12 Days to Chinese Lunar New Year
Chinatown, Singapore
Chinatown, Singapore
6th February 2007
Photography & Darkroom by mybearbrick
Equipment: Canon IXUS 40
I visited Chinatown last evening to get into some festive mood for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, which is in 12 days time. During this period of time where the New Year is approaching, Chinatown will be packed with people who flocked here from all across the island, to look at the lighting decos and to do some New Year shopping. Let me take you through on what you can expect from Chinatown.
Flowers are always a highlight of the festival. This particular stall outside People's Park Complex (outside Chinatown MRT exit) sells a wide range of colourful flowers to beautify up your living space.
For you information, the flowers shown above are all plastic flowers. Tidbit and snacks, such as goundnuts and melon seeds, are something that the young and the elder will love during the New Year. Now you have plenty of flavours to choose from, green tea to lavender to wasabi, you name it.
The Chinese will never fail to have a picture or idol of the 'God of Wealth' in their homes during the New Year. Chinese believe that he will bring good fortune and wealth to the family.
Crossing over to Pagoda Street via the overhead bridge, you can get a preview of the lighting along Chinatown. Looking across to Lim Chee Guan, famous for their 'Bak Kwa' (Barbequed Pork), you will never fail to see it without a queue during this period.
Pagoda Street is where all the festive heat begins, with plenty of New Year decorations and ornaments to buy. The crowd starts to build up here.
The Year of the Pig, what better way to celebrate by bring home some cuddly pig plush toys.
More New Year decorations.
Girls can go ga-ga over these beads hair ties at just 3 for $10.
The old door front beside Chinatown Heritage Centre. A lady sets up her stall along the 5-foot walkway peddling some B&W pictures by a reknowned photographer.
Taking a turn along Trengganu Street towards Temple Street. The congestion gets heavier but this is where the highlights are.
The coloured flag flies high in Chinatown.
Merchants selling all sort of New Year 'must-have' goodies. From top down, there are new year pastries, dried Shitake mushrooms, dried preserved fruits, Taiwanese jellos, sweets and candies, sweet preserved vegetable candies, MORE candies.
Not to forget the preserved meat, it has always been a tradition buy back some preserved meat for the New Year. You can see the 'lak-cheong' (preserved sausages), preserved pork and ham. 'Lak' is directly translated to wax, I guess the texture of the preserved meat looks waxed.
The friendly Austrian selling his famous German sausages in a traditional Chinese outfit. Red symbolises luck in the Chinese culture and is coincidently on the Austrian flag. I never fail to stop for a bratwurst or frankfurter!
Melons and gourds. Here you can see 'hu-lu' or gourds and pumpkins. Next, you can see gourd called 'The Buddha's Palm' attributed to the shape of it. Last but not least, everyone must have some 'yu-zhi' (pomelo). I am not exactly sure about it significance, I guess it symbolises having more children because of the 'zhi' which also means son.
The Chinese also like to have dried preserved persimmons. Despite their unappetizing appearance, they are very sweet.
I cam across this stall at one corner. There were a lot of people crowding around to watch what they were doing. I joined in as well to see if there was a performance going on. Apparantly, they were selling some pancakes with fillings that looked like the 'Dragon Beard' candy. The different colours have different flavours. They way they made it is simple but very interesting (see video below). I bought myself a pack for $2 and tried it. The pancake is soft with a rich pandan taste while the sweet filling is tough at first bite but melts in your mouth.
A greedy but delighted look!
Watch video on how the pancake is made!
A 'God of Wealth' blow-up balloon. It looks cute ....
.... but not the price!
Have a happy and fruitful New Year shopping spree at Chinatown, Singapore!
Gong Xi Fa Cai
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