Dragon spotting in Singapore: 6 places with dragon-themed decor to usher in Chinese New Year
From drone shows to an underwater show, here’s where you can spot some of these mythical creatures around Singapore.
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The Lion City has turned into the land of dragons. Come Feb 10, it will be the Year of the Wood Dragon, a year believed to bring about growth, progress and abundance.
To usher the new year, dragon-themed decor has been scattered all around Singapore – from Gardens by the Bay to Resorts World Sentosa.
Let’s not drag-on. Here’s where you can spot some of these mythical creatures around the island:
1. GARDENS BY THE BAY
This first dragon will be hard to miss. Wrapped around two Supertrees is a 140m-long dragon, illuminated with colours of the rainbow. Along with an 18m-tall God of Fortune, this dragon will be on display as part of the first River Hongbao in three years.
From Feb 8 to 17, you can see it for free at Gardens by the Bay’s Supertree Grove. There's also a firecracker show at 8pm on Feb 8 and Feb 10, as well as at 12am on Feb 9.
Besides that, there is a 15m-long dragon taking centre stage at the Flower Dome. This creature, which stands at almost 7m-tall, rises amid more than 1,000 dahlias of 40 varieties as part of Dahlia Dreams – Gardens by the Bay’s annual Chinese New Year floral display that runs from Jan 19 to Mar 17.
There are also four colourful dragon lantern sets, each symbolising the elements of metal, water, fire and earth, as well as British-born sculptor James Doran-Webb’s latest addition to his zodiac character series – a towering dragon sculpture made out of hardwood and recycled steel.
Visit the Gardens by the Bay website for more details on River Hongbao 2024 and Dahlia Dreams.
2. RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA
Groove with sea dragons at Singapore’s only underwater dragon dance at the Open Ocean Habitat in S.E.A. Aquarium.
The show is part of Spring In The Sea, which is held from Jan 26 to Feb 25. Divers will perform among marine life to depict the dragon conquering all oceans at 3.30pm daily.
The dragon dance party doesn’t stop there. An 88m-long LED dragon will be taking the stage at the Starlit Dragon Spectacular live performance.
The free show will be held at 7.30pm and 8.30pm from Feb 10 to 13, and Feb 16 to 18 at the Lake of Dreams of level one at the Forum.
Accompanying the dragon are five drummers symbolising the five elements in the world (Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Spirit), a soloist who will recount his narrative, a group of captivating dancers, and most importantly, the God of Fortune.
Visitors can also pose for pictures with a colourful 5m-tall dragon and eight mini dragons for free at AVE8’s Wealth Of Dragons installation.
Visit the RWS website for more details.
3. MARINA BAY SANDS
A dragon made up of 1,500 drones will soar above the Marina Bay waterfront for six days in February.
The free 10-minute drone performance, titled The Legend Of The Dragon Gate, will light up the Marina Bay sky at 8pm on Feb 6, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18 as part of a partnership between the Singapore Tourism Board, Marina Bay Sands and UOB.
Following the story of the mythical Dragon King, the show will feature themes of family reunion and perseverance, as well as symbols of luck and prosperity.
Static dragons are also present at MBS. Two large turquoise dragons loom over patrons of The Shoppes, while a scaled-down version stands guard at the hotel lobby.
There are even statues of carp, which according to Chinese legend, turn into dragons after they leap over the Dragon's Gate.
4. FUNAN
Marks of the mythical creature can be spotted all around this CapitaLand mall. Funan has partnered with director of Vertical Submarine Justin Loke for the fourth instalment of its mall-wide art activation for Singapore Art Week 2024.
The immersive experience, titled Creative Intersections: Traces Of Dragons, features 16 unique artist and brand collaborations and will run from Jan 19 to Feb 25.
Notable works include a functional decorative wood dragon by local artist tobyato, design fabricator Darren Mok and Ray-Ban, as well as audiovisual installation Genealogy by artist Ong Kian Peng and tech company Razer.
There is also an animated light art installation titled Dance Of The Dragon by creative studio Tell Your Children. The free 10-minute light show, that is accompanied by loud music, is held every 30 minutes daily from Jan 18 to Feb 4 at Level 1 Atrium of Funan.
The same installation will be displayed at Fountain Square of CQ @ Clarke Quay from Feb 7 to Feb 24, 12pm to 3am daily.
5. CHINATOWN
A dragon-spotting list wouldn’t be complete without Chinatown. Dragon dioramas will light up New Bridge Road, Eu Tong Sen Street, South Bridge Road and Upper Cross Street from 7pm to 12am until Mar 9.
With the theme Soaring Into The Auspicious Dragon Year, the festive lights include the dragon centre piece designed by 13 Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) students.
6. TOA PAYOH
Nestled in the heartlands of Singapore is a dragon many are familiar with. The Dragon Playground is a beloved landmark that dug its claws into the sandpit at Toa Payoh Lorong 6 in 1979.
It was originally designed by HDB architect Mr Khor Ean Ghee to be part of a series of animal-themed playgrounds, and has since become the inspiration behind many other dragon playgrounds and Singapore-themed goods.
