- Year of the rat-themed Street Light-Up illuminates Chinatown with 1,388 handcrafted lanterns
- Festival lineup enhanced with a celebration of Cantonese culture in Chinatown
Expect lights and action in abundance as Singapore's Chinatown celebrates Chinese New Year in the year of the rat, which starts a new 12-year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac. The Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations 2020 kick off 4 January 2020 and will last for seven weeks.
Dr Lily Neo, Adviser to Jalan Besar GRC GRO (KRETA AYER – KIM SENG) explained that the metal rat symbolises a strong prosperous and lucky year, hence the theme Ushering in a Great Year (金鼠当先迎新春 万象更新福满城).
She said, “The year of the rat heralds a brand new start to the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac calendar, and Chinatown is set to celebrate with bright lights, exciting programmes and a deep appreciation of our tradition and culture.
"This year, we hope to strengthen Cantonese culture by giving Cantonese performing arts and cuisine a platform for the community to enjoy. In the company of family and friends, we hope the festive season brings renewed blessings and positivity for the year ahead.”
Cantonese culture was chosen because Cantonese immigrants settled in Smith Street, Temple Street and Mosque Street, influencing life in Chinatown till today. "The Cantonese have been the dominant dialect group in Chinatown all these years," Dr Neo added.
"We're celebrating and promoting Cantonese culture in order to acknowledge the past contributions of this dialect group and to thank them for the progress...of what Chinatown is today."
Official Light-Up and Opening Ceremony
4 January 2020
6 pm – 10 pm
New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street
The Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations 2020, organised by the Kreta Ayer – Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee (KA-KS CCC) and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, will launch officially on 4 January 2020 with the Official Light-Up and Opening Ceremony.
Madam Halimah Yacob, President of Singapore, will grace the occasion as the Guest-of-Honour. There will be a Chinese ethnic dance, Chinese orchestra and Cantonese opera performances by local and international groups, climaxing with a lion dance performance with 21 plum blossom poles (梅花桩, meihuazhuang) on stage for a festival first. The ceremony will end in a firecracker and fireworks display to usher in the new year.
Street Light-Up
4 January – 22 February 2020
7 pm – 12 midnight (daily)
7 pm – 6 am (Chinese New Year Eve)
Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road and Garden Bridge
 |
| The centrepiece, featuring eight rats, is 12x8x8 m. |
The main centrepiece, 12 m high, is placed at the junction of Eu Tong Sen Street and Upper Cross Street. It hosts eight rats, including the winning 'golden rat' surrounded by other rats celebrating on top of gold coins, pink peonies and a giant ingot as symbols of prosperity.
The centre divider between Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road has been segmented into three main sections, Success (功成名就), Celebration (欢天喜地) and Family (阖家欢乐). The Success segment features the entire Chinese zodiac in order of their arrival according to legend: the rat, which hitched a ride on the ox and jumped off at the finish line to be first; followed by the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
Under Celebration and Family, look out for rats dressed in traditional Chinese costumes accompanied by auspicious gold coins, ingots, mandarin oranges, firecrackers, and Chinese scrolls to represent prosperity, good fortune and the importance of family reunion. Celebration features ferris wheels with gold ingots that represent the eternal cycle of luck and wealth whereas Family depicts rat families performing traditions such as exchanging red packets, mandarin oranges and even the tossing of yusheng for good fortune. Lucky props in this segment include pineapples.
Overhead displays include festive greetings, gold coins, blooms and traditional lanterns.
