CNY 2024: Hunting down Singapore's dragons in the BYD Atto 3
08 Feb 2024|7,950 views
Dragons.
The very symbol of majestic mystique and mythology. The centrepiece of (antiquated) tales involving knights, castles and damsels in distress - yet also the object of valorisation and fascination of bygone Chinese dynasties. Considering the rich history of the Chinese community in Singapore, it makes complete sense that dragons hold significance here too.
But in a cityscape that too often feels like it has traded intangible heritage for outright modernity, one cannot help but feel that the image of these serpentine beasts is dwindling into the background of Singaporean consciousness. Curated greenery, and high-rise concrete and glass are in. Consequently, everything else has taken a backseat.
Nonetheless, the past is not erased so easily, and dragons are still to be found if one slows down, and digs deep. There's no better time to do that than now, too; we're in the Year of the Dragon after all.
On this note, it would only make sense to take an appropriately-inspired chariot - or four-wheeled dragon, some may say - out to ferry us around on our adventure.
Did you know that the front of the BYD Atto 3 was inspired by a dragon's face?
In case you didn't realise it, the all-electric BYD Atto 3 wears a 'Dragon Face' front. Its two slim and curved headlights connect in a single LED strip - and it's not a stretch to say they do resemble the creature's eyes if you squint. Come round to the rear, too, and you'll see the panels covering the D-pillars patterned in a manner that evokes a dragon's scales. Cool stuff, eh?
But with that - let's get back to the promised programming…
1) The hidden dragon: Dragon Playground, AMK Avenue 3
We start our adventure somewhere off the beaten track - with a dragon made of steel and bricks, curled up on soft rubber.
You might be familiar with its more famous brother (which we'll get to in just a bit), but nestled quietly - and unexpectedly - in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 is a less ostentatious iteration: Of the Dragon Playground.
Beyond the hype created around these playgrounds during Singapore's Golden Jubilee, sinking one's teeth into their history opens an interesting window into the government's shifting approach to our housing estates back then.
Apparently finding issue with the heavily functional designs of playgrounds in the 1960s (read: comprising bog-standard slides, swings and see-saws), a new series of HDB-designed and built playgrounds were introduced in the 1970s, in a bid to "encourage more engaging, imaginative play".
The Dragon Playground featured heavily as part of this series, and owes its design to the masterful pen of HDB architect, Mr. Khor Ean Ghee. Most of us know it for its circular spine, but the two concrete slides (very slippery by the way - we tried) also form crucial pieces of the larger puzzle.
One can only imagine how delighted Singaporean kids from the seventies and eighties were at this sight…
2) The original dragon: Toa Payoh Dragon Playground
It's 1984, a group of friends cruise along Kim Keat Link en route to Toa Payoh. The five-year-old terrazzo-tiled dragon playground made an affable nod in their direction as they turned right to enter the estate.
Even from a distance, insulated by the tempered glass windows of their car, the peals of laughter from children basking in the fun of the sandpit and climbing through the colourful rings of the dragon's body, could be heard.
40 years on, we set off on the same route in the Atto 3. When the dragon-inspired head lights locked gaze with the dragon playground, there was a sure electrifying charge of energy that surged through the air.
Some things never change, just as how the test of time has not quelled the magnificence of this original dragon.
The Dragon Playground at Lorong 6 Toa Payoh was built in 1979; today, it stands as a rightful marker on the Toa Payoh Heritage trail
The Dragon Playground at Lorong 6 Toa Payoh has sat on the same site for 45 years. While similar iterations of varying sizes and configurations have sprung up in other HDB playgrounds, this landmark remains a beloved icon for many residents.
What's little known to young Singaporeans today is how the Red Dragon serves symbolically as the spiritual successor to an earlier dragon design installed at the Toa Payoh Town Garden. The place is now known as Toa Payoh Town Park.
The playground has surely and quietly inked its place in Singapore's chronicles. This very ground was host to a carnival, games and performances for the neighbourhood residents when Singapore turned 50 in 2015.
On 23 March 2023, the National Heritage Board (NHB) put the iconic Toa Payoh Dragon playground on the Toa Payoh Heritage trail. It was one of two newly marked trail sites, alongside Block 53 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh, which was visited by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1972.
3) The ancient dragon: Whampoa Dragon Fountain Statue
"Look out for the dragon - and you can't miss my home", the residents at one particular Whampoa estate used to say. Or at least that's what this newspaper article, dated all the way back to 19 August 1974, states.
