SINGAPORE: Larger-than-life light displays, fashioned after traditional Malay icons, will be at the heart of the annual Hari Raya Light Up when it returns to Geylang Serai later this month, organisers of the light-up said on Wednesday (May 15).
The centrepiece of the light-up will incorporate a kampung, “as if welcoming visitors to a traditional Malay home of yesteryear,” the organisers said in a media release.
Other installations include a 4.4-metre-tall wau, or Kelantanese kite, as well as a 12-metre-wide kelong and sampan, which will form the main stage area for free weekend performances and movie screenings.
An artist’s impression of the 4-metre high wau, or kite installation at the Hari Raya Light-Up 2017. (Photo: Hari Raya Light-Up 2017 Organising Committee)
The 2.25km light-up, which spans Sims Avenue and Changi Road, will comprise over 900,000 LED lights in all.
In addition to the 13-metre-high main arches, there will be 55 sub-arches, each nine metres high, as well as decorations on two overhead bridges.
Artist’s impression of the Hari Raya Light-Up 2017. (Photo: Hari Raya Light-Up 2017 Organising Committee)
There will also be a temporary exhibition, housed in a structure that mimics the weave of a ketupat, or rice dumpling, to educate the public about the history of Hari Raya and of the Geylang Serai area.
An artist’s impression of the exhibition area at Hari Raya Light-Up 2017. (Photo: Hari Raya Light-Up 2017 Organising Committee)
The annual Geylang Serai bazaar will return as well, with more than 1,000 shops selling snacks including candy floss burritos, “poke bowls” and “rainbow planet” ice cream buns, organisers said.
The bazaar spans the areas around Geylang Serai market, Joo Chiat Complex and along Haig Road, and runs from May 25 to Jun 24.
There will also be cultural performances every weekend between May 20 and Jul 7 near Kampong Kembangan Community Club, as well as free screenings of P Ramlee films.
Another highlight is a mass break fast session on 17 Jun, in which new citizens will be invited to break fast alongside the locals to better understand the meaning behind Hari Raya, organisers said.
“While being a platform for commemorating Ramadan, the annual Hari Raya Light-Up also provides an opportunity for local and international visitors alike to explore the precinct and understand more about the Malay culture in Singapore,” chairman of Hari Raya Light-Up 2017 organising committee Dr Teo Cheng Swee said in the media release.
The annual light-up runs from May 20 to Jul 7.