All in all, there are:
- Two hundred rat lanterns, including eight at the centrepiece and five rats at Garden Bridge inspired by the five Chinese elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water
- Eleven zodiac animal lanterns besides the rat
- Two hundred and eight prop lanterns
- Three hundred and seventy-two large gold and 145 small gold coin lanterns
- Three hundred and two traditional Chinese lanterns
- A hundred and fifty flower lanterns
Festive Street Bazaar
3 January – 24 January 2020
6 pm – 10.30 pm (daily)
6 pm – 1 am (Chinese New Year Eve)
Pagoda Street, Smith Street, Sago Street, Temple Street and Trengganu Street
The Festive Street Bazaar will stretch across Pagoda Street, Smith Street, Sago Street, Temple Street and Trengganu Street, with a total of 329 stalls this year. Besides traditional festive goodies, festive decor such as papercuts and apparel, there will be Disney merchandise on sale by Disney’s authorised dealer, Goldwood Singapore. Disney's Mickey and Minnie Mouse are showing up in force for the year of the rat with merchandise that has a local flavour.
Those who want to marry tradition and the digital world can even shop online at the Shopee booth, where shoppers get to enjoy next-day delivery with Shopee24.
"Every year we think of something new to try to attract the young," Dr Neo said. "Our main priority is to pass on the good traditions to the young."
Lion Dance Competition
11 and 12 January 2020
6 pm till late
Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre
The 13th International Lion Dance Competition will be held indoors at the Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre for the first time to accommodate a larger seating capacity and provide air-conditioned comfort for the audience. Fourteen of the best lion dance troupes in Asia will compete:
Nam Sieng Dragon And Lion Dance Activity Center - Singapore
Singapore Radin Mas CC Dragon And Lion Dance Troupe
Shanghe Mangrove Property Xinan, Shenzhen, China - mainland China
China-Zhong Shan Yongning Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe - mainland China
Taiwan Keelung Chang Xing Lu Master Dragon & Lion Dance Group
Chinese Taipei Lianfeng Dragon Lion War Drum Temple - Taiwan
Myanmar Lion Dance University
Myanmar Ha Kwok Cheung Dragon And Lion Dancing Development Foundation
Vietnam Hui Ying Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe
Vietnam Zhong Hui Lion And Dragon Dance Troupe
Hong Kong Ha Hon Hung Sports Association
Hok Seng Dragon & Lion Dance Association - Malaysia
Catholic High School Alumni Association Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe Selangor Malaysia
Indonesia Su Bei Ming Li Pu Ti Le Yuan Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe
Tickets for a day cost S$15. A two-day ticket costs S$25. To purchase tickets, visit Kreta Ayer Community Club, 28A Kreta Ayer Road, Singapore 088995.
Call the enquiry & booking hotline at +65 6222 3597, open daily from 9 am to 9 pm.
Tickets can be bought online for a 10% discount:
11 January: https://go.gov.sg/liondance11jan2020
12 January: https://go.gov.sg/liondance12jan2020
Both days: https://go.gov.sg/liondance11-12jan2020
Heritage & Food Trail
5, 11, 12, 18 and 19 January 2020
2.30 pm – 5 pm
The Heritage & Food Trail introduces popular Cantonese dishes from famous hawker stalls in Chinatown and includes a visit to the Kreta Ayer Heritage Gallery. Dishes to sample include claypot rice, lotus root soup and yusheng from famous hawker stalls in Chinatown Complex Food Centre, plus a very well-known pastry shop.
The stalls concerned are:
Heng Kee Cantonese Cooked Food (卿記廣煮炒)
#02-40
Zhen Jie Mei Shi (珍姐美食)
#02-172
Jia Ji Mei Shi (佳記美食)
#02-166
Ma Li Ya Chu Nv Ji (玛利亞處女雞)
#02-189
Lian He Ben Ji Claypot (联合本记煲 饭)
#02-198
Kok Zai Tai Thong Cake Shop (大同餅家)
35 Mosque St, Singapore 059513
Slots are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Tickets are S$15 inclusive of food tasting and can be purchased at Kreta Ayer Community Club, 28A Kreta Ayer Road, Singapore 088995. Enjoy a 10% discount when purchasing tickets online using the following links:
5 January: http://go.gov.sg/heritagefoodtrail05012020
11 January: http://go.gov.sg/heritagefoodtrail11012020
12 January: http://go.gov.sg/heritagefoodtrail12012020
18 January: http://go.gov.sg/heritagefoodtrail18012020
19 January: http://go.gov.sg/heritagefoodtrail19012020
Each trail is conducted either in English or Mandarin and participants will be divided into smaller groups according to language preference.
