreted that it is), we convinced Graham to come to Asia for The Game.


We had a great time. I won't go into all the gory details, but suffice to say that we enjoyed renewing the bonds of brotherhood, I got to show them some of the town (Little India, Chinatown, Clarke Quay, Raffles Hotel, Orchard Road and Towers), and I - last year's loser - was able to pass the plaque to Graham. It is ritual to capture this moment, and I wanted to share it with everyone. Emotions are always the same - elation contrasted by utter disappointment.


With Jeff heading back to Minnesota, it looks as if The Game will return to domestic locales for the near future. And if this was to be the only international venue in its history, The Game did itself well.

Travel: Hong Kong, Part 4

I jumped in a taxi at the Macau Ferry Terminal and asked the driver to let me out in Lan Kwai Fong, in Central towards the Mid-Levels. Little did I know that I was headed for the annual Lan Kwai Fong Carnival. The area is a hotspot for expats and locals alike, filled with restaurants and bars but populated with the young professional set, not the clientele of the seedier Wan Chai (see Part 1).


I got out of the cab into a mob scene. The steep streets of the district were packed with revelers, and every establishment along the row had a stall in the street selling food and drink. It was like Mardi Gras! The crowd was generally well-behaved, although it was clear that a good part of it had been celebrating for several hours. I ran into some Coloradans who were enjoying themselves and gave them best wishes for their team (up 2-0 against the Diamondbacks at the time, on their way to the sweep and a World Series berth). It was a great atmosphere. But, alas, I had to behave, as my flight was early enough that I couldn't sleep in, so after a walk around the entire area, I headed back to the hotel. Not before watching four young men (one a teenage boy) participate in a Tabasco eating contest. Each was given a bowl of chili that was LOADED with Tabasco, and off they went. It was like a mini-Coney Island on July 4th, although these guys were throwing back hot chili. Of course, hailing from Texas and having spent six months now testing the local chillies, I had to scoff. But, at the same time, I wasn't volunteering.


Lan Kwai Fong apparently is a great place any time of the year, but I lucked into visiting during a particularly festive time. I can't wait to go back. Especially because I left my car there.

Travel: Macau

Macau is a former Portuguese colony, lying 65 kilometres west of Hong Kong. The Special Administrative Region (SAR) - China resumed sovereignty over it in 1999 - is split between the peninsula connected to the mainland and two islands. While it apparently boasts some fine colonial architecture and interesting sights, I knew only of its reputation as a gambling center. The city's casinos played a role early in The Man With the Golden Gun (unfortunately, the wreck of the Queen Elizabeth in Hong Kong Harbour, which was a secret British Naval outpost in the movie, was scrapped years ago; a portion of it is now landfill on which HKIA sits). More recently, however, Macau made international news when the world's largest casino, the Venetian, opened there in August. Since I was in the area, I thought I would pop over for a rendezvous with Lady Luck.

The Macau ferry pier is to the east of the central piers. High-speed ferries run to Macau every thirty minutes. I wanted to spend only a couple of hours there to give me time to come back for a few more hours of exploring Hong Kong. I tried to catch a 6 o'clock ferry but was told the earliest available was at 6.30. While the ferries only take an hour to cover the 40 or so miles, that would put me in Macau at 7.30, and I wanted to be back in Hong Kong by 10.00. While I was thinking about my schedule, I spied the next ticket window, Heli Express. A helicopter ride would take 16 minutes to cover the distance, and it would put me down right at the Macau ferry terminal. I had never flown in a helicopter, and I decided to do it. As they say, time is money. I bought my ticket for a 6.30 take off and headed to the departure lounge. My fellow passengers were a mix of Westerners and Asians, tourists and locals. None particularly stood out, although one fellow in the departure ahead looked the high roller, decked out in a white suit. Ten of us passengers boarded the helicopter, and up we went into the darkness. The immediate sights were outstanding - the same harbour view from the night before on the Star Ferry, but this time from a thousand feet up. Quickly, however, we moved into pitch darkness, and it wasn't until nearly 15 minutes later that the lights of Macau led us to our destination. I don't know what kind of helicopter it was, so I have included a picture to allow you, gentle readers, to identify it.


