We’ve just finished celebrating Christmas and the New Year, yet we are already stoked to start our annual preparations for the next big exciting thing: Chinese New Year! There are lots to do leading up to the Lunar New Year celebrations, and what better place to soak in the festivities as well as to get all your Chinese New Year necessities than at Chinatown’s annual CNY night market?

The colourful streets of Chinatown are lined with a variety of stalls that sells everything you’ll need for the New Year. From shops that sell an assortment of traditional and contemporary snacks, ornaments and decorative pieces to roadside stalls that sell interesting knick-knacks and trinkets, we can foresee ourselves spending a very long time here over the next few weeks!

CHINESE NEW YEAR GOODIES GALORE  

Undoubtedly, our favourite part of Chinese New Year has to be all those festive goodies! While some prefer to stick to tradition and sell the usual snacks such as love letters and bak kwa, while others choose to be more innovative by coming up with interesting new snacks that no one has ever seen or heard of before.

Many of the traditional snacks hold very auspicious meanings. For instance, peanuts symbolise vitality, longevity and riches while nian gao is usually eaten for prosperity and promotion. If you’re curious about the meaning of other Chinese New Year traditions, you can read all about them here. 

Chinatown is also the place to be at if you need to stock up on your favourite thematic cookies such as almond cookies and pineapple tarts. Look at all these colourful jars of snacks! Time to put all your diet plans on hold.

If you are a fan of dried meats like lup cheong, waxed duck, liver sausage and other cured delights, you’d be thrilled to know that there is a massive stall with walls that are lined with every kind of cured meat you could name.

GORGEOUS FESTIVE PLANTS 

If you are someone who appreciates exotic plants, you’ll be glad to know that you can find plenty of such plants in the market. Besides traditional favourites such as tangerine plants and pussy willows, feast your eyes on a wide range of other exotic plants that are only available during the Lunar New Year.

INTERESTING TRINKETS AND DECORATIVE ITEMS 

You can’t invite people over to your house for visitations if it isn’t decorated, can you? Fret not though, as the Chinatown market overflows with beautiful decorative items to jazz up your home.

Amidst all the pretty lights and decorations, this man caught our eye. In the middle of a crowded street, he was patiently painting the lively scene of the night market and it was simply mesmerising to watch him at work. It definitely isn’t something that you see every day!

MESMERISING CHINESE NEW YEAR DECORATIONS 

What is a trip to Chinatown without admiring the gorgeous new year decorations that have been painstakingly done up? When it comes to festive decorations, Singapore is known to go all out in terms of the extravagance and sheer size of their displays.

This year is no different and along New Bridge Road at the outskirts of the Chinatown district, you can expect to see a display of two adorable, giant pig lanterns that are surrounded by plenty of small piglet lanterns. It is definitely a sight to behold and makes for a great #OOTD spot for the gram!

There is much to behold and be stoked about this festive season as we usher in the year of the dog this Chinese New Year. Besides the usual house visitations, reunion meals and customary receiving of ang paos (red packets), there is loads more to look forward to, especially in Chinatown.

With a variety of stalls lining up the streets of Chinatown with interesting knick-knacks to buy and festive foods to try, we can’t think of anywhere better to soak up the Lunar New Year atmosphere than at this bustling district.

Stuff yourselves silly with an array of mouth-watering new year delicacies, enjoy the brilliant lights and decorations of the stalls and shop for traditional goodies from cookies, decorative items to even costumes! This is one street bazaar you do not want to miss!

CHINESE NEW YEAR GOODIES GALORE

Walking around the bustling night market, one of the most prominent sounds you will likely hear echoing through the streets is the hot deals for peanuts, dried goods and seeds.

Sunflower or melon seeds to Chinese people are what popcorn is to moviegoers, they make a great snack and are one of the most highly consumed perishables during the Lunar New Year.

Peanuts, on the other hand, possess a more symbolic value. To the Chinese people, It symbolizes vitality, longevity, and riches which is why it is often bought and eaten during the festive season.

Chinese New Year—or any other cultural celebration for that matter—would not quite be the same without an abundance of thematic cookies.

From almond cookies, pineapple tarts and even some oddities that we have never encountered before, there is no doubt something for every household. We particularly love the range of goodies there are on display and the fact that many of the stalls here give out free samples.

Perhaps one of the most impressive things to see at the market is the massive stalls selling dried meat. These items are commonly used in Chinese cooking in a variety of different ways.

Whether it’s dried Chinese sausages you fancy, waxed duck or even a variety of cured delights, there is bound to be something to astound you.

