Chingay 2011

We had the opportunity to go to the Chingay parade this Lunar New Year. Thanks to Boon Eng. This year's event was held at the Pit Building near the iconic Singapore Flyer. As the parade is on a Friday night, we made our way there directly after work, rushed through dinner & sat on our alloted seats with excitement. The heavy downpour a few hours before did not dampen our mood!

Chingay started in 1973, a year after I was born. The idea of Chingay parade was started to enhance the Lunar New Year mood after the fiercracker ban.

The parade kicked off with a big bang amidst cheering from the crowd & host. We were thrilled with the colouful sight & loud noise from the crackers & confetti. Chloe was thrilled to catch hold of the confetti everytime they were released. I especially adored the pair of 88m long Flying Dragons from Xi'an, China. They were a spectacular sight floating in mid air. The cheerleading team from Taiwan wowed me with their almost perfect somersaults. My other favourite were the giraffes from Resorts World Sentosa. They were a hit with the audience. They were cute! Overall, I love the colourful array of costumes on display & the stunning makeup on the faces of the participants.

Watching the parade on TV was not at all interesting. I prefer to squeeze through any available space I got from watching the parade live & snapped pictures non-stop.

The parade is my first & I must say I enjoyed it tremendously. I hope to get a chance to watch it again!