Macau looks like the Vegas strip, but in an island setting. As we approached, you could see dozens of different casinos, some right on the water. There was a mix of familiar names (Sands) and typical historical motifs along with more Asian-centric themes. Most of the casinos are on the peninsula, but new ones such as the Venetian are popping up on Taipa Island across the causeway (actually, there are three different bridges connecting the peninsula with the island). After getting through Customs, I boarded the free shuttle (imagine that!) for the ten minute ride to the Venetian. It is incredible. I have been to the Venetian in Las Vegas, as well as many of the other "name" casinos, but I don't remember anything on this scale. Even the Bellagio. The structure is massive. The shuttle drops you off on the hotel side, and the walk to the casino takes you through an expansive shopping arcade with all kinds of high-end shops. It is luxury-shopping heaven.

The casino itself is even grander. The ceilings in the open areas stretch three to four stories above the ground floor and are covered in Italian Renaissance style murals. You could spend an entire evening just staring at the surroundings. But, I didn't have all evening, and I wanted to give the tables a chance.

I prefer blackjack and craps, but the game of choice in Macau is baccarat. I don't know enough to play this game successfully, so I walked around until I found one of the few blackjack tables (the Venetian doesn't have a craps table). I sat down rather nervously at a low stakes table and found immediately that my Asian co-players did not understand how to play the game. Oh, they knew the rules, but they didn't know the odds, so they were staying on any hand of 12 or higher, even when the dealer was showing a 7 or better. That generally means a one-way flow of money towards the house, and this night was no different. I, however, played by the rules, and only played for about ten minutes. After a good run, I decided to see some more of the building and then head to the Wynn, which was much nearer the ferry terminal (I was up, but not enough to buy a helicopter trip back to Hong Kong; anticipating this, I had already purchased my return ferry trip).




A cab ride took me across a different causeway, this one to the east of the trip down to the Venetian, for good view of the waterfront casinos. We circled back around to the Wynn, where I hoped my winning streak would continue.

The Wynn is nice, modeled after Steve Wynn's original Vegas casino (although I have never been, so I don't have any grounds for comparison). After the Venetian, however, it seemed quite dreary. The ceilings were low, the room dark. They did have a single craps table, which they were promoting heavily with cards that explained the rules. I would have liked to join in, but the table was packed with players and interested on-lookers, so I headed back to the blackjack table. I may have stayed there for a shorter time than at the Venetian, but my run of luck continued. After at most ten minutes of play, I walked straight to the cage to cash out and find a place for a drink before heading to the ferry terminal. To my delight, I was up HK$1,500. Of course, that is about $200 US. Which is better than losing $200, but I wasn't headed back for some shopping at the Venetian. I did get to catch the fountain show at the Wynn, which is reminiscent of the one at Bellagio featured at the end of Ocean's 11.


The ferry ride was pleasant - I rode in upper class, which is quiet and offers free food and drink. It is the way to go, if you don't want to spring for the helicopter ride, and the hour-long trip was just the perfect amount of time to decompress from the casino experience and get ready for one last night of exploring in Hong Kong.

Travel: Hong Kong, Part 3

Translated, dim sum literally means "to touch the heart." Dim sum are snacks that Chinese and other Asians eat for breakfast or lunch. It is served in small bamboo baskets, usually in three or four small pieces. Ideally, you eat this with a group, ordering several different baskets to share. But, you can eat it alone, too. Just bring an appetitite.

Dim sum is widely available in Hong Kong, but I was given a couple of recommendations that I wanted to try, one on Hong Kong Island and the other on Kowloon. Since I was on the island, and short of time, I headed to Maxim's at City Hall. This restaurant is actually housed in Hong Kong's City Hall building, and it is open for lunch until 3.00. I arrived at 2.50, just in time.