Yes. That's how old the Whampoa Dragon Fountain Statue is - exactly 50 years in 2024 - if ever your post-brunch treks take you into its sleepy environs. (Whampoa Food Centre is a stone's throw away.)
Standing 4.8-metres tall, the statue was constructed by the HDB for the residents of Balestier Estate back in an era where flats didn't cost buyers an arm and two legs, and as its name suggests, used to be able to shoot water out of its mouth.
The entire structure has since been dried out and covered in grass, but despite it being unmistakably weathered by the decades, it's still no less wonderful to behold in person. We wish we looked this good at 50.
Once a lively water fountain, the Whampoa Dragon Fountain Statue has not lost its shine: Go up close and and you'll find the answer in its scales
As a fun fact, come very close to the statue and you'll get to see its individual scales: In red, green and pink, and apparently made from broken China rice bowls. Very cool.
Clearly a product of its time, it's hard to imagine something like this being constructed in some upcoming, cookie-cutter estate like Tengah or Punggol. And for that, it holds special significance.
4) The dragon to end all dragons: Chinatown's annual festive decorations
And, of course, Chinatown! You can't possibly miss out on the place with an existence synonymous with Chinese New Year.
If you're driving in from Cross Street, expect to be greeted by a majestic centrepiece: A lantern dragon holding a pearl between its teeth. This dragon, which has the eyes of a human, floats above a pile of scattered ingots and gold coins, and is surrounded by orange trees and snapdragon flowers.
All these are symbolically auspicious, and meant to usher in more growth and prosperity for Singapore. But this year's instalments invite us to do more: Decipher the hidden messages in a three-piece storyboard. We'll leave you to uncover them on your visit to Chinatown (one hint though: 'Soaring into the Auspicious Dragon Year' is this year's theme).
Keen to support sustainability efforts? Adopt a repurposed lantern, if you'd like!
What's perhaps more impressive is the people behind these elaborate displays. For the 13th consecutive year, the Chinatown Festival Committee teamed up with 13 students from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to create the remarkable designs for the Chinatown CNY celebrations 2024.
Also, the 'Adopt a Lantern' initiative will mark its 10th year run, having driven sustainability efforts since 2014. If you choose to take part, you may walk home with a repurposed street lantern, free of charge.
But first, register your interest on Chinatown Festivals' Instagram and Facebook, between 22 February and 1 March 2024!
5) The edible dragon: Flying Dragon Noodles, Pasir Ris Hawker Centre
What would a dragon-hunting adventure be like without some food thrown into the picture?
Your eyes will certainly have their fill when it comes to sights and sounds to delve into, but your stomachs won't be left hanging either if you want to remain on-theme.
The basic building block of a plate of Flying Dragon Noodles isn't that out of the ordinary if we're being honest - just the crispy sort of sheng mian (translated directly into 'raw noodles') you get at zi char places.
It's how this sheng mian is presented, however, that steals the show: Moulded to rise up into the air, and with a pair of chopsticks stuck into them, to create the illusion of levitation.
Still, you'll be happy to note that the Flying Dragon Noodles do not just delight visually, but in a culinary sense too. The gravy on the standard order is just as you'll get with any other hor fun - but it's the Chilli Crab Sauce here that takes the cake: Tangy and sweet in equal measure, with just a light amount of spice. (You can opt for either Prawn and Lala, or Crayfish if you're feeling a bit more indulgent, and order man tou on the side!)
If you're ever in the area and craving for something visually sensational, give the Flying Dragon Noodles a try!
As a note of caution (and as another amusing aside), take note that the opening times may sometimes deviate from what's stated on Google.
We arrived at around 1:30pm - and were initially dismayed to find the shutters down. Then, just as everyone had stopped wallowing in self-pity and started ordering their own meals, the lights started coming on. A metaphor for the new year perhaps! (That even if things start off on bad note, don't write them off too quickly.)
May you soar like the dragon this new year
In Chinese culture, the dragon is believed to be a mythical symbol of good luck and exceptionalism. It is why it's revered and treated with utmost importance when the Year of the Dragon descends upon us once every 12 years.
Age-old beliefs aside, how would you define your relationship with the dragon?
This CNY, we seek out the hidden myth, and soak in the stateliness of the ancient creature that has fallen gracefully into an eternal slumber in Whampoa.
We pause for a breath of nostalgia and allow ourselves to run towards the childhood we once had. We also feed our tummies silly with some flying dragon noodles (not meat, fortunately).
Of these, which type of dragon suits your fancy? Or, how about taking a pick on something you wouldn't normally bet on and see what rewards await you?
In the meantime, the Sgcarmart Editorial Team wishes you a joyful Chinese New Year filled with good health and good fun!