KNICK-KNACKS AND DECORATIVE ITEMS

Here at the Chinatown Chinese New Year market, you will find no shortage of decorative items and knick-knacks to beautify your home with or even to give away as souvenirs.

We may not be the traditional sort but we were thoroughly impressed by the sheer diversity here—from Chinese calligraphy, red packets with various designs to even doggy-centric knick-knacks signifying the year of the dog.

BRILLIANT DECORATIONS

When it comes to festive decorations, Singapore is rarely known to skimp on extravagance, let alone the sheer size of its decorative displays.

This year, along New Bridge Road along the outskirts of the Chinatown district, locals and visitors alike will get to marvel at the massive dog display there. Feel free to snap a few photos or even take a selfie with it—just be sure to watch for oncoming traffic while you’re at it!

FESTIVE PLANTS

If you are someone who is intrigued by exotic botanicals, then be sure to make a stop at one of the many plant stalls. Besides the traditional tangerine plants and Pussy Willows, you will also get to see a wide range of exotic plant species that are only exclusively available during the Chinese New Year.

This year’s Chinese New Year Market over at Chinatown takes place along Pagoda Street, Smith Street, Sago Street, Temple Street and Trengganu Street.

The 15-day long Chinese New Year festival is an annual spectacular fiesta in Singapore and 2016 is no exception. It is not just about the customary house visiting and red packet gifting – there is so much ongoing outside too! For starters, visit the Chinatown precinct and join in the good cheer; savour Lunar New Year goodies and photograph the flamboyant light show etc.

Venture beyond the neighbourhood of Chinatown to catch Asia’s largest street performance Chingay Parade and the various Huayi Festival performances at Esplanade Theatres on the Bay.

If Chinatown’s festive street bazaar is not for you, these are 3 Activities That You Can Enjoy For Chinese New Year 2016.

#1 CHINESE NEW YEAR COUNTDOWN PARTY

Every year, the Chinese New Year Countdown Party is something that we either take part in onsite, or watch on television.

Located at the heart of Chinatown, usher into the Year of the Monkey with vibrant live performances such as festive songs and interactive games hosted by MediaCorp artistes. There will be a stunning fireworks display as well!

When: 7 February 2016
Where: New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street

Source: Chingay

#2 CHINGAY PARADE

The annual Chingay Parade is a large-scale Lunar New Year event showcasing Singapore’s multicultural society.

Growing up, we would always gather around the television excitedly and wait for the live telecast. Today, we still enjoy watching the series of performances such as martial arts, dragon dance and street opera. This annual ticketed national event sure is a highlight of Chinese New Year.

The parade kickstarts at 8pm, and tickets on sale are priced at S$28.50 onwards.

When: 19 – 20 February 2016
Where: F1 Pit Building (Next to Singapore Flyer)

Source: Esplanade

#3 HUAYI, THE CHINESE FESTIVAL OF ARTS

Huayi, The Chinese Festival of Arts is held at the iconic Esplanade Theatres on the Bay across 10 days and showcases a myriad of outstanding performances by Chinese artistes from all over the world.

From Taiwanese choreographed robotic dance, Chinese household name Gong Linna’s concert to a Macbeth satire, it is performing arts at its finest.

When: 12 – 21 February 2016
Where: Esplanade Theatres on the Bay

For more recommendations, read our guide to 5 Fun Things To Do In Singapore This Chinese New Year.

About the writer:
Hui Jun Ng is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She previously worked in the food and marketing industry. She loves traveling and enjoys exploring underrated destinations. In her free time, you will find her indulging in coffee and her all time favourite local dish – bak chor mee.

Chinese New Year in Singapore is an annual affair like no other. Every year, we are treated to stunning light displays, and Chinatown truly lights up beautifully for the lunar festival. We can’t deny that we grew up looking forward to the different decorations and lights every year.

Besides going from house to house to call on our relatives and friends, there is actually so much you can do before or after the actual day, as the Lunar New Year spans across a total of 15 days.

Here, we have 5 Fun Things To Do This Chinese New Year 2016 in Singapore – time to jazz up the lunar new year!

1. CATCH THE LIGHTS AT CHINATOWN

To ring in the year of the monkey, Chinatown is all ready to stun with cute decor. Apart from your usual lights in reds and golds, Chinatown makes sure to entice every year with thematic displays. Of course, this means we are going to see lots of monkey figurines and wahtnot this year.

Where: New Bridge Road & Eu Tong Sen Street

2. EMBARK ON A CHINATOWN WALKING TRAIL

This complimentary trail is free for all and anyone can sign up. During Chinese New Year, you can experience the area in full swing as the bazaars come alive and the beautiful lights display comes on. Each trail is conducted in English only, and limited to 10 participants.

