River Hongbao, arguably Singapore’s largest Chinese New Year event, is setting its sights on the younger generation this year.

The event is expected to draw more than one million visitors, and coincides with Singapore’s bicentennial year, which marks 200 years since Sir Stamford Raffles first set foot on our shores.

Visitors to the River Hongbao can expect to see their signature displays of traditional Chinese zodiac animals and other hallmarks, like the Fountain of Wealth.

There will also be an 18m tall God of Fortune lantern and 10 other colourful set pieces of lucky charms around the floating platform.

12-minute fireworks, interactive exhibitions, and more

This year, however, will also see a slightly different programme due to the bicentennial celebrations.

An interactive exhibition which charts the history and development of the Singapore River will be held on a large junk boat, where visitors can board and explore:

There will also be a 60m long scroll marking key points in the founding of modern Singapore, and includes scenes such as Sang Nila Utama naming the island as well as our UNESCO-listed Botanic Gardens.

Another highlight will be the 12-minute long firework displays by pyrotechnics experts from Australia, China, USA and Italy.

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历时11天的第32届春到河畔，在欢腾气氛中，昨晚正式划上了完美句点。🎉 春到河畔将于2019年再次与大家见面。届时更多惊喜将粉墨登场，与大家一同欢庆这传统佳节！明年见！😊 River Hongbao 2018 Grand Finale; The 11-day Lunar New Year Celebrations at River Hongbao 2018 ended on a High Note yesterday night! 🎉 River Hongbao has been an integral tradition of Singapore’s Chinese New Year celebrations, and will continue to bring more surprises to its visitors as it returns in 2019. See you next year!🎉

A post shared by River Hongbao 春到河畔 2020 (@riverhongbao) on Feb 25, 2018 at 12:07am PST

These displays will take place on four nights -- February 3, 4, 9 and 10, and each night's display will be different.

Furthermore, the organising committee's goal this year, apart from spreading the message of the bicentennial year, is to "make sure that River Hongbao is relevant to our new generation of Singaporeans".

Here are some of the ways that River Hongbao has reinvented itself attract a younger crowd.

1) OOTD photo challenge

Visitors are invited to submit their best Chinese New Year outfits with the River Hongbao as a backdrop, and they take part by uploading their pictures on Instagram.

Winning entries can look forward to prizes such as staycations around Marina Bay, and also the grand prize of business class air tickets to New York, courtesy of Singapore Airlines.

2) Online games with attractive prizes

Digital platforms will also be created where young people can take part in the festivities online.

For instance, "Huat Ah! RHB" is an online game that takes a new spin on the tradition of packing red packets during Chinese New Year, where players who successfully pack the required amount in the given time will stand to win prizes like Comfort Delgro promo codes and Ez-link cards.

The game is expected to be available from February 2.

Additionally, participants can also release lanterns on River Hongbao's Facebook page, with the option of choosing from pre-programmed messages and dedicating them to their loved ones.

3) Hackathon

This year will also be the first time River Hongbao organises an entrepreneurship hackathon, where youths in tertiary education form teams to come up with innovative business plans.

Three winning teams will get the chance to sell their wares at the River Hongbao stalls, and part of the profits will be donated to charity.

4) Performances and entertainment

The organising committee has also engaged young talents such as Joanna Dong, Lorong Boys (a local instrumental band that went viral after performing in an MRT train in 2014), and winners of local singing competition S-Pop,

Admission is free.

Address:

The Float @ Marina Bay. 20 Raffles Ave, Singapore 039805.

Opening Hours:

2pm to 11pm daily

Closing hours are extended till 1am on Feb 4 (eve of Chinese New Year)

Top image by River Hongbaao