Singapores cultural magnificence comes alive each year in Chingay Parade Singapore. It gives vibrancy to Singapores multi-cultural milieu with spirited performances from Singaporeans as well as international artists, beautifully constructed floats and grand props, bringing people from all walks of life together.

In this years Chingay Parade Singapore, held on 22nd and 23rd February, 65 students from GIIS Queenstown Campus participated as part of the Queenstown Community Centre (CC) performance which included a float based on the theme of Cantonese Opera. This was yet another precious occasion for GIIS to be a part of Chingay Parade Singapore. GIIS student performers enjoyed the training and guidance provided by members of Queenstown CC. Ms Teo Lin Lee, Chairperson for Queenstown Arts & Culture Committee and also Opera lead actress and troupe leader said, "Art & Culture has no boundary. I have enjoyed working with GIIS students and teachers. They are very supportive and understanding. Our Artistic Director, Mr Ong, Opera Troupe leader, Mdm Lam and I spent countless hours training and rehearsing with them over 3-4 months. We tailored the costumes and specially acquired accessories to make our participants look stunning. We have come to better understand each other through bonding and interaction. I am happy the Chingay experience has been successfully achieved."

The word Chingay means the art of masquerade in the Hokkien dialect. Chingay Parade Singapore has come a long way from the first festival in 1973 and has now grown grew to a stunning extravaganza of colours representing the cultural diversity of Singapore. The theme of the 21st Chingay Parade was Fire in Snow, with the fire representing resilience, bravery, perseverance and determination and the snow, in contrast, representing challenges and hardships.

The Guest of Honour on February 22 was BG Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, while the Guest of Honour on February 23 was the President of Singapore, Dr Tony Tan. The President was accompanied by Mr Yaacob Ibrahim, Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Action Party and Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. The Chingay Parade Singapore 2013 consisted of over 3000 participants, including 1000 musicians found through the social media alone. The oldest performer was 92 years old. The parade started with the anchor presenting the history of Chingay Parade followed by the pre parade which consisted of the ukulele and choir contingent, comprising of 1500 ukulele musicians with the choir led by 10-year-old Samuel Yuen Hao. The pre parade also had the peppy Oscar winning song Jai ho.

On both days, the main parade began with over 3000 performers lighted the firepots along the entire 350m parade route and transforming it into an ocean of fire. Highlights included ethnic dances by Malay and Indian communities of Singapore. The dance by the Indian community centered around the Indian legend of Naga Raja, the king of snakes while the Malay performance consisted of dances representing love and respect for parents in the Malay culture. The international segments comprised of performances by people from Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Korea and France. The Japanese Item, named Matsuri Japan consisted of a 350-strong contingent. The Indonesian performance had about 200 people performing exotic Borneo dance wearing traditional costumes.

The Community Celebrates Chingay segment highlighted the community spirit expressed by groups representing different GRCs, CDCs, PA Councils and Community organizations. The parade ended with the chant of the Chingay cheer from every person in the F1 pit followed by spectacular fireworks lighting up the sky with their multitude of colors.

Bushra Kareem, IB Year 1 student from GIIS Queenstown Campus who was delighted to be a part of Chingay Parade, said, "It was an amazing experience to perform with the Queenstown CC members who were so enthusiastic about training us. For me and my friends, it was a unique feeling to be one with Singapore. Chingay Parade will carry wonderful lifelong memories for us."

"Participation in Singapores cultural extravaganza Chingay Parade by our students is part of the ongoing community engagement undertaken at GIIS. We are very happy that our students could experience the joy of sharing a platform which showcases the best of Singapore," said Mr Rajiv Vasudeva, Country Director (Singapore), GIIS.

Link to view images of Chingay Parade Singapore 2013:
https://picasaweb.google.com/GIISQueenstown/GIISStudentsParticipateInChingayParade
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