A river what?... let me do the googling for you. Hongbao, red envelope or red packet is a monetary gift which is given during holidays or special occasions in Chinese and other Asian societies. According to their website, River Hongbao is an extensive Chinese cultural experience for locals and tourists alike.
Personally, i believe Singapore's River Hongbao is one of their premier and grandiose celebration. Without having to shell out a lot of expense, anyone (young, old, teenagers, single, family, kids) get to come together and cherish each other's company in this yearly event. Well that's what's most important. Right? The memories. The togetherness.
It seem to us, THIS is the government's red packet to its citizens and visitors as they showcase glamorous presentations and erect this massive installations just for our pure enjoyment. If you're not much of a gear head, adrenaline-loving person who loves burned rubber and revving engine sounds (I'm referring to the F1 night race) and just want to take it slow, relaxed, and more of a cultural buff then this is perfect for you!
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| The Float at Marina Bay, world's largest floating stage, serves annually as the venue for River Hongbao |
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| Tried to trick Casey into thinking this is a palace or castle but he got it right... a temple. ;) |
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| Long queue to mount the carriage the horse is pulling-- for photo op |
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| Casey having a grand time |
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| This mega God of Fortune lantern fixture dwarfs everyone. It looks way bigger than what they had last year. Not contented with just photos? Shot a panorama video of Marina Bay below. |
As soon as we got there, we were wowed by the big crowd leaving and entering the premises. The atmosphere was festive and vibrant.
First things first. Food. Inside that white tent were throngs of well-lined up Asian variety food stalls to choose from. As I was busy taking some snapshots, Nina grabbed some oven-hot kebabs and freshly squeezed sugarcane juice. We sat down along side many others by the passageway steps beside The Helix Bridge and facing Marina Bay Sands.
Prior to being there, we dropped by Takashimaya in Orchard Road to pick up our complimentary Lego the Movie tickets through the generosity of our friends Jerry and Ice. He works at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf so we also get to grab free red velvet cheesecake and a double chocolate cold drink. Those were perfect after we had our street food at Marina Bay.
We went up several flight of stairs of the grand stand to get to the top part to get a better view of the whole installation. It was gorgeous. Up there wasn't too crowded as the first few rows so we had the chance to stretch out our feet across the empty seats, sit back and chill as we soaked in the sight and sounds. The breeze from bay was perfect as it gently brushed our faces. Great way to relax your mind and oh did i mention wallet?... as all these are free. Well, except for the food and rides which aren't too pricey either.
Nina opted to stay in the bleachers as her knees were hurting and didn't want to get in the crowd again so it was just me and Casey who went down and checked out the lanterns up close.
Casey was mesmerized by the different colorful, oversized lanterns. He wanted to go up the white lit bridge, gaze at the blooming action of wall-mounted mammoth flowers, and probe the different animal-shaped lanterns. He managed to name a few of the creatures and fruits and obviously had a great time. After re-hydrating he even wanted to go back for more. It was heart-warming to see families and individuals spending time with one another sharing stories and laughters. Before we left, I saw this Singaporean family of seven who were descending the stairs. The dad, who was ahead, was holding on to the two boys. Followed by the eldest sister, then the mother. The grandpa who was behind, slightly bent over and the youngest boy jumped on and piggybacked. Like them we were all smiles as we left.
Fun night. Great place. Incredible experience.
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