If there’s one community event that was memorable for us in SG50, it was Chingay 2015. So it is with great excitement when we knew we were invited to be part of Chingay 2016 again. Well, our expectations were surpassed in every way. Chingay 2016 is bigger, better with not one but a few fiery dragons to boot. There is even a huge ‘balloon’ dragon ‘gliding’ gracefully through the air and interacting with the crowds seating on the spectator stands at the F1 pit building.

Chingay is not only about the many dazzling floats. It is the cumulative electrifying energy from the smiles, the actions, the singing, the dancing and the cheering that got us enthused. While the performances were very well-rehearsed, it was the performers who brought the entire procession to life. In fact, it was so infectious it got virtually everyone along the whole stretch of the grandstand on their feet, jiving, waving, moving. There was not a single one sitting still! Combined with the energetic performances, Chingay is the jewel in our celebration of our multicultural heritage and society.

In addition to our excellent local community performances and floats, we were happy to see the return of many international acts from our friends around the world. The Russian performers mesmerized us with their twirling dancers and their beaming smiles. The Indonesians dazzled us with the graceful display of their colourful, intricate costumes. The Koreans and the Japanese charmed us with their graceful cultural dances. This year, there were even aerial circus acts!

For us as parents, we hope that Chingay will help to educate our children the very essence of what makes our multicultural society tick – that we are many but we are one.

Excellent celebrations of this magnitude are hard to describe (no words or photos will do it justice). So please catch the telecast on TV (Channel 8) this Sunday, 28th Feb 2016 to take in the brilliance that is Chingay 2016.

Telecast: https://chingay.org.sg/chingay2016/telecast

• MediaCorp TV will cover the 2-hour CHINGAY Parade 2016 and telecast the parade as well as Repeat of the CHINGAY Parade on Channel 8
– [Delayed]: 1st Telecast: Sunday, February 28, 2016, 7:00pm to 9:00pm
– [Repeat]: 2nd Telecast: Sunday March 6, 2016, 2:30pm to 4:30pm

• MediaCorp Pte Ltd will provide 2-hour telecast on CNA International feed in 24 countries.
– [Delayed]: 1st Telecast: Saturday, March 5, 2016, 4:00pm to 6:00pm
– [Repeat]: 2nd Telecast: Sunday March 6, 2016, 2:00pm to 4:00pm

You can also catch a glimpse of Chingay performers and floats in action at several estates in the heartlands. Details here: https://chingay.org.sg/chingay2016/heartlands

5 Fun Facts about Chingay 2016 (extracted from media release): 

1. The word Chingay is equivalent to the Mandarin ‘Zhuang Yi’ (妆艺), which means “the art of costume and masquerade” in the Hokkien dialect.
2. The First Formal Chingay Parade in Singapore was mooted by the then-Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew who was also the chairman of the People’s Association (PA). Chi
3. ngay, with all its noise and gaiety, would compensate for the ban on firecrackers, a customary New Year practice to drive away evil spirits.
4. The first street parade was on 4 February 1973. So well received was the first Chingay Parade that the PA made it an annual festival and it took on a multicultural flavour from 1976.
5. Today, Chingay has become a uniquely Singaporean Lunar New Year tradition, held during the first weekend of the Lunar New Year. It celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2012.
6. Chingay 2016 is also the largest street performance and float parade in Asia. From the main parade site to the heartlands, this street extravaganza epitomises the dynamism of Singapore’s vibrant and multicultural society. 

Indeed, for the scores of spectators, the Chingay Parade could well be a treasured glimpse into the different cultures of Singapore and the world. Here age, race, language and creed are no barriers. Here, we celebrate together as one.

Official Website: https://chingay.org.sg/about-chingay

Pop by these Instagram pages for more snapshots and video clips of Chingay2016 – @ChingaySingapore, @doting_dad and @lifestinymiracles.  We thank PA Singapore for the media invite to Chingay 2015 and Chingay2016!