By Besides filling your bellies with delectable dishes from all the reunion dinners and visiting your relatives from every part of Singapore, fill your Chinese New Year calendar with more gorgeous sights and sounds, illuminated lanterns, colourful parades, and lion dances to revel in all the glorious celebrations – all of which can be enjoyed online and offline this year. There’s nothing like ringing in the Year of the Tiger with the best Chinese New Year events in town – besides gleefully receiving red packets, of course.
Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations
This Chinese New Year, it’s out with the ox and in with the tiger. Bring your attention to the towering family of tigers centrepiece located opposite Chinatown Point, before making your way down the 880-metre-stretch along Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road for brightly-lit lanterns of meaningful new year symbols such as pomelos, tiger cubs and ingots. Beyond the attention-grabbing display, you can also gather the family for a variety of online activities, from watching getai performances to joining virtual tours while experiencing Chinatown and its heritage, as well as the origins of Chinese New Year, at the comfort of your sweet digs. Read more
Dahlia Dreams
Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Dome sees in the Year of the Tiger with a breathtaking floral display featuring 2,000 dahlias all entirely grown in-house. These beauties are showcased alongside a host of Chinese New Year floral classics like azaleas, chrysanthemums, and cymbidiums, as well as auspicious elements and symbols like the giant coin pouches and couplets to usher in new beginnings filled with good luck and positivity. While you take a stroll through the Flower Dome, keep an eye out for installations of the tiger cub and a stunning River Hongbao lantern hidden between the blooms. Read more
Chingay50
The fast-approaching Lunar New Year means one thing – the Chingay Parade. And this year, the annual event is extra special. Started in 1973, this iconic street masquerade organised by the People’s Association (PA) will be commemorating its 50th year since inception.
Tune in to this year’s colourful Chingay Parade via the livestream on the Chingay website and PAssion Club Facebook page on February 12. To mark its 50th anniversary, there will be a slew of special programmes for the community to participate in too.
One that kicks off today is the Chingay50 Hall of Frames. This is a virtual wall featuring photographs of Chingay parades from years past, all the way back to the very first one in 1973. Browse through the online gallery of photos from past audiences and participants and see how far Chingay has come in 50 years.
Another trip down memory lane can be found at #OurChingay50Stories, where audiences, performers, crew members and community partners share their memories through 50 stories of the Chingay parade. These anecdotes ride on the theme of Chingay50’s theme “Ignite Our Dreams”.
During the livestream of the Chingay Parade this year, also don’t forget to look out for mini floats from a new programme. Under this initiative, 17 group representation constituencies were invited to build floats to be featured in the Chingay50 showcase. Read more
River HongbaoRiver Hongbao
Every year, the iconic River Hongbao transforms The Float @ Marina Bay into a vibrant, cultural festival to ring in the Lunar New Year with a bang – courtesy of the spectacular fireworks, of course. But this year, it’s taking down a notch at a new venue: Gardens by the Bay. See the Gardens illuminate with 30 life-sized kaleidoscopic lantern sets featuring iconic scenes of celebration with themes of Prosperity, Love, Fortune, Harmony among others. Catch nightly performances at the River Hongbao central stage, from martial arts displays to music performances and dance. You can also watch the getai performances and other acts live from home via River Hongbao’s official Facebook page. Read more
Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts
The Esplanade’s annual Chinese festival of arts Huayi is back with an exciting line-up of theatre, dance and music programmes that highlight the wit, imagination, and curiosity of leading Chinese artists from Singapore and beyond. And this time, the whole family can enjoy them online and on-site. Set your alarms for these newly commissioned works including Nelson Chia of Nine Years Theatre’s Between You and Me, as well as Artwave Studio’s digital production You’re Invited – an interactive virtual reunion dinner for family, friends and strangers. Read more
High Tea in the Deep Sea