When: 23, 24, 30 & 31 January 2016
Time: 3.30pm – 5pm

3. ENJOY FESTIVE STREET BAZAARS

Visiting festive street bazaars is seriously one of our favourite things to do during the Chinese New Year period – not just to buy goodies, but to simply soak in the atmosphere. Enjoy great discounts on decorations, food and various snacks – but more than that, you can basically find anything you need for Chinese New Year at the bazaars.

When: 15 January – 07 February 2016
Time: 6pm – 10.30pm (Daily), 6pm – 1am (Chinese New Year’s Eve)
Where: Pagoda Street, Smith Street, Sago Street,Temple Street and Trengganu Street

Read: Chinatown’s Chinese New Year Market – Here’s what to expect.

4. CATCH THE 9TH INTERNATIONAL LION DANCE COMPETITION

Lion dance is an internationally recognised sport, and it is especially popular in Asia. Often associated with good luck and auspiciousness, Lion Dance is performed widely during Chinese New Year.

Hong Lim Park is where this year’s annual event will be hosted at, and you should make a trip down to enjoy the stunning performances on the two special days.

When: 23 & 24 January 2016
Time: 6pm – 11pm
Where: Hong Lim Park

5. WATCH NIGHTLY STAGE SHOWS

Kreta Ayer Square will host performances every night from 16 January to 07 Feb 2016. Get hyped for Chinese New Year and really put yourself in the spirit; these performances of vibrant Chinese cultural performances, festive songs, music and dance performances by local entertainers and troupes from China will sure liven the mood and get you all ready to celebrate the most anticipated Chinese festivity.

When: 16 January – 7 February 2016
Time: 8.00pm – 10.30pm
Where: Kreta Ayer Square

This year’s Chinese New Year Market is just like any other – full of yummy festive treats to bag home, and many other Chinese New Year-related decor and products. But we are seeing a lot more unique snacks and flavours this year that we have never encountered before.

As Singapore progresses along with food trends and the digital age, one-of-a-kind snacks and ideas are introduced to the annual market so as to constantly impress and excite.

We took a stroll down the different lanes and found some really interesting gems that are worth making a trip down for. If you are new to Singapore, you should also soak up the festive mood and experience the bustling annual market that Singaporeans love! Here is What To Expect At Chinatown’s Chinese New Year Market 2016.

The full market will start at the end of January, where the market will operate in its full glory and all stalls will run in full force. However, if you head down now, most stalls are already open and in business – great for early shopping and getting everything done on time, minus the crowd!

Besides the plethora of snacks, you can do your Chinese New Year decor shopping here. Look at these whopping low prices of S$1 and three for S$10.

This is something that our moms always go to Chinatown for. We used to diss it, but as we grow older, we become more sentimental about many things and these red whatnots actually get to us. Let’s hope that this lunar spirit never die, and no matter how modernisation takes place, Chinese New Year will always look like how they traditionally look.

The same festive feel and spirit can be felt all through the market, and the market will liven up a lot more once the actual Chinese New Year day draws closer.

These fruit jellies are commonly seen every year, but we saw some pretty unique flavours besides the regular plum ones this year.

We have matcha, chocolates and coffee flavoured ones that originate from Taiwan, and because these fruit jellies are ever popular snacks among guests, we are gonna stock up on them in the new flavours.

Thinking of shopping for your regular Chinese New Year snacks? We suggest coming right to this store here (you will not be able to miss it, it takes up a very large area) where they sell snacks packaged in different sizes.

But of course, based on our observation, these become way cheaper on Chinese New Year Eve. They will slash the prices like crazy just to clear their stocks!

Stalls that sell seeds and munchies are aplenty, and prices are pretty much controlled and standardised, so you really can pick these up conveniently anywhere at almost the same prices.

This is probably the most unique stall at this year’s market.

We stopped in our tracks when we read ‘Sour Cream Cashew Nuts’. Being avid fans of buttery cashew nuts, these were the answer to our prayers. Such a pleasant surprise this was, and it is probably going to be our favourite snack this Chinese New Year!

It is best to start walking from Pagoda Street where the market starts from. Pretty easy to spot if you are taking the train and exiting from Chinatown MRT Station.

The market extends all the way to Smith Street, Sago Street, Temple Street and Trengganu Street, as well as the neighbouring lanes on either sides of Pagoda Street. However, the main market – where majority of the stalls are- is located at Pagoda Street and Temple Street.