If there’s one parade that rules them all, it’s the Johor Bahru Chingay Parade. Often said to be one of the biggest local lunar celebrations, the annual Chingay Festival marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities and can see up to 50,000 attendees in a single day. The entire festival takes place over the course of five days, each day celebrated in a unique way.
It is a daunting task to organise an event at this scale. It takes seasoned hands to work magic into an event like this which is why the festival organiser, the JB Tiong Hua Association for the Johor Old Temple has carried the torch of this annual tradition without interruptions since the Japanese invasion of 1942.
Originally a religious tradition where temple deities are taken for a tour to bless the city with peace, harmony and good weather (for cultivation), the JB Chingay Parade has become a cultural carnival and an award-winning tourist attraction that is tied with the identity of Johor Bahru.
