Dice, Dim Sum & Old Friends: PhilCham Shanghai Celebrates Mid-Autumn with Pua Tiong Chiu

Sep 30

2 min read

On Friday, September 25, PhilCham Shanghai welcomed families & friends to Summer Palace at Shangri-La Jing An for a Mid-Autumn celebration built around one of the community's most loved traditions: Pua Tiong Chiu, the mooncake dice game.

The gathering was designed to be simple, relaxed & family-friendly, a chance for the Filipino-Chinese community in Shanghai to come together, reconnect and celebrate a tradition many of us grew up with. Kids were very much part of the plan, along with plenty of food, laughter and, of course, a little luck.

A Full Table, Young & Young at Heart

Twenty-seven guests joined the afternoon: 19 adults and 8 kids, with the youngest player just 6 years old. The semi-private room overlooking the Shanghai skyline set the tone for an easy, family-centric afternoon.

For some, Pua Tiong Chiu brought back childhood memories. For others, it was their very first roll. After a quick explanation of the rules, everyone caught on fast, and the sound of dice hitting the bowl soon filled the room.

The Race to Chong Guan

With over 150 prizes across six tiers, from the grand Chong Guan down to smaller lucky prizes, there were plenty of chances for adults & kids alike to win, and no one went home empty-handed.

The excitement peaked as the table got closer to the Chong Guan. Congratulations to our two Chong Guan winners, Dr. Vivian Ti and Claire Syson! AJ Deschaine and Gavin Chan also rolled lower Chong Guan combinations and took home consolation prizes.

Guests also went home with traditional mooncakes, Oishi's newest Lao Gan Ma (老干妈) shrimp chips, and persimmons freshly picked from a member's backyard. A big treat all around.

More Than a Game

A generous dim sum spread kept everyone well fed, but the real magic was in the mix of food, conversation and people moving around the room, sharing with one another. It felt like a proper community gathering.

One of the best sights of the afternoon was seeing people who usually meet through work, business or community activities simply sitting together, joking around and playing like old friends.

"We all wear so many different hats in our everyday lives: student, professional, business owner, client, dentist, supplier, parent, and so on. But sometimes, it's important to take those hats off and simply come together as a community," shared Joanna Lim, Chairperson of PhilCham Shanghai.