SINGAPORE: A post on a popular local Facebook account suggested fewer people were at Chinatown for Lunar New Year celebrations this year, although it may be too early to tell whether this is just an isolated incident rather than indicative of a more sombre mood in general.
On the Facebook page “Concerned Citizens Band Together for a better Singapore” on Monday (February 16), the eve of Chinese New Year, a user on the platform who goes by eatfinishrice wrote, “Was in Chinatown. Super sad. No CNY spirit. No crowd. 10 pm, shops closing and not much people at the free concert on CNY. The stuff there is not even cheap by any means before the deep discount… Vendors trying luck, but no one has money.”
They posted three pictures, all of which showed that crowds seemed rather sparse at the time eatfinishrice was at Chinatown.
A lot of Facebook users have since responded to the post, with netizens comparing this year’s CNY celebrations to those from the past.
“Same goes to Gardens by the Bay, not crowded at all. Compared to more than 10 years ago, (when) Chinatown and Marina Bay (were) all crowded and packed. A lot of things to see and buy. You can feel the CNY atmosphere… Festive season no longer feels like festive season,” one wrote.
Others seemed to share this sombre mood, with one saying, “Times are tough. There is nothing to celebrate.”
“This is what happens when the cost of living is so damn high,” chimed in another.
“In the past, it wasn’t uncommon to see crowds of people still out and about after midnight,” added a commenter.
Others pointed out, however, that because Monday had been rainy, this could have been the reason why people stayed home.
On January 27, the Singapore Police Force said that they were expecting large crowds at Chinatown in the lead-up to CNY festivities, all the way up to February 16.
The Crowd@Chinatown portal, showing real-time updates on crowd levels and area closures, was provided for the public to check between February 13 and 16. The police advised people to avoid crowded areas, which could be seen marked red on the portal.
The sentiments of eatfinishrice and the commenters on their post are not unusual, however. Last year, a local Reddit user also wrote that the Lunar New Year’s celebrations seemed quieter than usual.
“Anecdotally, it feels like the usual decorations for the CNY this year seem late; my neighbourhood still had Christmas lights in early January. The typical markets also hadn’t been set up, at least from my observation,” he wrote on the r/askSingapore forum. /TISG
Read also: Singaporean says this year’s CNY feels quieter due to economic concerns, rain, and festive burnout