For enquiries, contact chinatownfestivalsg@gmail.com or call +65 6222 3597.
Cantonese opera
5 January 2020
7 pm – 10.30 pm
Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre
Headlined by both local and international artistes, the programme includes a medley of famous opera songs and excerpts from classic operas, with subtitles in both Mandarin and English. Lou Mee Wah, a local veteran professional Cantonese opera artist and Tina Wong, an entrepreneur who is a disciple of Guangzhou opera artist Wei Pei Yi will be performing in the event. The highlight will be a performance by Ho Wah Jan from China. Ho is an opera singer renowned for his powerful vocals and flawless enunciation.
The programme will consist of:
繁华易散烟花冷
（曲）
何华栈，
黄晓玲 （和唱： 东安戏曲学员）
大断桥
（折子戏）
和慧珍，
吴冰儿
沈园遗恨 （曲）
何华栈，黄晓玲
（和唱： 东安戏曲学员）
花好月圆
（折子戏）
陈美燕，
纪伊旂
合兵破曹 （曲）
何华栈，
夏兰英
雷雨颂
（折子戏）
卢眉桦，黄晓玲
（和唱： 东安戏曲学员）
This event is organised in partnership with Tanjong Pagar Community Club and Tung On Opera.
Tickets are priced at S$50, S$30, as well as S$20 and sold at Kreta Ayer Community Club, 28A Kreta Ayer Road, Singapore 088995. For enquiries or ticket purchases, please call +65 6222 3597.
Chingay
2 February 2020
6 pm – 10 pm
New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street
Chingay 2020 @ Chinatown, the largest street performance and float parade in Asia, will also be held in Chinatown. "The advantage of Chinatown is that you can get so close to the artistes," Dr Neo said.
There will be performances by local and overseas artistes and nine floats.
Serene Tan, Director, Arts and Cultural Precincts, Singapore Tourism Board, said, “The Chinatown Chinese New Year celebrations draw both locals and tourists to this well-loved precinct every year. Besides honouring Chinese culture, the festivities unite our multiracial community and add vibrancy to the Chinatown precinct.
"We hope our visitors will enjoy the exciting line-up of activities and gain a rich cultural experience through them.”
Other key highlights of the festival include:
The Chinatown Wishing Tree, to hang wishing cards on a lucky banyan tree. Available from 3 – 24 January 2020, 11 am – 9 pm at Chinatown Point, each card costs S$2. All proceeds will benefit Kreta Ayer Seniors’ Activity Centre for the underprivileged elderly residing in Chinatown.
Nightly stage shows, with a programme of festive songs, cultural music and dance performances, including. These run from 4 – 24 January 2020, from 8 pm – 10.30 pm at Kreta Ayer Square. There will be a lion dance every evening from 8 pm – 8.30 pm, except on New Year's Eve when the performance begins at 9 pm.
The invitation-only Lion Dance Mass Reunion Dinner, an annual community initiative that brings together residents from underprivileged families and needy elderly, will be held on 19 January 2020.
Chinese New Year Countdown Party, with star-studded performances by Mediacorp artistes to countdown to the new year, begins on New Year's Eve on 24 January 2020 at 9.30 pm and will last to 12.30 am the next morning. Visit New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street to usher in the year of the rat. There will be live performances and a countdown celebration with MediaCorp artistes performing festive songs, skits and interactive games. The party will ring in the new lunar year with a display of firecrackers and fireworks.
Details:
Visit the website, call Kreta Ayer CC at +65 6222 3597 or email info@chinatownfestivals.sg for more information.
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