At Maxim's, as in other "authentic" dim sum eateries (I put "authentic" in quotes, because they all are authentic in Hong Kong), the dishes are served by women wheeling around trolleys. They speak mainly Cantonese, a dialect in the southern part of China (named after the southern city of Guangzhou, formerly known as Canton), and much of my ordering was done by pointing and nodding. I definitely wanted cha siu baau (buns stuffed with barbecue pork, or char siew as spelled in Singapore) and siu mai (pork dumplings), but I didn't know how much they had left, so I just started ordering. First was a shrimp cheong fun (a rice noodle roll), followed quickly by fun zao, poetically known as Phoenix talons. These are chicken feet, which are fried, marinated, and then steamed. These chickens must have been huge, because the feet were. Eating a chicken foot is a difficult proposition, because the meat to (shall we say) non-meat ratio is pretty low. Add on that it is covered in a glaze-like marinade and your only utensils are plastic chop sticks, and it makes for a labor-intensive meal. The taste was fine - tastes like chicken - but I just found myself more frustrated than anything trying to eat them. So, after devouring parts of two feet, I put the rest aside. By that time, I had found my pork buns and dumplings, and I was set. This was all washed down with copious amounts of hot chrysanthemum tea, which is a must when eating dim sum. All in all, it was delicious, although somewhat more expensive than your normal meal in Hong Kong. It was well worth it, however.

I dropped into the post office near City Hall (for my stamps and postcards fix), and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for a night in Kowloon. I was meeting some local friends at 7.00, and I wanted plenty of time to take the Star Ferry across the harbour.

The Star Ferry has been running passengers across the harbour for more than 100 years. It is billed as the cheapest ferry ride in the world, at HK$2.20 per trip, about 30 US cents. But, what is so great is that it leaves from its pier at Central on Hong Kong Island and takes you to Tsim Sha Tsui, a popular commercial district at the southern end of Kowloon, giving you beautiful views of both sides of the harbour. I set off right at dusk, and the sights were incredible. Hong Kong truly is built up right on the water, especially on the island side, and all the buildings light up at night. I have attached some pictures, although they really don't do justice to the scene.



I met up with my friends a couple of stops up on the MTR, and we headed for one of their favorite places, which happened to be a hot pot restaurant. I would give the name, but there were no English characters to be found (even on the name card). This was a true locals place - no fancy accommodations, cramped quarters, and a chaotic atmosphere. Our beers were delivered in litre bottles and sipped out of bowls, and our food arrived uncooked, along with a hot pot filled with pork-based broth (the pork ribs were already in the hot pot). From there, we had the controls and started cooking our meal. The ingredients consisted of a mixture of vegetables, beef, fish balls (come on, now - I am talking about fish paste formed into little spheres, like meatballs), clams, and oysters. You would either dump the ingredients into the broth (for vegetables or some of the seafood), or - in the case of the thinly-sliced beef - keep it on your ladle-like spoon and dip it into the broth for about 20 seconds, until it was cooked. Singapore has its own version of this cook-your-food-at-the-table experience called steamboat, but I had never tried it. I may have to now, as it was delicious. And it is fun to cook your own food. It is very reminiscent of fondue.

After that, I headed for the night market in Mongkok for a little browsing. Wouldn't you know it, there was a Krispy Kreme there, too. The shopping was fun, as the hawkers are very aggressive once they perceive any inkling of interest. Once they have your attention, the bargaining starts. I really wasn't in the market for anything, but you can't get out of there without engaging in a little back-and-forth with the stall patrons. There are all kinds of goods sold, mostly knock-offs. But even these fakes have degrees of quality, and you will pay more for higher grade fakes than for lower. It is a shopper's paradise, and I even almost bought a backpack, but in the end, I escaped without making a purchase. Much to the dismay of the ever hopeful hawkers.


That was it for my night, and I was off to the hotel.

I decided to skip the breakfast buffet the next morning to try what looked like the Hong Kong equivalent of a greasy spoon just next door. I knew it served breakfast, because there were pictures of fried eggs on the menu board, but again, no English. Nevertheless, in I went. I sat down at the first booth, and the hostess, after one look at me, went to get the "special" menu, with a bit of English to let you know what you were ordering. I chose the simple combo #1, with eggs, toast, and noodles with ham and fish. A cup of Hong Kong coffee (coffee with milk) washed it down. I was joined in my small booth by a young local couple halfway through my meal, as all other seats were taken. The language barrier allowed for only a quick "hi" and "bye", and it was like I wasn't even there to them.

