Chingay 2016 represents Voyage SG100, which is our first step towards SG100 after the SG50 celebrations last year, where Singaporeans from all walks of life come together to celebrate this milestone for Singapore and the core values that are important to us. These values have made us who we are today, once from a fishing village, to a modern metropolis. Chingay 2016's purpose is to bring us into the future with confidence, as we look back at all of these values that made us uniquely Singaporean.
Picture Source: http://www.nas.gov.sg/blogs/archivistpick/the-first-chingay-street-parade-1973/
The first Chingay was celebrated on 4 Febuary 1973, when the People's Association (PA) teamed up with the Singapore National Pugilistic Federation for a grand show. It was the Year of the Ox. It depicted aspects of the Chinese culture-dragon and lion dances, martial arts and street opera. The first Chingay was so well received that the PA made it an annual festival. Ever since then, many changes have been made to this event.
The first Chingay had only a few chinese performances, but now, there are so many various different kinds of colourful performances. These performances are performed by many different people from diverse backgrounds. Ever since the first Chingay, the festival has reached out to many different races-Malay, Indian, etc and not just the Chinese. Chingay 2016 has also evolved to be more than just a local event. This year, 14 international groups from 9 countries are also participating in this event, letting the audience experience the dynamsim of different cultures even beyond Singapore.
These changes were made to let everybody-regardless of race, language or religion to come together to celebrate this event, to usher in the new year. It bonds all of us together, as one Singapore. It also encourages racial harmony and to learn and understand everybody's different cultures. Involving other countries will help us strengthen our ties with other countries as we celebrate this event together. This shows that this event is accepted by all, and it means that you do not necessarily need to be a Singaporean to attend and share the joy of this festival. With different people participating in this event, we get to appreciate the meaning of Chingay more, and we can even get to meet new people from countries even beyond Asia.
I feel that the organizers have successfully fulfilled their purpose. As you can see in the picture about the Post Office Saving Bank, the title of the float is "Building Stronger Communities". This can be depicted in the future Singapore. We will build stronger communities, without forgetting our core values. By enforcing these communities, we will have a stronger connection with different people. When we are all connected as one, we become one Singapore. For the future years to come, for the future Chingay festivals to come, Singapore will become stronger, and our future will be brighter. When we celebrate SG100 in the next 50 years, we will look back and think about the core values which shaped us, and the core values that are instilled in us.
No comments:
Post a Comment