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Dragons.
The very symbol of majestic mystique and mythology. The centrepiece of (antiquated) tales involving knights, castles and damsels in distress - yet also the object of valorisation and fascination of bygone Chinese dynasties. Considering the rich history of the Chinese community in Singapore, it makes complete sense that dragons hold significance here too.
But in a cityscape that too often feels like it has traded intangible heritage for outright modernity, one cannot help but feel that the image of these serpentine beasts is dwindling into the background of Singaporean consciousness. Curated greenery, and high-rise concrete and glass are in. Consequently, everything else has taken a backseat.
Nonetheless, the past is not erased so easily, and dragons are still to be found if one slows down, and digs deep. There's no better time to do that than now, too; we're in the Year of the Dragon after all.
On this note, it would only make sense to take an appropriately-inspired chariot - or four-wheeled dragon, some may say - out to ferry us around on our adventure.
Did you know that the front of the BYD Atto 3 was inspired by a dragon's face?
In case you didn't realise it, the all-electric BYD Atto 3 wears a 'Dragon Face' front. Its two slim and curved headlights connect in a single LED strip - and it's not a stretch to say they do resemble the creature's eyes if you squint. Come round to the rear, too, and you'll see the panels covering the D-pillars patterned in a manner that evokes a dragon's scales. Cool stuff, eh?
But with that - let's get back to the promised programming…
1) The hidden dragon: Dragon Playground, AMK Avenue 3
We start our adventure somewhere off the beaten track - with a dragon made of steel and bricks, curled up on soft rubber.
You might be familiar with its more famous brother (which we'll get to in just a bit), but nestled quietly - and unexpectedly - in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 is a less ostentatious iteration: Of the Dragon Playground.
Beyond the hype created around these playgrounds during Singapore's Golden Jubilee, sinking one's teeth into their history opens an interesting window into the government's shifting approach to our housing estates back then.
Apparently finding issue with the heavily functional designs of playgrounds in the 1960s (read: comprising bog-standard slides, swings and see-saws), a new series of HDB-designed and built playgrounds were introduced in the 1970s, in a bid to "encourage more engaging, imaginative play".
The Dragon Playground featured heavily as part of this series, and owes its design to the masterful pen of HDB architect, Mr. Khor Ean Ghee. Most of us know it for its circular spine, but the two concrete slides (very slippery by the way - we tried) also form crucial pieces of the larger puzzle.
One can only imagine how delighted Singaporean kids from the seventies and eighties were at this sight…
2) The original dragon: Toa Payoh Dragon Playground
It's 1984, a group of friends cruise along Kim Keat Link en route to Toa Payoh. The five-year-old terrazzo-tiled dragon playground made an affable nod in their direction as they turned right to enter the estate.
Even from a distance, insulated by the tempered glass windows of their car, the peals of laughter from children basking in the fun of the sandpit and climbing through the colourful rings of the dragon's body, could be heard.
40 years on, we set off on the same route in the Atto 3. When the dragon-inspired head lights locked gaze with the dragon playground, there was a sure electrifying charge of energy that surged through the air.
Some things never change, just as how the test of time has not quelled the magnificence of this original dragon.
The Dragon Playground at Lorong 6 Toa Payoh was built in 1979; today, it stands as a rightful marker on the Toa Payoh Heritage trail
The Dragon Playground at Lorong 6 Toa Payoh has sat on the same site for 45 years. While similar iterations of varying sizes and configurations have sprung up in other HDB playgrounds, this landmark remains a beloved icon for many residents.
What's little known to young Singaporeans today is how the Red Dragon serves symbolically as the spiritual successor to an earlier dragon design installed at the Toa Payoh Town Garden. The place is now known as Toa Payoh Town Park.
The playground has surely and quietly inked its place in Singapore's chronicles. This very ground was host to a carnival, games and performances for the neighbourhood residents when Singapore turned 50 in 2015.
On 23 March 2023, the National Heritage Board (NHB) put the iconic Toa Payoh Dragon playground on the Toa Payoh Heritage trail. It was one of two newly marked trail sites, alongside Block 53 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh, which was visited by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1972.
3) The ancient dragon: Whampoa Dragon Fountain Statue
"Look out for the dragon - and you can't miss my home", the residents at one particular Whampoa estate used to say. Or at least that's what this newspaper article, dated all the way back to 19 August 1974, states.
Yes. That's how old the Whampoa Dragon Fountain Statue is - exactly 50 years in 2024 - if ever your post-brunch treks take you into its sleepy environs. (Whampoa Food Centre is a stone's throw away.)
