Fireworks above the Fullerton Bay Hotel
Chingay Parade
Kuan Yin Thong Hood Cho Temple
The New Majestic
Hong bao and lion dancers
The restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Singapore and a dish called the Cherry Garden Treasure Pot
Naumi Liora
Elaborate lanterns and a performance by the Yunnan Arts Troupe at River Hongbao
Lo hei at the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore
CHEAT SHEET
WHERE
An island comprising a city and a state, just off the tip of the Malay Peninsula.
WHY GO
To experience a whole new level of civic neatness and orderliness, or just for the unique mélange of Chinese, Malay, Indian and British cultural influences.
HOW
It’s long been one of the world’s busiest port cities, and it’s a very busy airline hub as well — you couldn’t miss it if you tried.
TABLET TIP
Eat on your feet. Singapore’s delicious cultural mixture drives a fine and diverse culinary scene, but the hawker centers, with their one-off food stalls, offer an experience that’s truly unique.
HOTELS
New Majestic Hotel
Naumi Liora
The Fullerton Bay Hotel
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
Mandarin Oriental Singapore
Shangri-La Hotel Singapore
Check Rates →
Singapore, January, 2014
With the holidays finally over, many of us are feeling ready for a long rest — or at least a return to normalcy. But the celebrations aren’t over yet. January 31 marks the arrival of the Chinese New Year and the beginning of the two-week-long Spring Festival, with celebrations around the globe. As the city with one of the largest Chinese populations outside of China, Singapore is one of the most vibrant destinations for taking in the festivities. It’s a moment when the famously buttoned-up city loosens things up a bit, resulting in one of the best Chinese New Year parties to be found anywhere.
If you don’t mind crowds, head to the Kuan Yin Thong Hood Cho temple on Waterloo Street, where you can join the throngs of people waiting with joss sticks for the doors to open. It’s said that the first person who offers their joss stick to the Kuan Yin Bodhisattva on Chinese New Year’s Eve will have great luck for the year ahead. Good luck elbowing your way to the front of the pack.
A major highlight of this time of year is a stroll through the Chinatown Night Market, where gold lights and red lanterns set the streets aglow. Red and gold are popular colors for the Chinese New Year, as they’re associated with prosperity and happiness, and the market’s many vendors sell souvenirs in these traditional colors. Be sure to buy hong bao, or red envelopes; the tradition is to fill them with money and give them to children for good luck. If you still haven’t had your fill of sights and sounds, stick around for the Chinatown Street Light Up, when menacing trains of lion and dragon dancers weave through the streets.
River Hongbao, located at The Float at Marina Bay, is the largest Chinese New Year carnival in the city, with lantern displays, dance performances and brilliant pyrotechnics marking the beginning and end of the festival. Festivities culminate with the spectacular Chingay Parade, where performers such as fire-eaters, acrobats and magicians entertain revelers for two days. For night owls who don’t want the party to end, Singapore’s nightlife offers a dizzying array of rooftop bars, beach parties and swanky cocktail lounges.
Of course, the food is also a major attraction during Chinese New Year. Whether you are navigating your way through the hawker food scene for hokkien mee (fried noodles), or toward Club Street for a more refined epicurean experience, you’ll find no shortage of options. Treats popular during the holiday include pineapple tarts, bakkwa (dried meat) and the taffy-like White Rabbit Creamy Candy. There’s also a traditional excuse to play with your food, called lo hei — a custom of tossing the ingredients of a raw fish salad into the air while wishing good luck to others at the table. Don’t be shy; the higher you toss your food, the more prosperous your year will be. Although by the time the parties wrap up, good fortune may feel like just the icing on the cake.
Megan Teravainen
CHEAT SHEET
WHERE
An island comprising a city and a state, just off the tip of the Malay Peninsula.
WHY GO
To experience a whole new level of civic neatness and orderliness, or just for the unique mélange of Chinese, Malay, Indian and British cultural influences.
HOW
It’s long been one of the world’s busiest port cities, and it’s a very busy airline hub as well — you couldn’t miss it if you tried.
TABLET TIP
Eat on your feet. Singapore’s delicious cultural mixture drives a fine and diverse culinary scene, but the hawker centers, with their one-off food stalls, offer an experience that’s truly unique.
HOTELS
New Majestic Hotel
Naumi Liora
The Fullerton Bay Hotel
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
Mandarin Oriental Singapore
Shangri-La Hotel Singapore
Check Rates →
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