Chingay means 'the art of costume and masquerade'. Chingay parade has been held yearly since 1973, when it was originally used as a substitute for firecrackers which were band by the prime minister. Firecrackers were previously used to ward off the evil spirits in the coming year. It is held the first week of the Lunar New year and is full of dragons, stilt walkers, dancers, floats, fire, music and even motor bikes! The parade is collectively made up of children and adults of different countries, cultures and race all celebrating the new Lunar Year as one. There were even some kilt wearing pipers. It is the largest street float parade in Asia, this year there were more than 60 floats.
The parade was fantastic with so much to see and hear we were glued to the spot. We originally looked at buying tickets for it but once the week panned out and we knew what we were doing there were no tickets left. The ticketed area is like the Edinburgh Tattoo set up but after making its way through the seated areas the parade follows a route along the banks of the river with viewing absolutely free!!!! So if you don't mind standing then pick a spot and watch the yearly spectacle for free! A definite must if you happen to be in Singapore at this time of year! The photos don't do it justice, it was very magical!
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