How fast time flies...Chinese Lunar New Year came and gone. It was the time of the year when we would all gather together to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. In Singapore, we would not miss visiting Chinatown for last-minute festive shopping and .. of course.. the annual Chingay Parade.This year I had the rare chance to attend one of the rehearsals as one of the photographers. I had loads of fun taking the pictures and felt as if I was blended into the festive mood. :)
Background
Originated in China, Chingay was first held as a religious procession in Penang to celebrate birthdays of various deities. As with time, the tradition evolved and spread southward to Singapore. In 1972, the Singapore government banned the use of firecrackers, partly due to fire safety concerns. The ban was viewed as As according to folklore, firecrackers were part of the festivities to produce loud noises to scare the demon "Nian" away. Hence to retain the festive mood and to pacify the Chinese community, the government introduced the Chingay procession as part of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations.
Chingay Then and Now
Chingay parade started in Singapore on February 1973 with a few floats and performers demonstrating traditional arts like balancing the giant flag, lion dances
et cetera. As the years went by, the Parade evolved into a mullti-racial event which included the various ethnic groups in Singapore as well as international groups. Moving from a day event to an evening event, the parade incorporated lights and state-of-the-art pyrotechnics, creating a whole new effect. Today is is well known as the Parade of Lights, it has grown to be associated with the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations.Through the years the parade had performed in many parts of Singapore. From the City Hall/Padang area, it moved to Orchard Road and since 2010, it has been held at the new F1 Pit Building. To bring the parade closer to everyone, it also moved to the heartlands.
I remember that when I was little, I often watch the procession on the television. It was until I took up photography and wanted to challenge myself in event photography that I attended one of the rehearsals as a spectator. The feeling of being there live was exhilarating and I found that I enjoyed it very much. The expressions of enjoyment of the spectators and the performers inspired me to return almost every year to take pictures. Wanting to capture "the moment" that best express the event, I tried different styles and techniques each time I return. This year is a new experience for me.
Chingay 2011
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| Chingay Parade 2011 poster |
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The theme for Chingay this year was uniquely different from other years. This year, it boasted of more spectacular stunts and pyrotechnics. For the first time it featured a dragon dance with the dragon covered with firecrackers and 88-metre flying dragons. The grand finale was the passing on the lamp, which signified passing life experiences from one generation to the next.
Other items include dance groups from various community groups as well as international groups from Taiwan, Mexico and Denmark.
The parade began with the lighting of a firecrackers. First to enter were the entourage of vintage cars and the thundering Harley Davidson motorcycles. Following closely were the procession of various groups with their floats. Everyone present at the Pit Building were transported to different dimensions with the entrance of different participating groups. The team from Resorts World Sentosa and Soka transported us to underwater world and the Safari respectively. Simply breathtaking!
I personally like the dragon dance. I find that the effect that the firecrackers created is as if the dragon was flying among the clouds. The stilt walkers from Malaysia gave a new perception to the tradition art of stilt walking with the fusion of space-like costumes and light... and many more.
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| Dragon entwined in firecrackers from China (ISO 800, f5.6, 1/50 sec) |
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| "Chang-E and the moon" ?? (ISO800, f/5.6, 1/50 sec, spot metering) |
With so many spectacular performances one cannot help feeling awed by them. To a photographer's eye, every moment, every movement and every expression is special and worth capturing. ;)
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| Let the party begin!! (ISO800, f/8, 1/40sec, partial metering) |
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| Cheerleading Team from Taiwan |
As the curtains have drawn for Chingay 2011, in our hearts we look forward to the next Chingay in 2012...
(Note: all photographs were taken using Canon EOS 450D and EFs 18-55mm lens)