Standing 4.8-metres tall, the statue was constructed by the HDB for the residents of Balestier Estate back in an era where flats didn't cost buyers an arm and two legs, and as its name suggests, used to be able to shoot water out of its mouth.
The entire structure has since been dried out and covered in grass, but despite it being unmistakably weathered by the decades, it's still no less wonderful to behold in person. We wish we looked this good at 50.
Once a lively water fountain, the Whampoa Dragon Fountain Statue has not lost its shine: Go up close and and you'll find the answer in its scales
As a fun fact, come very close to the statue and you'll get to see its individual scales: In red, green and pink, and apparently made from broken China rice bowls. Very cool.
Clearly a product of its time, it's hard to imagine something like this being constructed in some upcoming, cookie-cutter estate like Tengah or Punggol. And for that, it holds special significance.
4) The dragon to end all dragons: Chinatown's annual festive decorations
And, of course, Chinatown! You can't possibly miss out on the place with an existence synonymous with Chinese New Year.
If you're driving in from Cross Street, expect to be greeted by a majestic centrepiece: A lantern dragon holding a pearl between its teeth. This dragon, which has the eyes of a human, floats above a pile of scattered ingots and gold coins, and is surrounded by orange trees and snapdragon flowers.
All these are symbolically auspicious, and meant to usher in more growth and prosperity for Singapore. But this year's instalments invite us to do more: Decipher the hidden messages in a three-piece storyboard. We'll leave you to uncover them on your visit to Chinatown (one hint though: 'Soaring into the Auspicious Dragon Year' is this year's theme).
Keen to support sustainability efforts? Adopt a repurposed lantern, if you'd like!
What's perhaps more impressive is the people behind these elaborate displays. For the 13th consecutive year, the Chinatown Festival Committee teamed up with 13 students from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to create the remarkable designs for the Chinatown CNY celebrations 2024.
Also, the 'Adopt a Lantern' initiative will mark its 10th year run, having driven sustainability efforts since 2014. If you choose to take part, you may walk home with a repurposed street lantern, free of charge.
But first, register your interest on Chinatown Festivals' Instagram and Facebook, between 22 February and 1 March 2024!
5) The edible dragon: Flying Dragon Noodles, Pasir Ris Hawker Centre
What would a dragon-hunting adventure be like without some food thrown into the picture?
Your eyes will certainly have their fill when it comes to sights and sounds to delve into, but your stomachs won't be left hanging either if you want to remain on-theme.
The basic building block of a plate of Flying Dragon Noodles isn't that out of the ordinary if we're being honest - just the crispy sort of sheng mian (translated directly into 'raw noodles') you get at zi char places.
It's how this sheng mian is presented, however, that steals the show: Moulded to rise up into the air, and with a pair of chopsticks stuck into them, to create the illusion of levitation.
Still, you'll be happy to note that the Flying Dragon Noodles do not just delight visually, but in a culinary sense too. The gravy on the standard order is just as you'll get with any other hor fun - but it's the Chilli Crab Sauce here that takes the cake: Tangy and sweet in equal measure, with just a light amount of spice. (You can opt for either Prawn and Lala, or Crayfish if you're feeling a bit more indulgent, and order man tou on the side!)
If you're ever in the area and craving for something visually sensational, give the Flying Dragon Noodles a try!
As a note of caution (and as another amusing aside), take note that the opening times may sometimes deviate from what's stated on Google.
We arrived at around 1:30pm - and were initially dismayed to find the shutters down. Then, just as everyone had stopped wallowing in self-pity and started ordering their own meals, the lights started coming on. A metaphor for the new year perhaps! (That even if things start off on bad note, don't write them off too quickly.)
May you soar like the dragon this new year
In Chinese culture, the dragon is believed to be a mythical symbol of good luck and exceptionalism. It is why it's revered and treated with utmost importance when the Year of the Dragon descends upon us once every 12 years.
Age-old beliefs aside, how would you define your relationship with the dragon?
This CNY, we seek out the hidden myth, and soak in the stateliness of the ancient creature that has fallen gracefully into an eternal slumber in Whampoa.
We pause for a breath of nostalgia and allow ourselves to run towards the childhood we once had. We also feed our tummies silly with some flying dragon noodles (not meat, fortunately).
Of these, which type of dragon suits your fancy? Or, how about taking a pick on something you wouldn't normally bet on and see what rewards await you?
In the meantime, the Sgcarmart Editorial Team wishes you a joyful Chinese New Year filled with good health and good fun!
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
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