Year of the Ox decorations: Many post photos and crack jokes online

Singapore — With Chinese New Year (CNY) around the corner, it is no surprise that the nation is getting into a celebratory mood.

As with every year, CNY means bright lights, red lanterns and many zodiac-related decorations lining the roads in Chinatown. Last year’s decorations featured neatly strung lanterns across the streets, as well as light parades of the 2020 zodiac, the Rat.

This year, however, the decorations are more unorthodox — herds of cows.

Plastic cows are lining the streets of Chinatown, along Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road. With the first sightings of the herds on Monday (Jan 4), many photos have been taken, shared and posted.

Those sharing this unusual sight are joking that Chinatown now has a farm. Given that the Mandarin name for Chinatown is translated literally to “ox-cart water”, many are amused by the aptness of the decorations.

Comments such as ‘Chinatown has added a new ox farm’ has popped up among many community groups. Many have also turned to make cow-related puns.

While some of those online found this an “amoozing” sight to behold, others were more critical of the direction that this year’s decorations have taken. With comments such as ‘Who is the designer? Does not look good at all’ and ‘So many cows!! Why is this year’s creativity so bad *sighs*’.

The ox decorations are just the start to the festivities lined up for CNY, which falls on Feb 12 and 13. Are there more decorations planned, or is Chinatown finally embracing its name of “Oxcart Street”?

Additionally, the annual Chinese New Year Bazaar will not be happening this year. The Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee, who is the organising party, has announced that there will be no bazaar due to concerns about crowd control during the pandemic. This is the first time that it has been cancelled.

Many shop owners who usually operate at the bazaar have no plans to move to digital platforms. Some cite that they do not have the technical ability to shift online, while others fear the competition from pre-existing online sellers.

Nonetheless, while this year’s festivities may be vastly different than what most are used to, there is no doubt that the occasion will remain joyous.

Until it starts, do keep a lookout for the cattle farm!

Denise Teh is an editorial intern at The Independent SG./TISG