A series of celebrations by the Singapore River for the Mid-Autumn Festival kicked off on Monday, with lanterns and art performances from southwestern Chinese provinces.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong inaugurated the opening ceremony on Monday evening to light up the lanterns on display at a section of the Singapore River with shops and restaurants on both sides.

The elaborately-crafted lanterns that can be found on and by the river were created by master craftsmen in Sichuan Province in southwestern China. They included eight unique lantern displays incorporating the theme of Chinese legends and those in the shape of 12 Chinese zodiac signs.

A nine-dragons mural lantern will make its debut at the festival this year.

The lanterns will be part of the half-month celebrations leading to the Mid-Autumn Festival on Sept. 12. Organized by three Chinese newspapers of the Singapore Press Holdings, the celebration is aimed to promote better understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture, heritage and traditions by " injecting a touch of modern spirit" into them.

The celebrations are now in its fourth edition. It attracted over 800,000 visitors last year.

The Cultural Troupe from Chongqing, a city in southwestern China, will perform on a stage every evening. There will be a photography competition, a Chinese chess competition and lantern riddles, too.

There will also be a talent show organized by Lianhe Zaobao, the flagship Chinese language newspaper in Singapore, and the Hua Yuan General Association of New Immigrants from China. The grand finals will be held on the last night of the festival on Sept. 12.

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