Chinatown is welcoming what looks like a "peachy" Year of the Monkey with a display of 2,668 handcrafted lanterns, including those in the shape of peaches, monkeys and gold coins.

From Saturday, visitors to the area can shop for New Year goods in a street bazaar or enjoy nightly performances of festive songs and cultural music. Organised by the Kreta Ayer- Kim Seng Citizens' Consultative Committee, the $2 million Chinese New Year Celebrations 2016 is expecting some two million visitors.

Dr Lily Neo, who is MP for the Jalan Besar GRC that Chinatown is part of, said of Chinese New Year: "It is a festive occasion enjoyed and appreciated not only by the Chinese community, but also other racial communities, as well as tourists in Singapore."