Roaring CNY festivities for Malaysians in Singapore

Malaysia has restarted the sale of air and land tickets to Singapore under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) programme. This is good news for those who would like to reunite with family and friends in either country during the Chinese New Year.

Of course, this depends on whether or not you could secure VTL tickets in the first place. Much of the conversation on social media recently focused on sold-out VTL tickets during the festivity period.

For those who are able to secure passage into Singapore, there are many ways you can celebrate the Year of the Tiger in the island city, especially in Chinatown.

The streets at Chinatown have been decorated with tiger-themed lights displays. Do look out for the gigantic family of tigers on the intersection of Upper Cross Street.

The tiger-themed decorations, which are mainly located along the New Bridge Road, are divided into three segments. Interestingly, each section highlights a certain phase of a tiger’s life.

The first one features a cub’s early life, exploring the world and frolicking in nature. The second stretch shows the tigers’ journey into adulthood with accompanying symbols of wealth such as pineapples and gold ingots on display.

The final stretch puts the spotlight on flowing waters and koi fish, representing perseverance and longevity.

Visitors to Chinatown can also sign up for a special CNY walking tour to learn about hidden symbolisms. This will be available until March 2.

At Gardens by the Bay, visit the stunning CNY floral display titled Dahlia Dreams. Check out the River Hongbao lantern that takes centre stage in the flower field.

The lantern features three Chinese moon gates, a pair of rabbits and larger-than-life narcissus blooms. They are set amid 2,000 dahlias and vibrant azaleas, chrysanthemums and cymbidiums.

You might also want to consider celebrating CNY at Universal Studios Singapore. The popular theme park is decorated with rows of beautiful cherry blossom wishing trees, gold ingots and unique zodiac banners.

In addition to the CNY decoration, look out for characters from Kung Fu Panda who will be making their rounds at the theme park.

Meanwhile, art lovers would love the artistic shots at Creative Intersections, Funan’s first mall-wide art activation.

The Creative Intersections: In the Year of the Tiger, curated by Chan + Hori Contemporary, is also part of the Singapore Art Week 2022. The mall-wide activation delves into Singapore’s connection with tigers. Visitors will get to learn more about the creatures inscribed in Singapore’s history and whispered about in mythology and folklore.

To know more about the requirements for travelling to Singapore through VTL, visit safetravel.ica. gov.sg.