When it comes to major public holidays, Sentosa leaves no stones unturned. With only their recent Christmas 2016 celebrations just concluded in the beginning of January, another month of celebrations await. This time round, it's to celebrate the prosperous Chinese New Year with their range of free activities that can be found throughout the Sentosa Island. Here's more on the scoop.
What is the Sentosa CNY Celebrations?
Chinese New Year is one of Singapore's widely celebrated public holidays and it's no secret that Sentosa will be jumping on the public holiday bandwagon by offering a variety of activities and festivities for the public to enjoy. Unlike the previous years however, this year's CNY festivities will be much of a lesser scale as compared to say, 2013, when they organised the Sentosa Flowers event during the 2013 CNY season.
Nonetheless, Sentosa never disappoints with this year's round of CNY activities to welcome the New Year and to welcome the surge in tourists and visitors visiting during the CNY long weekend. If you wanted to avoid the crowd, you could as their CNY festivities ran throughout from late January to mid February.
All About Love at the Sentosa Beaches
Our first stop was the Palawan Beach where it also carried the theme of "Love Is In The Air". There were many heart-shaped ornaments being hung from the trees together with the suspended LED lights that make the atmosphere bright and beautiful. Coincidentally, it was also the Valentine's Day period as well so all these decorations certainly bring much joy and cheer to the whole Palawan Beach area.
Tower of Lights
An attractive attraction also found on the Palawan Beach is this huge tower decorated with lots of LED lights and CNY-themed ornaments. Certainly a head-turner among the crowds and patrons of the beach. Many of which whipped out their smartphones to capture the perfect shot of the brightly-lit tower that's essentially beautiful at night.
Zodiac Lanterns
Numerous lanterns were also scattered around the Palawan beach in the shape of all the 12 Zodiac signs. Some of which were colourful and brightly-lit indeed while some had their own form of decorations around them. At night, all the Zodiac lanterns pop up with their bright lights making them perfect for photo-taking opportunities.
Side Activities For You to Enjoy
A small booth at the side lets patrons pen their well wishes for the CNY celebrations on a small piece of card. After penning down your wishes, you could then hang them on a temporary tree set up right next to the booth for other curious passers-by to have a look at what you wrote. Well wishes written by other patrons will definitely make you smile with their messages and some, can make you laugh for reasons that's hard to explain right here.
There was also a small performance stage where you could head over to play with some traditional Chinese drums when performances were not being held. Children and curious passers-by were definitely having fun playing with the drums which are a staple in a variety of Chinese celebrations.
Roving Performances
I came here on a weekday so it was relatively quiet. On weekends however, plenty of roving performances were being held. Plenty of mini concerts by local and overseas artists could be seen performing a variety of traditional and modern Chinese music to entertain the patrons and curious passers-by here at the Palawan Beach. Definitely a great way to relax and unwind during the weekend.
There was also a booth that lets patrons try a hand traditional Chinese calligraphy painting. Not too sure if there was a cost to it but it was an interesting activity which lets anyone experience Chinese culture and the traditional art of Calligraphy.
A Projection Mapping Show at the Merlion
The main attraction to the Sentosa CNY Celebrations was the projection mapping show at the Merlion. As the Merlion is a huge and tall iconic structure, it's perfect for projection mapping shows like this. It's no wonder the show attracted lots of people as the screening showcased various visual imageries related to Chinese New Year to entertain the audience. Definitely one of the most interesting attractions of the Sentosa CNY celebrations. Did I mention it's free as well?
CNY Decorations Everywhere
Since it's the CNY period, Sentosa has done a great job putting up a variety of CNY decorations especially at the walkway that connects the Resorts World Sentosa to the Merlion. With bright red traditional Chinese lanterns placed strategically and cartoon versions of the 12 Zodiac signs scattered throughout the walkway, there's plenty of photo opportunities for children and adults alike. Kudos to Sentosa for making such a simple walkway into one that captures the hearts of many visitors here.
Conclusion
Sentosa during the CNY period was definitely one of the best times to visit the resort island. With their range of activities, decorations, performances and the projection mapping show, there's something for everyone. Oh and it's also free so why not? Sentosa has plenty of fun and free activities like these throughout the year so do check back their website regularly for more festivities like these especially when it comes to Christmas and CNY. Will look forward to next year's edition!
More Information
Official Website: http://www.sentosa.com.sg/