Shrek or dragon? CNY decor at Chinatown has netizens cracking up

Was it modelled after Shrek the ogre, a human, or a dragon?

With Chinese New Year (CNY) just around the corner, Chinatown's annual street light-up is back.

And so are the criticism and complaints by netizens, some who have gotten pretty fired up over one dragon decor in particular.

A photo of the dragon lantern shared to Facebook page Complaint Singapore on Thursday (Jan 18) quickly garnered over 1,800 likes and 600 comments in less than a day.

"The Chinatown Dragon is up," read the post. "I don't want to comment. You all see for yourself."

Which is exactly what netizens did.

"I've never seen a dragon before but I'm quite sure this is not it," remarked a netizen.

"It's like Komodo dragon sia," said one, while another commented that the installation looks "like Shrek with a dragon's mouth".

"Oh goodness… the dragon looks like Shrek putting on a mask," a Facebook user agreed.

Some also identified the somewhat human-like features of the dragon, such as its eyes and nose.

"From far, it looks like a man's face with a moustache," one netizen opined.

"Dragon with a human face?" jested another.

Several also quipped that the dragon lantern resembles Japanese comedian Kazuhito Kosaka, who sang the viral hit song PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen) under his stage name Pikotaro. 

On the other hand, some netizens believed that the picture of the dragon was taken from an unflattering angle while others shared additional pictures of the display in the comments section.

"Your camera angle problem lah," said one.

One netizen also expressed his gripes about the negative comments, adding: "You guys yearly also got comments... Appreciate the effort made by the designer instead of giving out bulls*** comment."

According to a Lianhe Zaobao, this eight-metre-long dragon display is one of the key installations in this year's edition of the iconic street light-up.

The light-up display were designed by 13 students from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) over nine months. 

The official street light-up & opening ceremony will take place at 6pm today (Jan 19) at Kreta Ayer Square. The festive decorations will continue to illuminate the street from 7pm to 12am daily, until March 9.

In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Chinatown Festival Committee said on Jan 24 that the craft of manufacturing street decorative lanterns is a "specialised and traditional art demanding exceptional craftsmanship".

"The sizable lanterns adorning Chinatown's streets pose additional challenges for the craftsmen to produce lanterns exactly as designed," said the committee.

They also expressed gratitude for the "valuable feedback from the public", and assured the community that "these insights will be considered for future designs".

Not the first time

Similarly, the 2023 CNY display at Chinatown raised some eyebrows when members of the public noticed that the back view of the bunny figures in a half-squat position looked like they were going to the toilet. 

"When they designed the display, they should have considered how it looks from all angles," said a passer-by, who also felt the rabbit's eyes were a tad unrealistic. 

Some gold coins and ingots were later added behind the bunny's rear. 

Despite the criticism, another passer-by praised the installation and commended the university students who had designed the display.

"They're not considered professionals, but they put thought into the design. Although people will criticise their work, but there are parts which are done well," said the passer-by then. 

ALSO READ: Looking for CNY snacks? Here's what local celebrities are releasing this year

lim.kewei@asiaone.com