Singapore’s Chinatown Celebrates “Galloping to Prosperity” in the Year of the Horse 2014

Singapore, Jan 7, 2014 – (ACN Newswire) – The highly anticipated Chinese festival in Singapore’s cultural calendar just got even more exciting as Chinatown transforms into a stunning precinct of magnificent galloping horses and dazzling gold coins.

Themed Galloping to Prosperity, Chinatown will welcome the Year of Horse with its captivating street decor, celebratory activities and performances from 10 January to 28 February 2014. Organised by Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee (KA-KS CCC), these celebrations are part of the Hua Qing Spring Festival celebrations, an umbrella branding for Chinese New Year celebrations in Singapore.

Dr Lily Neo, Grassroots Adviser and Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC, said: “In the Chinese Zodiac, the Horse symbolises intelligence, speed, strength and ambition. As we usher in the Year of the Horse, we hope that these positive attributes will bring good health and prosperity to all residents in Singapore. The Chinatown Chinese New Year celebrations have always been a festive highlight each year not only for the local Chinese community, but also for all the ethnic groups here. It has also become an iconic tourist attraction. This year, we have made the event even more colorful and striking. We are thankful to our partners and stakeholders for their great support in making this year’s celebrations possible.”

Mr Poh Chi Chuan, Director of Cultural Precincts and Tourism Concept Development, Singapore Tourism Board said: “The Chinese New Year festivities at Chinatown are not only stunning displays of the city’s vibrancy but also a great platform to showcase our multicultural heritage. We hope that both locals and tourists can immerse in the festive bustle and gain greater appreciation of Singapore’s culture and history in a memorable way.”

This year’s design theme and decor is put together in collaboration with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). This is the third partnership with the school where creative young minds and hands go into the Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations 2014 Street Light-Up.

DESIGN RATIONALE

Drawing inspiration from the Chinese idiom (literally translates to 10,000 galloping horses), the design team seeks to bring this majestic image to life at Chinatown to usher in the Year of Horse. To represent the lithe movement of these beautiful creatures, flowing lines in the shape of ribbons are interwoven with the 88 life-size horse-shape lanterns on the centre divider of New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street. Another 88 medium-size horse-shape lanterns adorn the parallel street at South Bridge Road.

These 176 fabricated horse-shape lanterns vary in its stance and arrangement, emulating the actual actions of galloping horses. Visual impact is heightened at night when the LED lights lining the body contours of these sculptured lantern horses light up at varying intensity and colours.

These dazzling sculptured horse lanterns will be seen hurdling the Garden Bridge and the ribbons will wind around the trees on the divider between New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street, harmonising with the urban landscape. The main arch at the junction of New Bridge Road / Eu Tong Sen Street and Upper Cross Street will take the form of a large flowing ribbon with a stunning horse ready to leap, signifying the great leap to prosperity as we head towards the Lunar New Year. The grand Chinese New Year decor is completed with 2,000 dazzling ‘floating’ gold coins adorning the main Chinatown thoroughfare.

THE CELEBRATORY EVENTS – KEY HIGHLIGHTS

The Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations 2014 aims to promote the heritage of Chinatown and to bring to life age-old traditions of Chinese New Year festivities. In conjunction with Singapore’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2014, Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations 2014’s array of events aim to foster stronger family bonds and harmony through providing opportunities for families to cherish special family moments and honour traditions.

The series of Chinatown Chinese New Year celebratory events will kick off with the Official Opening and Light-Up Ceremony on Saturday, 11 January 2014 at New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street. President Tony Tan Keng Yam will grace the event as the Guest-Of-Honour. Bringing together families and friends from different cultural background, the ceremony manifests in the form of a grand musical, showcasing an ensemble of skits, songs, dance, martial arts and acrobatic performances choreographed by an award-winning dance choreographer.

The seven-week long Chinese New Year celebrations will also feature new initiatives targeting the youths, in an effort to generate greater interest in the younger generation and to inject vibrancy and vivacity into the traditional festive celebrations.

For the first time, KA-KS CCC will be conducting walking tours down Singapore’s best-kept Chinese enclave. On the Chinatown Chinese New Year Walking Trail, visitors can weave through five-foot ways and restored colonial shophouses, taking in the stunning sights of the Chinese New Year decor and the sounds of the Festive Street Bazaar. Through these informative trails, KA-KS CCC hopes that visitors, in particular the younger ones, can learn more about the rich heritage of Chinatown.

The Walking Trails will cover Kreta Ayer Road, Sago Street, Pagoda Street and New Bridge Road. These arranged tours are free to the public and are available on five selected days, all before Chinese New Year. Pre-registration via KA-KS CCC’s website (http://chinatownfestivals.sg/) is encouraged.

Another first, KA-KS CCC is partnering Republic Polytechnic’s School of Hospitality to run a 24/7 Challenge – Short Video Competition. Featuring more than 30 groups of four to six students, participants will be given 24 hours to put together a short video that captures the essence of Chinese New Year in Chinatown. The winning videos will made available on KA-KS CCC’s website (http://chinatownfestivals.sg/247challenge) from 17 to 23 January 2014.

Chinatown’s Chinese New Year celebrations have also taken to the social media platform with the inaugural “Who Has The Most Horsepower” Facebook photo competition. The contest encourages the public to post creative Chinese New Year-inspired photos on Chinatown Festivals’ Facebook page. And to spread the festive spirit, the person who posts the photo with the highest number of votes will receive a generous Ang Pao of S$888. Competition runs from 2 to 30 January 2014.

Other exciting celebratory events include the Festive Street Bazaar with 480 eclectic stalls, Nightly Stage Shows that add to the festive atmosphere, and the 7th International Lion Dance Competition.

For the full list of events and more details on the above, please refer towww.chinatownfestivals.sg andwww.facebook.com/pages/Chinatown-Festivals/186429804750588.

About Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee

The Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee plans, leads and coordinates community activities for the Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Constituency. It channels the needs and problems of the residents to the Government and keeps them informed of the government’s actions and policies. It also raises funds for welfare aid to the needy, bursaries and scholarships for deserving students and other community projects.

This Media Release is issued on behalf of Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee (KA-KS CCC), organiser of Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations 2014.

Contact:

Louann Wong
Ninemer Public Relations P L
(e) louannwong@ninemer.com
(o) +65 6534 8020
(m) +65 9728 8771

Wu Ying Ying
Ninemer Public Relations P L
(e) wuyingying@ninemer.com
(o) +65 6534 7992
(m) +65 9329 5889