River Hongbao kicks off with a bang

A lantern showcasing this year's animal according to the Chinese zodiac - the Rat. Wind percussion ensemble Reverberance took the stage at last night's opening ceremony. A towering lantern of Cai Shen Ye, the God of Wealth, at the floating platform. — Visitors to River Hongbao at The Float@Marina Bay tonight can catch six minutes of fireworks that kick off at midnight. From tomorrow until Feb 1, nightly fireworks to cap off the event will last for at least three minutes. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

A lantern showcasing this year's animal according to the Chinese zodiac - the Rat. Wind percussion ensemble Reverberance took the stage at last night's opening ceremony. A towering lantern of Cai Shen Ye, the God of Wealth, at the floating platform. — Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and Mr Tan Aik Hock (left), chairman of the River Hongbao 2020 organising committee and president of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA), at the launch of this year's River Hongbao at The Float@Marina Bay yesterday. The annual Chinese New Year event, which features food, performances, games and giant lanterns, is organised by the SFCCA, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Singapore Press Holdings' Chinese Media Group, Singapore Tourism Board and People's Association. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

A lantern showcasing this year's animal according to the Chinese zodiac - the Rat. Wind percussion ensemble Reverberance took the stage at last night's opening ceremony. A towering lantern of Cai Shen Ye, the God of Wealth, at the floating platform. — A towering lantern of Cai Shen Ye, the God of Wealth, at the floating platform. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

A lantern showcasing this year's animal according to the Chinese zodiac - the Rat. Wind percussion ensemble Reverberance took the stage at last night's opening ceremony. A towering lantern of Cai Shen Ye, the God of Wealth, at the floating platform. — A lantern showcasing this year's animal according to the Chinese zodiac - the Rat. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

A lantern showcasing this year's animal according to the Chinese zodiac - the Rat. Wind percussion ensemble Reverberance took the stage at last night's opening ceremony. A towering lantern of Cai Shen Ye, the God of Wealth, at the floating platform. — Wind percussion ensemble Reverberance took the stage at last night's opening ceremony. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

A lantern showcasing this year's animal according to the Chinese zodiac - the Rat. Wind percussion ensemble Reverberance took the stage at last night's opening ceremony. A towering lantern of Cai Shen Ye, the God of Wealth, at the floating platform. — A performance by the Wahaha Art Troupe from China. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Updated

Published

Jan 24, 2020, 05:00 AM

The annual River Hongbao event - an integral part of the country's Chinese New Year celebrations - was officially launched yesterday by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, who described this year's edition as special. It is a 'true reflection of the #SingaporeTogether movement', he said, as the organising team is led by various community groups and partners, instead of being helmed by MPs as in previous years.

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