Since it was still a little hazy, I decided to forego the Peak and head to the end of the MTR line on Lantau Island for a ride up the cable car and visit to Po Lin Monastery, with the Tian Tan Buddha, the largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha in the world. On the way to the MTR, I bought a local newspaper, and a couple of stops into my ride, I looked at the picture on the front page, which was of the cable car, noting that authorities hoped to have the cable car system up and running again by Christmas. Hmmm...I guess I wouldn't be riding the cable car. It had been closed in June when one of the cars plunged 50 metres to the ground (nobody was in it at the time). Since I was already on my way, I decided to see the monastery anyway. The trip to Lantau takes you to the Disneyland Hong Kong interchange, so I shared the ride with a number of families on their way to see Mickey. Once at the end of the line, I jumped on a bus for a 45 minute ride up and down steep hills to the monastery. And there was the Buddha, sitting on top of a hill more than 50 metres above the monastery. The climb up the very steep stairs brings you to the statue itself, which is quite impressive. There is a small exhibit and worship area inside, with artwork and a large bell, with a striker mounted by a beam on the wall and driven by a computer-operated piston. Apparently, the bell is quite loud, and it is no longer rung. The podium on which the Buddha sits, as well as the stairs leading up the hill, are filled with ornate statues of goddesses making offerings, stylized lamps, and replicas of towers. The chants of Buddhist monks drifted up the hill from the monastery below to complete the experience.



A bus ride took me back down to Mui Wo, where I caught a high-speed ferry back to Hong Kong. It was mid-afternoon, but I needed to get back to the hotel and get ready for Saturday night and a trip to Macau.

Travel: Hong Kong, Part 2

Victoria Peak is a popular destination for visitors to Hong Kong. From the top, one gets a beautiful view of the city and harbour across to Kowloon. Awakening to a hazy sky (which would keep temperatures in ranges reminding me of Autumn), however, I decided to follow advice to skip the peak in less than clear conditions and instead head into the heart of the city. I jumped on the MTR (an Octopus card, which gives you unlimited subway rides for three days, is a must) and headed to the termination of the Island Line at Sheung Wan for a walk back towards Central.

The MTR is clean and efficient, but it is a subway. Singapore's MRT has a monorail feel to it, with wide cars filled with natural light from each cars panel of windows. The MTR has more of a London Tube feel - tighter cars, darker stations with smaller platforms, the feel of a train rocking back and forth on the tracks, and standing room only crowds. The train passed through the very modern (and airy) Central Station and reached the termination of the line just one stop further west, where I was thrust into the grit, dirt, and energy of Hong Kong on a weekday. It is a mix of new and old, with advertisements for global brands juxtaposed against small shops selling traditional Chinese medicinal remedies. I just started walking back towards Central and absorbing it all, with the Mid-Levels Escalators in mind as a destination. I actually passed the entrance to these and walked several blocks by, mostly because I was enthralled by the surroundings. It has been a long time since I have visited New York, but this seemed to be just like it.


Once I got my bearings, I followed the signs to the escalators, actually walking across the street, going up one set of escalators, taking an elevated walkway back across the very same street I had just crossed, through a long, deserted hallway that used to be a busy arcade, to jump on the first of several moving walkways and escalators that would take me to the Mid-Levels.



