River Hongbao 2010
The Float @Marina Bay
12th Feb 2010 to 20th Feb 2010
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Into its 24th year, River Hongbao 2010 will usher in the year of the Tiger with a big bang. This is the second time River Hongbao will be held on The Float @ Marina Bay (previously known as Marina Bay Floating Platform). The festivities will last throughout for 9 days from 12th to 20th February 2010 with the closing on the 7th day of the Chinese New Year. In addition, unlike last year, the opening hours would be extended to start from 12 noon daily and continue all the way into the night and close at 11:30pm (except for the night of CNY Eve with countdown).

The theme of River Hongbao 2010 will be 推“成”促“新”迎虎年which means “Welcoming the Year of the Tiger through promotion of Chengdu to enhance the offering of River Hongbao in Singapore and promote close ties and collaboration between Singapore and Chengdu City“ in Chinese. This is the first time River Hongbao is supported by a Government to Government level collaboration through Singapore-Sichuan Trade and Investment Committee. The MOU for the collaboration was signed on 10 Nov 09 between the River Hongbao 2010 Organising Committee and Chengdu City Government.

Under the collaboration, visitors to River Hongbao 2010 will be treated with exciting experiences enriched with light and sound, culture and food and fun. The venue will come alive at night with beautifully crafted lanterns from Chengdu against the magnificent backdrop of Marina Bay front. Some of the lanterns to look forward to in addition to the traditionally popular ones such as God of Fortune and Chinese Zodiac include Panda playground, Tiger Mountain, lanterns made of sugar and many ceramic spoons. A wide variety of stage performances from Chengdu, Taiwan and Singapore would cater to the tastes of young and old. There will also be cultural activities on-site such as Chinese riddle-guessing and Calligraphy. Last but not least, visitors would have the chance to taste unique delicacies from Chengdu, watch demonstration and buy handicrafts. Not forgetting children, there will also be playground on-site so that they would be able to have fun too.

Apart from preserving and reviving Chinese cultures and traditions, RHB 2010 is organized with people in mind. Therefore, heartlanders from the five community districts would be invited to River Hongbao throughout the event. In addition, the last night would specially be organized as the National Integration Night when activities are organized to integrate new immigrants so that all residents could celebrate the Chinese New Year and soak in the festive atmosphere together. More details on the series of interesting and exciting programmes would be unveiled in future press conferences and news releases!

The five key organisers for this event are Singapore Press Holdings, Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, People’s Association, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Singapore Tourism Board. Please refer to Annex 1 for the Organising Committee line-up for River Hongbao 2010.

River Hongbao 2010 is also organised through collaboration with many other organizations such as education institutions such as Nanyang Polytechnic and Millenia Institute to immerse the students in the festivities and Chinese culture. On the last day of River Hongbao, two of the Floats from Chingay Parade would come to RHB venue so that visitors could have a closer look at the floats.

To allow everyone to share collected memory of River Hongbao, a “My favourite River Hongbao” photo competition will be jointly organized with the Photographic Society of Singapore from now to 27 Jan. The public can submit a memorable photo taken during past River Hongbaos via the newly revamped bilingual River Hongbao website (www.riverhongbao.sg) with a caption.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Chairman of River Hongbao 2010 Organising Committee, said: “After 23 years, River Hongbao has established itself as one of the signature event during our Lunar New Year festivities. While continuing with our past traditions, we would also be looking at areas where we can reinvent ourselves and try fresh ideas. We want visiting River Hongbao next year to be an even more enjoyable and meaningful experience!”

Mr Seng Han Thong, Co-Chairman of River Hongbao 2010 Organising Committee, said: “River Hongbao 2010 comes amidst the climate of economic recovery, let’s celebrate the fact that we were able to weather through the hard times together and anticipate better times to come. By leveraging on the experience of previous year, River Hongbao promises to be bigger and better this year. There is something for everyone to experience. I am confident that it will be an event to be enjoyed and looked forward to by all.”

Mr Lim Swee Say, Advisor of the Singapore-Sichuan Trade and Investment Committee (SSTIC), said: “Sichuan and Singapore are close partners in trade and investment. I am happy to see this collaboration being extended to River Hongbao and Chengdu. It serves to promote both trade and cultural exchanges between us. My best wishes for a successful staging of River Hongbao!”