Indulge in a 12-item afternoon tea menu set against the breathtaking backdrop of the marine landscape – think reef manta rays, hammerhead sharks, and giant groupers gliding by. Expect delectable Chinese New Year offerings like the handmade siew mai with premium abalone, Canadian lobster kueh pie tee with special sauce, and imperial coconut with osmanthus and bird’s nest. For a guided tour at the S.E.A. Aquarium, top up a fee ($128 per person) and you can discover the secrets of the shore and learn how aquarists care for marine life.Read more
Leap into Fun
Greet the residents of Universal Studios Singapore including Kung Fu Panda‘s Po, Shrek and gang, and the super adorable Minions – all dressed in their best Chinese New Year ensemble – with a “gong xi fa cai”. This year, Master Tigress from Kung Fu Panda also makes her first-ever appearance here! The magnificent Majestic Dragon is also returning to join the crew, and you can capture an exclusive festive wefie with it during its exclusive meet-and-greet session. Fans of Transformers, on the other hand, can look forward to a meet-and-greet session with Optimus Prime and Megatron who are set to surprise selected guests with greetings in Mandarin. And as always, there are thrilling rides at the theme park to make it a season to remember. Read more
Spring in the Sea
Ring in an auspicious Chinese New Year this year with family time, fun and festivities at Resorts World Sentosa’s S.E.A. Aquarium. From January 15 to February 15, have a roaring good time at Spring in the Sea where you and your family get to meet and greet the Manta mascots, marvel at the auspicious mural and get creative at a traditional chunlian (Spring Festival couplet) workshop.
This new year, the S.E.A Aquarium also encourages guests to make conscious environmental choices. Say hi to the adorable Manta mascot trio, that are dressed in their festive best made using up-cycled and pre-loved materials. Come face-to-face with five auspicious marine critters of the year such as sand tiger shark, red lionfish, weedy seadragon, tiger cowrie and alligator gar that are representative of strength, luck, longevity, wealth, power and nobility.
Shutterbugs can also revel in the perfect photo opportunity with the vibrant Sand Tiger Shark Wall Mural, featuring the star of the aquarium: the sand tiger shark.
Fortune seekers can also follow the Trail of Fortune adorned with bright lanterns, eye-catching oriental patterns and magical fairy lights while meeting living symbols of prosperity. Guests can also take part in the Chunlian workshop, where you learn to write and create your own tokens of good fortune from a Chunlian master to usher in the New Year. Read more
Chinese New Year Festivities at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Celebrate the Year of the Tiger at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall where an exciting line-up of programmes and activities await you. Visit the latest lawn installation, Blessings Come A-Knocking, which represents the memorial hall’s protection against the trials and tribulations that the pandemic has brought over the past years.
Delve into the world of Nian Hua – woodblock prints used to decorate Chinese homes for the Lunar New Year for centuries – at Nian Hua: Of Deities, Guardians and Auspicious Art special exhibition. Other family-friendly offerings include the auspicious lion dance performance, lantern-making workshop, guided tours of the galleries, storytelling, craft activities for kids and many more. Also, don’t forget to rub shoulders with the God of Fortune for an auspicious year ahead! Read more
Lunar New Year Celebrations at the National Museum of Singapore
Huat are you doing this Lunar New Year? Rounding up your friends and family for a celebration at the National Museum of Singapore, of course. The festivities start with a spectacular lion dance show, followed by live music performances of your favourite festive tunes. as well as a special calligraphy workshop and presentation. And while you’re there, be sure to create personalized Lunar New Year mementos of coasters with Chinese knots or ceramic art of festive goodies and flowers. Read more
The Amazing Celestial Race
Here’s one that’ll delight the families. Wild Rice is reuniting all 12 zodiac animals in one rambunctious musical this Chinese New Year. Inspired by the legendary zodiac race, it spotlights the animals in the Heavenly Kingdom as they train for the big event hosted by the Jade Emperor. To make it across the finish line, they have to go through various obstacles, diabolical detours, a raging river, and so on. As this is no ordinary race, each animal will have to play its strengths for a chance to win everlasting glory. 12 coveted prizes are up for grabs but only one animal can emerge as champion. Read more