Chinese New Year is also known as “Lunar New Year” or the “Spring Festival” and is probably the most anticipated event in the Chinese calendar. It’s slowly creeping upon us, and although things might be a little different this year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and the new rules and regulations, there are still exciting activities lined up to usher in the Year of the Ox.
Whether you wish to celebrate Chinese New Year in the comforts of your own home or visit these events lined up all around the island, you’re bound to find something you enjoy in the list below. Take your pick from shopping at Chinese New Year fairs to exploring immersive exhibitions to admiring the lights and lanterns surrounding the Chinatown streets!
Splurge on Goodies at the Takashimaya Chinese New Year 2021 Fair
Usually, the Takashimaya Chinese New Year 2021 Fair would be lined up with 60 or so stalls, but thanks to the new regulations, only around 24 stalls are set up this year. The venue is also spread across Basement 1 and 2, and no longer at the basement atrium of the mall. Thanks to the new guidelines, you’re not allowed to sample the food items either. However, well-loved brands such as Peony Jade, King of Melon Seeds, and Baker’s Well (to name a few) are participating, so you’ll still feel the festive vibes when you shop at the Fair!
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Usher in the Year of the Ox at Wan Qing Festival of Spring
With an enticing line-up of lion dance and festive drum workshops, heritage walking trails, and craft activities for children, families are bound to have the time of their lives celebrating the Lunar New Year at Wan Qing Festival of Spring. It is held annually at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, and this year also has a thematic installation (Double Prosperity) that is great for Instagrammable pictures with friends and loved ones. Online programmes are also available on their Facebook page, so if you’re interested in making fried nian gao, a sweet rice cake made from glutinous rice flour, and other life hacks such as how to huat your homes to usher in the new year, be sure to tune in!
Drive Through the Immersive Exhibitions at Moo Moo PARK
Welcome the Year of the Ox with your friends and family by exploring Moo Moo PARK: Asia’s first drive-through exhibition! This exhibition breaks new ground by using interactive and immersive technologies, and electric vehicles to transform digital drawings to 3D installation art, augmented reality murals, and selfie filters that are powered by Spark AR on Facebook. Fret not, there is a walk-in exhibition for you to enjoy too if you’re not too keen on driving an electric car. This is in collaboration with The MeshMinds Foundation and 8 local artists, focusing on Sustainable Development Goals.
Bask in Prosperity at Gardens by the Bay’s Dahlia Dreams
Located in the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay, Dahlia Dreams features auspicious symbols and elements among the floral displays, ushering in luck and prosperity, along with new beginnings. Take a quiet, afternoon stroll through a field of 2,000 dahlias of mixed varieties, all grown in-house for the first time by the resident horticulturists. Along with pretty dahlias, there are also Lunar New Year favourites such as azaleas, chrysanthemums, and cymbidiums.
Stream the Chingay 2021 Webcast & Telecast
This year, the Chingay Parade, themed ‘Light of Hope’, goes digital, airing live on television, online, and social media channels on 20 February 2021, from 8pm to 9pm SGT. So if you’re a Singaporean who’s overseas, you can still tune in on their social media for the first time in 49 years. Co-creation is also an important concept this year, with a community engagement campaign titled ‘Jalan Jalan with Chingay’ that showcases the diversity of local and community talents.
Be Captivated by the Chinatown Street Light-Up
The annual Chinatown Street Light-Up will go on this year despite the pandemic, but the Official Opening Ceremony will be launched virtually on Chinatown Festivals Facebook, featuring lion dances, cultural and acrobatics performances. Sculpted Ox lanterns, gold coins, golden ingots, and flowers are some of the modern, contemporary street light-up designs that you will see along New Bridge Road, Eu Tong Sen Street, and South Bridge Road. Short films, workshops, and online activities are also available.
Soak in the Celebrations at S.E.A. Aquarium’s Spring in the Sea
What better way to welcome in the New Year than spending time with 100,000 marine animals? With fascinating sea life such as the scrawled cowfish and vase coral, you’ll be amazed as you learn how they symbolise good fortune. Follow the trail of hidden gold ingots to win attractive prizes, take Instagrammable pictures with their eye-catching installations, and complete the auspicious dragon mural when you celebrate the New Year at S.E.A. Aquarium from 9 January to 2 March 2021!
Usher in the Fun at Universal Studios Singapore
From 7 January to 28 February, usher in the New Year at Universal Studios Singapore. Meet well-loved characters such as Po from Kung Fu Panda, the Minions from Despicable Me, Sesame Street friends, Optimus Prime and Megatron from Transformers, and more. Festive bites are also available all around the amusement park, so you can eagerly fill your bellies in between your favourite rides.
