As the Lunar New Year approaches, Chinatown in Singapore is adorned with its annual street light-up, a visual spectacle that usually marks the beginning of festive celebrations.
However, this year’s decorations, particularly a dragon lantern, have become the subject of intense scrutiny and critique from netizens, raising questions about cultural representation and artistic choices.
The Dragon Lantern Unveiling
The Facebook page Complaint Singapore shared a photo of the dragon lantern on Thursday (Jan 18), and within a day, the post amassed over 2,100 likes and 800 comments, as well as almost 1,000 shares.
The caption accompanying the photo simply stated, “The Chinatown Dragon is up. I don’t want to comment. You all see for yourself,” and saw for themselves the netizens did.
The public response to the dragon lantern has been notably diverse, with some expressing enthusiasm for the traditional symbol, while others voiced criticism and discontent. Some illustrated the perceived similarities between the dragon and Kazuhito Kosaka, the Japanese comedian otherwise known as Pikotaro, behind the viral meme song PPAP, Pen Pineapple Apple Pen.
Netizens’ comments
- I have an apple, I have a pen. Uh pineapple.Â
- I’ve never seen a dragon before but I’m quite sure this is not it
- Looks like shrek with a dragon’s mouth
- The horns looks like a pair of woman’s legs spread openÂ
- Who approved oneÂ
- The weird look only comes out after assembly.  It need some modifications every year to make it great. Let wait for the dragon to undergo plastic surgery before CNY Day
- Look like one of the minister face.Â
- Aiya you guys yearly also got comments one la . You guys know how to design so well why not you go and design ? Appreciate the effort made by the designer instead of giving out bullshits comment . -.-
- Is it the same supplier as previous years ? What is the tender criteria ?
- Poor finishing the dragon eyes look like human eyes
- From far, its looks like a man’s face with mustache.
