Thus, they will be replaced by Wednesday (16 Sep), before the live-streamed light-up ceremony on Thursday (17 Sep). However, they were not removed in time, she added. Ms Lee also said that it had previously told contractors to remove some of the designs before production started, according to ST. On Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road, more traditional decorations will be used. These Hong Kong-style decorations are only meant for South Bridge Road. She did acknowledge, though that some seemed to be “unconventional”. 10 ornaments to be replacedĪfter the feedback, the Chinatown Festival Street Light-up Sub-Committee has said it will replace about 10 ornaments in the light-up.Ĭommittee head Jennifer Lee told The Straits Times the greetings were meant to “recreate the famous retro Hong Kong ambience”. He even asked where those “neither East nor West” Chinese experts were, saying they’re an embarrassment. He even posited that the committee used Google Translate, that’s why the signs came out like that.Īlthough Nanyang University has been shut down, its students are still around, so why didn’t the committee consult them, he questioned.Īnother netizen, Mr Ronnie Yeo, decried that Singapore’s Chinese-language level had plunged to great depths. In a Facebook post last Saturday (12 Sep), netizen Teoh Chee Boon accused the organisers of “polluting Chinese culture”. Source Accused of polluting Chinese culture Saying that the original couplet actually came from the Ming Dynasty, he urged the tourism board to rectify the sign or we would be a laughing stock. The same annoyed netizen accused the organisers of having the guts to change writings of old just to try something new. That means when people get good news, they’re always energised, just like the moon is especially bright during Mid-Autumn. In case you’re wondering, the correct phrase is “皓月当空,星光闪烁” (Bright moon is in the sky, stars are twinkling).Īnother questionable sign is this one, which says “月到是秋分外明”, or “the moon is especially bright in autumn”.Īccording to an outraged netizen, it’s actually part of a couplet, which should read: “人逢喜事精神爽,月到中秋分外明”. He also lamented, referring to Nanyang University, a Chinese-language university that shut in 1980: “This is what happens when Nanyang University is closed down and Chinese schools are forced to fend for themselves!” One netizen said as much when he asked: “When there’s a bright moon in the sky, how could it twinkle like the stars? Only in Singapore’s Chinatown can we see such a strange sight!” If one sees the moon twinkling, it may be a cause for concern. That translates nonsensically into “the bright moon twinkles”. Then there’s this sign, which reads “皓月闪烁”. Non-traditional, awkward phrasesįor instance, this sign carries the words “亮亮堂堂”, which translates roughly to “bright and dignified” – apparently not traditionally used for the Mid-Autumn Festival.īelow, there’s a sign reading “国家欢乐”, which means “joy for the country” – a nice sentiment, but perhaps more appropriate for National Day? Words on the signs annoy netizensĪnyway, it wasn’t the execution that annoyed some netizens, but the words on the signs.įor those of us who failed Chinese in school, they probably look mostly like gibberish.īut those of us who’re actually competent in the language and versed in Chinese culture may find some of the messages on the signs awkward at best. Well, it doesn’t exactly transport us to Hong Kong, but people spent a lot of time putting them up so we should applaud the effort, we guess. Perhaps because we’re now missing travelling to Hong Kong, they’re apparently inspired by the iconic huge neon street signs found in the Chinese city. This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival light-up includes lighted signs strung across South Bridge Road, which were put up on Thursday (10 Sep). Source Inspired by Hong Kong street signs The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming, and besides being able to eat tasty mooncakes again, another highlight of the season is being able to gaze at the annual Chinatown light-up.īut the festival seems to have been ruined for some netizens, who criticised the signs in the light-up as “inappropriate” and “embarrassing” – one even accused the organisers of polluting Chinese culture.įollowing the feedback, the offending signs have been taken down. Chinatown’s Mid-Autumn Festival Light-Up Has Non-Traditional Words, Accused Of Polluting Chinese Culture
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