Annual CNY festival River HongBao to return at Gardens by the Bay from Jan 20 to 28

The annual Chinese New Year festival, River HongBao, will return at Gardens by the Bay from Jan 20 to 28. 

Visitors can expect a myriad of physical and virtual events at this year’s festival, including 18 displays of giant lantern sets.

The star of the festival is the nearly 30m long Dance of Spring lantern set. Nestled within the Dragonfly Lake, this floating lantern will represent harmony with nature and within our society.

There will also be displays of the iconic God of Fortune and 12 zodiac animals. 

Apart from the lantern sets, visitors can look forward to a host of nightly entertainment programmes by Chinese cultural troupes, Getai singers and Mediacorp artistes.

There will also be amusement rides and games available, including a double-storey carousel ride.

For those unable to attend the festival at Gardens by the Bay, the virtual River HongBao experience has online live shows and a special telegram sticker pack that can be downloaded. 

It also includes the Greetings and Blessings: Chinese New Year Cards Then and Now exhibition that shows how people sent greetings to each other in the 1950s to 1970s in Singapore. This exhibition is available online and at Gardens by the Bay. 

A lineup of five giveaways await visitors at the festival. The giveaways Prosperity Trail, (Fu-Er) TikTok AR Filter, Bunny Tap, Battle by the River and Lantern Riddles include prizes such as e-vouchers from the FairPrice Group.  

The festival is open to visitors from 6.30pm to 10.30pm on Jan 20 and from 6.30pm to 12.15am on Jan 21. From Jan 22 to 28, it opens earlier at 2.30pm and closes at 10.30pm from Jan 22 to 28. 

Admission is free for all visitors and prior registration for tickets is not needed.