In fact, the Chingay Parade is ranked as the largest street performance and float festival in Asia! “Chingay” is a term that originated from two similar words in Chinese, which are “true art,” and “float.”
The Chingay Parade in Singapore occurred on February 4 of 1973, as a result of the ban of firecrackers in 1972. Recently, the event has become a unique multicultural performance, attracting many Malaysian and Indian participant groups. This single event captures the essence of the Singapore’s unique cultural diversity, featuring floats, dancing dragons, and stilt walkers.
Today, Chingay has become a uniquely Singaporean Lunar New Year tradition, held during the first weekend of the Lunar New Year. This yearly street parade is now a national festival, celebrated by Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians alike.
In 1987, Chingay featured its first foreign group when the city's main English newspaper, The Straits Times, sponsored four pop singers from Tokyo. Since then, this signature event had extended invitations to international artistes and troupes.
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.
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