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.

Nothing is more important than a heartwarming reunion meal with your family and loved ones during Chinese New Year. This is the time of the year when we gather together with a grand reunion feast!

In celebration of the upcoming festive season, Millenia Walk is hosting a 10-course luncheon on 03 Feb 2018 and you can expect lots of festive vibes and a whole plethora of Chinese New Year goodies from the participating food and beverage establishments.

And we need to do one with our readers too! Yes, it is going to happen. Millenia Walk is inviting 10 Ladyironchef readers to take part in this reunion lunch. So join us on 03 Feb 2018 from 12pm to 3pm at the Great Hall as we toss to a prosperous year ahead with the yu sheng and indulge in festive specials such as Oyster & Hotate Katsu and Mazesoba Chasiu signature ramen together.

We will be picking 5 winners and everyone can bring along a +1, so read on to find out more about how you can win a spot at the table at the Millenia Walk Reunion Lunch with the Ladyironchef team!

Millenia Walk is once again hosting a Reunion Lunch featuring a tasting menu by the mall’s F&B establishments and there will be new F&B brands joining the Reunion Lunch for this year’s event. Here are some highlights at Millenia Walk’s 2018 Reunion Lunch.

Contemporary café Plentyfull is bringing Chinese New Year vibes to the table with their Plentyfull Blossom Yu Sheng with Yellowtail Hamachi. For the Chinese, yu sheng is an auspicious staple and the ‘lo hei’ action is a significant Chinese New Year tradition that has been ongoing for decades. Look forward to all the fun and mess as we toss to welcome the upcoming Lunar New Year together!

Tokyo Chopped Salad—the first chopped salad brand in Singapore—aims to impress with their unique Japanese-inspired dressings. All salads are chopped and they come with unique Japanese-inspired dressings which are all crafted by Teppei Yamashita, the chef and founder of Teppei Japanese restaurant and Michelin Bib Gourmand listed Man Man Unagi Restaurant.

Tantalise your taste buds with the Premium Beef Tataki Salad which is tossed with Shiitake Mushroom, Quinoa, Brown Rice and Romaine Lettuce.

Your lunch will continue with Saboten’s seasonal special of Oyster and Hotate Katsu which comprises two pieces of plump and juicy oysters from Hiroshima and two pieces of sweet succulent scallops that are imported from Hokkaido. These jewels from the ocean are first breaded and then deep fried to achieve that perfect golden crust on the outside.

Those who have a penchant for sashimi and seafood will delight themselves in Teppei Syokudo’s Kaisendon; there are six different types of fresh sashimi and seafood to feast on and it is finished off with the restaurant’s famous Teppei sauce. We don’t know about you but we can never say no to one of our all-time favourite Japanese donburi dishes!

On the other end of the taste spectrum, you also get to try Thai Affair’s full-flavoured grilled pork skewers. Named ‘Moo Ping’, the barbecued pork skewers are similar to what you will find on the streets of Bangkok. This popular Thai street food features thick pork slices that are threaded on a satay stick and grilled over charcoal fire.

Whether you are inclined towards a vegetarian lifestyle, love natural food, elemen offers a pleasant dining experience by serving wholesome food that is beneficial to your health without compromising the earth’s sustainability. During Millenia Walk Reunion Lunch, you can look forward to 5 Elements Soup and Charcoal Beancurd with Golden Oyster Mushroom.

Uma Uma is a casual izakaya restaurant and bar featuring Yakitori and Kushikatsu, with cocktails and drinks by Horse’s Mouth Bar and Hakata-styled Ramen from Uma Uma Ramen.They will be preparing Mazesoba Chasiu for the Reunion Lunch.

No meal is complete without some sweet treats and at Millenia Walk’s Reunion Lunch, you get TWO desserts! Diners get to enjoy traditional beancurd, grass jelly or ice jelly from Beano, which uses only non-genetically modified beans from Canada.

Fans of dark chocolate will no doubt have heard of The Dark Gallery and their iconic dark chocolate goodies. Just for this upcoming event, each guest is treated to a scoop of their newly launched 68% Ghana Single Origin Dark Chocolate Ice Cream. You are on your way to Chocolate Heaven.

During the Reunion Lunch, yo can also enjoy filter coffee from The Bean Shop by Cafebond.com. Using freshly roasted Cafebond Basic’s single origin coffee beans from Brazil, the folks from Cafebond.com will hand brew your coffee on the spot.

We will be picking 5 of you (and your plus ones) to join us for this Reunion Lunch at Millenia Walk. Take part in the contest on our Facebook page to win the chance to join us at Millenia Walk Reunion Lunch! See you at Millenia Walk on 03 Feb 2018!

Millenia Walk Reunion Lunch Event Details
Date: 03 Feb 2018
Time: 12pm – 3pm
Where: The Great Hall

Millenia Walk
9 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore 039596
Nearest Station: Promenade

This post is brought to you by Millenia Walk.

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.

Chinese New Year is approaching and for many countries in Asia, it is a huge celebration. These countries, including Singapore, throw grand parades and huge celebrations in conjunction with this annual event.

Chinese New Year celebrates the start of a new year according to the Chinese Lunar calendar. The festivity spans over a period of 15 days and during these 15 days, there will be various parades and celebrations all over for the whole family to enjoy and participate in.

Here, we have 5 Chinese New Year Parades and Events in Asia to Catch in 2016 - from massive fireworks display to big-scale night parades!

Image: Vprazdniki

1. BEIJING

Chinese New Year is a big thing in China and everywhere, not just in Beijing, throw huge and impressive celebrations. In Beijing, there will be a magnificent fireworks display over the capital city. Also, many will light their own fireworks all around the city to liven up the atmosphere.

Over the course of 15 days, fireworks can be seen daily, and every day, there will be various temple fairs where you can taste local food and partake in fun games and activities.

Image: Fest300

2. HONG KONG

The main highlight of Chinese New Year in Hong Kong is the popular Chinese New Year Night Parade.

Held in Tsim Sha Tsui, the streets will light up and transform into a fun street party. The whole harbour front area will be lit up so beautifully, it is one sight you will not soon forget. This is a hallmark event of Hong Kong – one not to be missed if you are heading there for Chinese New Year!

Image: Wikimedia

3. MALAYSIA

Malaysia is by and large a Muslim country, and Chinese New Year is not celebrated as grandly as countries like China. However, parties and celebrations will still be held by the Chinese citizens of the country.

There will be acrobatic shows and lion dance performances at major temples and areas in Kuala Lumpur during this period as well.

Image: Your Singapore

4. SINGAPORE

Every year, Singapore glows with streets decorated with bright lights and Chinese New Year-themed decor. Expect various celebrations across major areas such as Chinatown, but the main fun happens at River Hongbao – an event held annually at the Floating Platform at Marina Bay.

There will be various live entertainment, alongside local food stalls and other activities that the whole family can enjoy!

Image: New Years Eve Blog

5. TAIWAN

The main attraction in Taipei during Chinese New Year is the parade that starts from Anxing Street that covers the whole city.

You get to see Chinese acrobats, musicians, martial art experts and folk dancers performing in this parade, including the iconic dragon dance. The fireworks display during Chinese New Year is also another massive event not to be missed.