Dear readers, I visited our very own Chinatown Chinese New Year Bazaar yesterday evening.
Whenever it comes to Chinese New Year, it is a must for me, an item in my to-do list for Chinese New Year to visit Chinatown and its Chinese New Year Bazaar, since young. For myself, Chinese New Year period is the time to visit Chinatown, even if it is just once-in-a-year visit there.
When I was at Chinatown Bazaar yesterday, despite being a Friday evening, there was a sizeable crowd. However, I noticed not many people were really buying Chinese New Year stuff. Also, I could not notice that the scale of the Bazaar seems somehow smaller than previous years’.
I believe Chinatown Chinese New Year Bazaar merchants have few challenges for them.
Firstly, the merchandise and food that they offer: many of these could be found in the heartland malls and even supermarkets as well.
Second, the Chinese New Year Bazaar itself: many heartlands also provide their own bazars, hence residents may not travel all the way down to Chinatown to experience Chinese New Year bazaars.
Third, this month has been rather a wet month. If the rains are to continue, potential customers to the Chinatown bazaar will be deterred from going.
Also, the number of tourists from mainland China has also reduced, this reduces another source of customers for the Chinatown Chinese New Year Bazaar.
Despite the above, I believe we should preserve Singapore’s very own Chinatown Chinese New Year Bazaar and what better way to do so, then for Singaporeans to continue patronising Chinatown Chinese New Yer bazaar (like I do so) and buying some items and snacks there!