Organising committee clarifies photos of Chinese New Year decorations in Chinatown

Update on Feb 10:

The Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations 2021 Organising Committee (2021年牛车水农历新年庆祝活动筹委会) has explained the photos.

They told Stomp: "We understand that the photos were taken on Tuesday, 2 February 2021, at around 10pm.

"Our appointed contractor was in the midst of doing maintenance and repair works at that time and the lanterns were being taken down and replaced in batches.

"We would like to assure Lin and the other readers that the phrases were in order upon the completion of the changeover."

Original article:

Chinatown's festivals and their decorations can't seem to catch a break from controversy.

Remember a Chinese New Year mascot at Chinatown Point coming under fire earlier this year?

Some might also recall a careless mistake on a signboard at the Garden Bridge for 2019's Lunar New Year, or how Mid-Autumn Festival ornaments were taken down at South Bridge Road after being deemed to have unsuitable greetings that same year.

Well, it seems like another boo-boo has been made, according to photos that Stomper Lin shared.

Lin was in Chinatown on Tuesday (Feb 2), at around 10pm, when she noticed a mix-up in the greetings being displayed by some ornaments.

She said: "There is a mistake in these greetings at Chinatown because 大吉大利 (da ji da li) became 大吉如意 (da ji ru yi) and 吉祥如意 (ji xiang ru yi) became 吉祥大利 (ji xiang da li).

The greetings are supposed to say:

1. 大吉大利 (da ji da li): An idiom to wish for great luck and everything to be auspicious and smooth-sailing.

2. 吉祥如意 (ji xiang ru yi): An idiom for everything to be auspicious and go as well as you wish.

Both might have similar meanings but being idioms, each set of four words are not interchangeable.

Both phrases are common Chinese New Year greetings.

Lin added: "Such mistakes shouldn't be made. It's a joke."

Stomp has contacted Chinatown Festivals for more info.