The Mid-Levels is a residential and retail area that stretch about halfway up Victoria Peak. The big money lives high up on the peak, but many of Hong Kong's workers live in the high rise apartments of the Mid-Levels and would walk to and from work. This was a tough task, up and down the steep hills, especially in the steamy summer months. So, Hong Kong built the world's largest people mover system, composed of three (steep!) moving walkways and 22 escalators. Here in the middle of these great little neighborhoods, dotted with restaurants, bars, antique shops, retail stores, outdoor markets, and food stalls, are these escalators that keep taking you higher and higher up the hill. At the end of each one, you can walk down a short flight of stairs to access the street or keep heading up. In some instances, you are a couple of stories above the ground. In others, you are eye to eye with pedestrians. You pass by churches and apartment buildings, over streets and alleyways. It terminates on the winding Conduit Road high above the start, and you can either walk back down the way you came (the escalators run down from 6.00 to 10.00, then up from 10.20 to midnight) or take a meandering way through Soho and Lan Kwai Fong. I chose the latter, and ended up in the Botanical Garden and Zoo. It has a pretty impressive collection of primates, and I got a funny video of one monkey going vine to vine a la Tarzan, but in the end it is just sort of sad, because the animals don't do much more than lay around and look miserable.

I kept wandering back down the hill, taking a detour to view St. John's, an Anglican cathedral consecrated in 1849. It is an impressive sight, nestled in between skyscapers, but it is under renovation, so much of it is obscured. That didn't stop the hundreds of curious onlookers who were taking in the photo session of a wedding.


From there, I wound my way back down through Lan Kwai Fong and Soho, until I decided to quench my noonday thirst at McSorley's, a crisp little Irish pub. After a renewing pint (as the advertisement reads, "Guinness for Strength"), I was back out. (Full disclosure - this wasn't technically my first refreshment stop. Earlier in the journey, the escalator passed right over a brand new Krispy Kreme, so I backtracked the block down the stairs for a little quality control visit. I was disappointed to find that their special Halloween doughnuts were not filled with icing - they explained that the previous year, they had gotten complaints about the doughnuts being too sweet, which almost made my head explode - but I still was able to choke down a couple or three and a cup of coffee in what really was my first break for sustenance that day. Well, after the breakfast buffet at the hotel, but that didn't count, because it was before I was out and about.)

The streets of Soho are narrow and hilly, home to all kinds of businesses. There are lots of eateries and drinking establishments, but there are also small temples and traditional Chinese shops, in which you would see elderly owners/workers playing mahjong to pass the time. These shops gave way to antique dealers as I headed towards the Man Mo Temple, an 18th century Chinese temple dedicated to two deities, one civil and one martial (Man and Mo). The temple was under heavy construction, so it was difficult to really enjoy it, but it offered a glimpse of a traditional place of Chinese worship, with praise and offerings for ancestors, and large coils of incense burning continuously.



Heading back towards the escalators, I passed by an Argentine restaurant called La Pampa, which I thought was interesting. Here I was, halfway around the world, looking at the name of my hometown. I did not go in, as I had one more stop before heading for lunch. I wanted to have a drink in the Peak Bar, which used to be at the top of Victoria Peak but had relocated with its original accoutrements to the Mid-Levels. It was a nice place, surely serving up large doses of nostalgia for Hong Kong veterans.



I could not stay for long, however. I had lunch on my mind, and there was only one thing that I would settle for - traditional Hong Kong dim sum. And I knew just where to go - Maxim's at City Hall.

Travel: Hong Kong, Part 1

Hong Kong!

I finally got to see the self-styled Asia's World City. I went up for work on a Thursday and stayed the weekend earlier in October. It was a nice change of pace from Singapore, as the weather was just a bit cooler, almost Fall-like. At least to someone used to the tropical heat of the Lion City.

You fly into the nine-year-old Hong Kong International Airport on Chek Lap Kok island, west of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The airport opened in 1998, replacing the old Kai Tak Airport located in Kowloon, amid densely populated land and surrounded by not insignificant hills. HKIA is beautiful, and it really is nice to fly there from Singapore's Changi Airport, because you travel between two of the cleanest, most efficient, most modern airports in the world.

Of course, one of the most beautiful sights at HKIA is the Krispy Kreme inside the main terminal building, near the Airport Express train.


My first stop was Cathay City near the airport, headquarters of Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific and its sister airline DragonAir. In front of the HQ building sits an old Cathay Pacific DC-3. It is a beautiful plane, and although I didn't get a picture, I included one here.


After my meeting, I headed into the city on the Airport Express (after stopping at Krispy Kreme), the high speed train that makes two stops before terminating at Hong Kong Island's Central Terminal. The train is a modern, very comfortable ride that cuts your travel time to the city to about 20 minutes. Once there, I jumped into a cab to my hotel in Causeway Bay.


