The Chinatown in Singapore has been packed with Spring Festival customers over the recent days as vendors put on a wide variety of auspicious festival decorations and snacks, heightening the joyous atmosphere just days before the arriving of the Year of the Snake.
Over the run-up to the Spring Festival, which falls on Wednesday, customers have been flocking to Singapore's Chinatown, where a wide range of goods, including pastries, sausages, candies and fruit, are nicely packed and put on shelves.
Considered as a symbol of abundant year, baked jerky is a must-have item on the new year shopping list of Singaporeans and the baked jerky stores in the Chinatown saw long lines of fervent customers, who wish to embrace a prosperous Year of the Snake.
"I'm here with my mom on Chinatown street today to shop for some Chinese New Year goodies. It's a tradition for Chinese in Singapore and we do this every year for our family," said a customer.
Various Spring Festival decorations also attract great attention from shoppers with goods like cute snake-shaped dolls, Spring Festival couplets, window decorations, and Chinese lanterns being highly welcomed among customers.
"We made this decoration with real garlics. We painted them gold. The customers can put the decoration in their house in various shapes. The garlic decoration means 'there is money coming into my house everyday', and it represents people's wish for an abundant new year," said a vendor.
Singaporeans shopping in Chinatown for upcoming Spring Festival
Officials and exhibitors from Canada on Monday hailed the important role of the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in promoting international trade, saying it serves as a great platform for Canadian authorities and businesses to better understand Chinese consumers and market trends.
Canada is the Guest Country of Honor at the CICPE 2026, or the six CICPE.
The event, held in Haikou City of south China's tropical island province of Hainan from April 13-18, served as a key gateway for around 40 Canadian companies to access China's vast consumer market, with exhibitors showcasing a diverse range of products from premium cosmetics and health products to agriculture and pet food.
RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of western Canada's Alberta province, said the expo helped him to understand the current market trends.
"It's really important for me to see what the market trends are here and to be able to maximize on those market trends. We're here to be able to have those conversations and see how we can be a better trading partner, and how we're going to be able to flow our high quality agricultural commodities into this country," said the minister.
Ji Hualei, a Canadian exhibitor who is launching a new wearable device at the expo, expressed his confidence in China's market potential.
"We have observed a clear shift of Chinese consumers' focus from one specific function of products to healthiness and sustainability. The CICPE provides an excellent platform for showcasing and launching our new products, and I think Hainan's zero-tariff policy will also offering us great resources," said the exhibitor.
Attending an event at the Canada Pavilion, Canada's Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu said more efforts will be made to boost trade and exchanges between his country and China.
"Very important for us to be at the show. As the Chinese consumer market grows, we're exploring more options to get more flights between China and Canada to build more people to people ties, and more tourism between the two countries," said Sidhu.
This year's CICPE is the first national-level consumer expo since the launch of island-wide special customs operation in the Hainan Free Trade Port in December 2025, drawing participation of more than 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions.
Since its launch in 2021, the expo has become an important platform for multinationals to stay abreast of consumer trends in China's vast market, with over 3,800 enterprises and more than 12,000 brands from 92 countries and regions participating over the past five editions.
Canadian officials, exhibitors hail role of Hainan consumer products expo in trade promotion
