The Lunar New Year sees the celebration of Spring. Seasonal dishes that symbolize and embrace the coming of Spring adore tables. Rituals and customs to welcome the New Year and invite wealth and prosperity are practiced across Asia. What is a celebration without the celebration of music and culture?

Huayi Festival adds the cultural element to the celebrations. Seven years in the running, the Chinese festival of the arts injects a dose of Chinese culture at the start of Spring.

Featuring an array of art forms with both local and international artists, this year’s program takes on a contemporary twist. Indie kids are in for a treat with performances by Taiwanese Indie singers and bands such as Lu Guang Zhong and Wonfu, to the combination of Chinese Opera meeting animation. Visual art lovers are treated to traditional calligraphy with a twist, as they take on 3-dimensional forms as Chua Boon Kee turns Chinese characters into sculptures to welcome Spring.

Avid theatre goers are treated to a series of international contemporary plays including Design for Living. Veteran actress director Sylvia Chang is placed side by side popular idol Joseph Cheng to create comic relief amongst this financial turmoil. In light of the times ahead, the everyday man on the street is not forgotten with the festival’s free programs, providing an extensive repertoire of local talents at their best featuring performances of the season.

The Huayi Festival brings an element of Spring throughout the fifteen days of the lunar New Year.

Huayi Festival 2009
Date: January 30th – February 8th, 2009
Place: Esplanade
Address: 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 03898
https://www.huayifestival.com