By Joanna HS Tan written on 21-Oct-1997
National Library Board Singapore

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Chingay is an annual street parade held in Singapore as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations. The term “Chingay” is derived from the Chinese term zhuangyi, meaning “the art of masquerading”, a reference to the original stages or floats depicting religious and historical scenes that were carried in procession on the shoulders of men. Originally a religious festival with roots in China, it is believed that 19th-century Chinese immigrants brought Chingay to Penang, which became famous for its lavish processions featuring elaborate floats and huge flags. In Singapore, Chingay processions are known to have taken place from the 1880s to 1906, when they were abolished. The modern Chingay parade began in 1973 and has evolved over the years into a multi-cultural event including participants of diverse ethnicities and nationalities.

Chingay in Malaya
Chingay processions originated from China, where Shang Yuan Chieh, a religious festival of Taoist origin, was traditionally observed on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year to mark the start of spring. The occasion was associated with the San Kuan, the trinity of deities comprising the lords of heaven, earth and water.

While it is difficult to ascertain exactly when or how Chingay began in Malaya, it is believed that migrants from southern China brought the practice to the British settlement of Penang during the 19th century. Early sources indicate that the practice of celebrating the Lunar New Year with the Great Chingay or Thanksgiving Parade was well established in Penang by the 1880s.

Coinciding with Chingay was the religious festival devoted to the local deity Tua Pek Kong, popularly known as the God of Prosperity, whose origins are specific to Penang and date back to the 18th century before the arrival of British colonialists. Usually a lavish affair, the event was a religious observance that involved the whole town and drew numerous visitors from other parts of the region. The procession featured the distinctive Chingay floats carried on the shoulders of men. On each float were elaborate paper dolls and animals depicting religious themes and historical scenes, as well as lanterns in the shape of animals or fruit. Participants wore embroidered silk costumes and carried silk banners. A three-day Chingay procession to honour Tua Pek Kong and costing more than $25,000, mentioned in a September 1883 newspaper article, is one of the earliest recorded instances of this festival. By the turn of the century, Penang was well known for its processions featuring giant triangular flags to honour the God of Prosperity as well as another popular deity, Kuan Yin (also Kwan Im), the Goddess of Mercy.

While Chingay processions in Penang were well recorded, similar processions are also known to have taken place in other parts of Malaya. One such Chingay procession in Kuching is mentioned in an October 1928 newspaper article. Johore Bahru was well known for Chingay processions held in honour of its tutelary deities, the Five Gods, and several such processions appear in newspaper articles during the 20th century, the earliest dating back to February 1902.

Chingay in early Singapore
Processions to honour Chinese religious deities were already a frequent occurrence in 19th-century Singapore. The earliest account appeared in April 1840, describing festivities in honour of the deity Ma Chor Po, the protector of seafarers. Chingay processions, in particular, were an annual event by the late 19th century. Funded by public subscriptions raised by participating Chinese clans and societies, Chingay processions were usually elaborate affairs, sometimes causing the prices of foodstuffs to rise, and often disrupting traffic on the parade route. One of the earliest references to a Chingay procession is a brief mention in a January 1884 newspaper article, while a December 1887 article describes the participation of Teochew, Cantonese, Hylam and Keh contingents in an extensive procession that took several hours to pass through the Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar areas.

Chingay processions were also staged on other special occasions, such as to commemorate the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York to Singapore in 1901 and the visit of Prince Arthur of Connaught in 1906.

On 16 December 1906, at a large meeting of Hokkien Chinese led by clan leader Lee Cheng Yan, Chingay processions were denounced as a financially extravagant and culturally backward practice. A unanimous decision was taken to abolish Chingay processions, stop public subscriptions for such events, and use the funds saved for educational purposes instead. The decision was confirmed soon after at another large meeting, and other clans adopted similar resolutions, thus ending the practice of Chingay processions.

Modern Chingay parade
In June 1972, a bill was passed banning firecrackers due to deaths and injuries from fatal explosions. The absence of traditional firecrackers to celebrate the Lunar New Year caused unhappiness and reduced public enthusiasm for the occasion. As an alternative, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew suggested the staging of a Chingay parade similar to those held in Penang.

Organised by the People’s Association and National Pugilistic Federation, the first modern Chingay procession in Singapore was held on 4 February 1973 and involved about 2,000 participants. The procession made its way from Victoria School in Jalan Besar to Outram Park, led by a large statue of a bull to signify the Year of the Ox. The event introduced clowns dressed in costumes with oversized heads, and also featured lion dancers, jugglers, stilt-walkers dressed in ancient Chinese costumes, and members of the Kampong Glam community. As an indication of the inspiration drawn from the Penang Chingay, there was also a performance by flag bearers demonstrating their skill with huge flags.

Based on its initial success, the Chingay parade became an annual event. In its early years, the procession was a neighbourhood event that toured public housing estates such as Toa Payoh (1974), Marine Parade (1978) and Ang Mo Kio (1984). The parade moved to the Orchard Road shopping belt for the first time in 1985. To celebrate the millennium in 2000, the procession took a new route beginning at the former City Hall building (now part of the National Art Gallery, Singapore) and ending at the Suntec City Fountain of Wealth. The event moved to Chinatown for the first time in 2003. It was held in the daytime until 1990, when it became a night procession for the first time.

The theme of the parade is usually based on the Chinese zodiac animal for the new lunar year, as well as featuring a range of other performers and floats. To usher in the Chinese Year of the Dog in 1994, for instance, the parade included a procession of about 30 dogs from the Singapore Kennel Club.

With the promotion of Singapore as a tourist destination and a greater emphasis on attractions that would draw visitors, the Chingay parade has evolved into a tourist attraction that is well known even outside Singapore. In recent years, the Singapore Tourism Board has become involved in the event together with the People’s Association.

Now held over two days, the event takes place around the Lunar New Year season but not always on the 15th day. Known for its carnival atmosphere, it is now a multi-cultural event that includes not only Chinese but also other ethnic groups. The Chingay procession in 2000, for instance, included a traditional Chinese dance featuring a dragon and phoenix, as well as a Malay opera performance and Indian Kathakali dancers.

Since 1974, the event has also incorporated regional influences and foreign participants, with the parade that year including a Walt Disney train carrying cartoon characters Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. It has become even more international in recent years and has been compared to large street parades held in other cities, such as the Mardi Gras parade in Brazil. The 2011 Chingay parade, for instance, featured 88m-long “flying dragons” from China as well as a contingent from Mexico.



Author
Joanna HS Tan



References
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Further reading
Chingay: Singapore on parade. (2007). Singapore: People's Association.



The information in this article is valid as at 2011 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.