Helium LED dragon to light up Chingay

A 66M-LONG helium-filled flying LED dragon will make its world debut at this weekend's Chingay parade. The 35kg dragon will be held by 10 performers from China's Shaanxi province.

In total, about 800 of the parade's 8,000 performers are from abroad, parade organiser People's Association (PA) said during a media preview yesterday.

Under the theme of Lights Of Legacy, Brighter Singapore, this year's parade honours core values fostered by Singapore's late founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and his team of pioneers, said Ang Hak Seng, PA's chief executive director. The parade started here in 1973.

Thousands of people have penned their support for these values - such as resilience and integrity - on 8,000 sky lanterns that, together with 11 floats, will form the parade's backdrop. 

The Chinese New Year event will be held at the F1 Pit Building tonight and tomorrow night.

A troupe of "big head dolls", comprising performers from Singapore and Fujian, will make its Chingay debut, while a Russian dance ensemble featuring fast spinning dancers is returning for a second year.

Other highlights include a fan dance by a South Korean troupe, stilt-walkers from Johor Baru and a medley of cultural performances by an Indonesian troupe - the biggest foreign contingent with more than 200 performers.

The street procession, which will last just over an hour, will have 19 acts in five segments.

The 25,000 seated audience will also be given hand-held light bulbs to wave.

The turnout, including those watching from other vantage points, is expected to be between 160,000 and 180,000 for both nights.

The parade will be broadcast on television in 24 territories, and will reach more than 35 million viewers across Asia.

The parade will go to different places in the heartland until March 27.

Two roads will be closed from 6pm to midnight today and tomorrow for Chingay.

They are the carriageway of Republic Boulevard in the direction of Raffles Avenue, between Republic Avenue and Raffles Boulevard; as well as Raffles Avenue, between Raffles Boulevard and Temasek Avenue.

A carnival, the Chingay Night Fiesta, will be held on Sunday at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park from 6.30pm to 10pm.

Admission is free. 

mellinjm@sph.com.sg

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