Evening Out in Chinatown

quotes-haven (71)in Steem SEA • 11 hours ago

I was out in Chinatown with a friend for dinner this past Wednesday.

Shophouses in Chinatown.

People's Park Complex - a prominent building in Chinatown.

Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Hence, Chinatown is a lot busier with many shops and a night market selling Chinese New Year cookies, and things that are associated with the New Year like decorative items, dried food, plants etc... This year seems a bit busier than previous years.

Shops selling Chinese New Year decorative items.

It was about 7pm when I arrived, and the streets were already quite crowded. It will get busier each passing day until the Eve of Chinese New Year, when the streets will be choked with people looking for bargains. Since the merchandise sold are related to Chinese New Year, most of them would be useless after the Eve of the New Year. Hence, the stall holders will try to get rid of their goods at a very good discounted price.

After dinner, my friend and I had a quick wander through the streets to have a look at what’s on sale. We spotted a café with a view of the streets and decided that it was an excellent place for people watching. We had a couple of beers and watched the world go by for a while. There seemed to be a bit more tourists this year.

The Terra café - an excellent spot for people watching.

Besides the night market, the other attraction in Chinatown at this time of the year are the lights. People go to Chinatown for New Year shopping, and to have a look at the lights, and to soak in the festive atmosphere. It is a nice way to spend an evening, making your way through the crowd and marvelling at the mouth-watering goodies, and feeling the festive vibes in the atmosphere.

This year’s Lunar New Year falls on the 17th of February 2026. It is the Year of the Fire Horse. With twelve animals and five elements, the Year of the Fire Horse comes around every 60 years and, according to Zodiac and Feng Shui masters, “tends to bring both good fortune and bad.”