My first ride in a Hong Kong cab, on my way to my meeting, was distinctly different than what the experience at Central. Cathay City is on Lantau, and only blue cabs can take you there. These mirror the outlying island's slower pace, as I waited more than 25 minutes in the humidity (not as bad as Singapore, but not quite as cool and dry as it would get later in my stay) before one pulled up for my leisurely two-kilometre ride to Cathay City. Hong Kong and Kowloon are served by the red cabs, which are more in line with the hustle and bustle of the city. As we pulled out from the station, I was struck by how much the city reminded me of Chicago. It is built up right to the edge of the harbor, and hurtling from Central towards Causeway Bay on the freeway brought back great memories of Lake Shore Drive. It really is a mix of Chicago and San Francisco, however, as a glance to the right revealed the hilly streets dotted with residences, shops, restaurants, and bars that lead up to the Mid-Levels, where many Hong Kong residents live (and which is served by the largest escalator system in the world - more on that later). It was fantastic.

Luckily, the hotel was within a block of an MTR station. The MTR is a clean and efficient way to get around the city, both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. I dropped off my bags and headed out for a look around. I decided to get off in Wan Chai, knowing I would find a mix of decent pubs and hostess bars (which you want to avoid, unless you like your money flying out of your pocket for the "privilege" of talking to one of the hostesses). I was able to defend myself against a few very aggressive door-women (they literally try to drag you in) and found a couple of ex-pat pubs, one where a middle-aged American was loudly discussing the merits of 80s rock before accompanying Stairway to Heaven (on the bar's stereo) as loudly and off-key as possible, and the other offering a quieter atmosphere as well as quality music. It was here that I found myself in a Hong Kong bar listening to the Highwaymen. Not a bad experience.

But, I wanted to get some rest before my two days in Hong Kong started, so I was back to the hotel at a reasonable hour.

Mid-Autumn Festival

Singapore is a city of festivals in the Fall. The first of three (Hungry Ghost not included) is the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is celebrated in China and east Asia, falling on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month (September). It is also known as the Moon Festival and, in Singapore, as the Lantern Festival or the Mooncake Festival. It is the second most important holiday in the Chinese calendar, after the Lunar New Year.

The festival falls on or near the Autumnal Equinox, and it celebrates the abundance of the harvest. The moon plays an important role in Chinese society, and it is supposedly at its brightest when full during the festival.

The festival has a history dating back more than 3,000 years. It is associated with several versions of a legend of the archer Hou Yi and his wife Chang Er. One has the skilled archer shooting down nine of the ten suns that orbit the Earth at the behest of the Emperor (each sun would cross the sky once every ten days, but one day, they all appeared in the sky, burning the Earth). He was rewarded with a pill that contained the elixir of everlasting life, but Chang Er found it and consumed it. It gave her the ability to fly, and she flew to the moon, much to Hou Yi's dismay. Hou Yi was granted a home in the sun, and once a year the gods allow the two to meet. That is during the full moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The moon and the sun here also represent the female and male principles of Yin and Yang. Legend has it that if you look at the full moon, you can see Chang Er's celestial companion, a hare with a pestle, working on an antidote to allow her to return to Hou Yi.



To celebrate, families give mooncakes to their relatives. These are dense round cakes made with lotus and often containing duck eggs. They provide a mix of sweet and salty. They also served a practical purpose, at least in legend. It is said that in the 14th Century, during Mongol rule of China when group gatherings of Chinese were banned, mooncakes that were distributed as part of the festival contained messages to the Chinese rebels (the Mongols did not eat moon cakes) stating the time of uprising during the festival. The Mongols were defeated, ushering in the rule of the Ming Dynasty. This is not necessarily supported by historical record, but it has become a part of the lore of the festival.

As part of the festival, a display is put up in Chinatown with models of various temples, churches, and other places of worship throughout the world. I am not sure the connection (other than that the models are essentially very large lanterns), but I have included some pictures. I will leave you to identify each one.