The Celebration of Chinese new Year
Chingay: A Parade of Dreams - that is the title of this year's Chingay Parade in Singaporw
The word "chingay" has its origin from the South Fujian Province dialect which can be roughly translated as "essence of the arts" = meaning here "the art of costume and masquerade".
It had its beginning in 1880 on the Island of Penang, Malaya, where, to celebrate the Chinese New Year, the Chinese living there started to carry flags and lanterns to honour their deities. In 1905 in what was called the "Chingay Decoration Competition" the organising committee initiated the idea of miniature decorative floats pulled by donkeys. Those were to proceed to motorised floats with the advent of the car engine.
During the war years festivities quietened down but in the 1960's the State of Johor, Malaysia (just north of Singapore) revived the practice, when the Johor Chinese celebrated the Lunar New Year with dragon and lion dances and stilt-walkers.
Singapore decided to have its own Chingay Lunar New Year Parade in 1973. But it was a totally non-religious celebration. With performing pugilistic and opera paraders it was a reminder of the earlier Penang Chingay which had died down altogether. Since then the Parade has become an annual affair moving to the well-known tourist shopping paradise of Orchard Road and then to the downtown waterfront or Marina Bay area. In the process, Chingay embraced other racial group performers - Malays with their wedding and kompang (tambourine) bands, and Indians with their colourful costumes and Indian music. Over the years the organising committees went further by inviting foreign artistic groups to take part each Lunar New Year. Troupes which have taken part come from all six continents including those from the United States of America.
This year's troupes include those from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Japan and even Ireland's Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art who are putting on a costumes-of-fantastic-creatures show.
This year 2008 is the 36th year of the Singapore Chingay Parade. The programme is as follows:-
1) Chingay Prelude with three unique floats - Singapore Garden Festival Float, Chingay LoveBoat, and Pride of Lion Float.
2) Ocean of Harmony Opening Item with colourfully costumed sea creatures.
3) Many Creative Communities, One Nation - with three local community groups and the Hong KongKowloon Club presenting their HK Cheung Chau Bun Festival Item.
4) Celestial Web - the Singapore Symphony Orchestra under music director, Tsung Yeh, willperform musical pieces set to the rhythm of multi-ethnic dances while Singaporean MasterPainter, Tan Swie Hian, will paint his skilfull Chinese paint strokes onto a scafold-likestructure while he is hoisted from atop a 12 metre high scissor-lift.
5) Glow Dragon Glow! - 'Water and Fire', an impossible mixture really, is fobbed off throughan illusionary effect with painted 'flaming fire and giant waves' under the lower body partof the dragon which 'billows' against a darkened sea-and-sky background.
These are just five of twenty-two colourful items which will be on show in this Year 2008 Chingay Parade. For those of you who wish to catch the excitement of the show, Singapore Television Channel 8 will broadcast the show live on Saturday Feb 16, 2008 at 08.00 p.m. Please note that date and time are Singapore which is approximately eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. You will need to adjust time and date according to your location. Alternatively, you can log into www.chingay.org.sg for more information. Enjoy the show!
