yuu wei's cid blog: Chingay 2017 Reflection

On the 21st of January, we went as a whole cohort to watch the Chingay Parade rehearsal at the F1 Pit. The theme of Chingay this year was 'Soundwaves Chingay, WeCare Singapore", and was the 45th Chingay Parade. It was my first time watching Chingay, so I was very excited, as my friends who have performed in this parade previously told me that it was really enjoyable and fun. I did not know the purpose of Chingay at first, thinking it was just a multicultural festival and having little idea of what it was all about. Unfortunately, there was a downpour from the late afternoon till halfway through the show, which dampened our spirits. Being a rain-or-shine event, the show had to go on.

While getting off the bus, we had to put on ponchos and hurry through the rain, to be greeted with dripping wet seats. At the start of the show, we were taught the Chingay cheer and it was quite a unique experience to be able to cheer with everyone else, with people from other schools whom I had never known. As the rain subsided, everyone gradually grew more enthusiastic and showed our support for the performers by cheering waving our pompoms and light sticks in the air.

The emcees tried to lighten the mood by cracking jokes and trying to hype up the audience. The parade was kickstarted with the Crescent and Stars dance, which consisted of 600 members of different races and ages coming together and putting on a dance. What left a deep impression on me is the iconic tiger float, which was used back in 1974 as the first Chingay float. I learnt that this was to show the younger generation of Singaporeans Chingay of the past, as part of commemorating Chingay's 45th anniversary. The performances also had a dragon dance, which is usually seen during Chinese New Year celebrations. There were also performances put up by the Malay and Indian communities, and a float of an Indian woman posing with a hand gesture commonly used in Indian dances. Seeing people of the different races and cultures of Singapore's heritage coming together to put on a performance was heartwarming as it showed the racial and religious harmony of Singapore.

Afterwards, there was a performance put on by the Japanese Association. It showcased members waving flags in tune to the Japanese music, dancers pretending they were catching fish with nets in the waterways and a float with a huge drum on it and people drumming on it. There were also dancers representing countries like Korea and Indonesia performing. I think this showed a lot about Singapore's relations with other countries and how Singapore is a cosmopolitan city with people from different walks of life and ethnicities coming together as one. Then, there was a performance by the NS50, which made use of a special routine which demonstrated the discipline of National Service. Seeing the Land, Sea and Air of the Army, I realised how fortunate we are to have the Army to protect our country.

Then, xinyao, Singapore songs, were played. Having known these songs since young, I had fun singing and dancing along to it and it felt nostalgic hearing them again after not listening to this type of music for a long time. At the grand finale, many pop and modern songs were played, to which my friends and I sang along to enthusiastically.

The purpose of Chingay is to epitomise the dynamism of Singapore's vibrant and multicultural society. Chingay is zhuang yi (妆艺) in Mandarin, which means "the art of costume and masquerade" in the Hokkien dialect. Chingay is when people of different races, organisations and countries come together to perform.

I think that Chingay fulfilled its purpose. When Chingay first began, it was to compensate for the ban on firecrackers. Now, Chingay serves a whole other, more meaningful purpose to it. The parade showcased the different cultures and races coming together to put on a awe-inspiring performance, made up of dancers and members of different organisations, of varying ages and backgrounds. Indeed, there were many costumes and it was quite a masquerade. I think it embodies Singapore's vibrant multiracial society and helps me to understand Singapore's culture better.

Overall, it was an enriching experience, as I got to bond with my batch mates and gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of the purpose of Chingay and the different cultures in Singapore.