Gather up for a host of exciting activities to celebrate Chinese arts, culture, and heritage at Wan Qing Dragon Boat Festival 2022!
Discover the story and traditions behind Dragon Boat Festival, one of the oldest cultural festivals in the world, and revel in the rich historical and cultural significance of the festival with a line-up of live performances, cultural workshops, heritage walking tours, storytelling sessions, and more during the weekend open house. In addition, you can also look out for festival-related digital content on our website and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sysnmh
) throughout the festival period.
Programme Details:
Festive Installation: Blessings Come A-Knocking
(Supported by Tik Ka)
Titled “Blessings Come A-Knocking”, this lawn installation is a collaboration between the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall and artist Ng Tik Ka (Tik Ka From East), a Hong Kong artist, illustrator and designer. It features two of the artist’s artworks “Eat Good West” and “Big War” and showcases his signature style of depicting familiar pop culture figures in the traditional style of new year prints.
This installation represents the memorial hall’s wish for protection against the trials and tribulations brought about by the pandemic for Singapore, and personal protection for Singaporeans against the COVID-19 virus. It also embodies our hope to enjoy more healthy and prosperous years, and gives thanks as Singapore continues to persevere on its path to live with COVID-19.
Date: 11 January – 24 July 2022 (daily)
Time: 10am – 5pm
Admission: Free, no registration required
Touring Temples: Legends and Artforms of Door Gods
An integral part of traditional Chinese culture, the figures known traditionally as "door gods" can be seen on the double doors of homes, temples, and other buildings. Join us on this exclusive tour as we ride a bus around Singapore and explore three local temples (Hong San See, Wak Hai Cheng Bio, and Thian Hock Keng Temple) to see the door gods found within them and learn more about the legends and artforms behind these door gods.
Date: 28, 29 May
Time: 10am – 1pm
Admission: $20 per pax; get your tickets here.
Balestier Heritage Food Trail
Go on a gastronomic journey around Balestier with our ever-popular Balestier Heritage Food Trail! Delve into the architectural and cultural development of Balestier as you visit and sample bites from heritage shops such as Lam Yeo Coffee Powder Factory and Sweetlands Confectionery and Bakery, and discover the rich food history behind these places.
Date: 28 May
Time: 10.30 –11.30am (English), 11.30am – 12.30pm (Chinese)
Admission: $12 per pax; get your tickets here.
Block Printing Workshop
Recommended for participants aged 12 years old and above. Children aged 11 years old and below will not be permitted.
Dive into the history and culture of traditional printing and printmaking with our block printing workshop! Learn the basics of block printing through this workshop, which will cover the entire printing process from creating your own design, engraving the designs on the printing plate, and finally printing it in colour.
Date: 28 May
Time: 10.00am – 12pm
Admission: $15 per pax; get your tickets here.
Festive Chinese Drums Workshop for Children
(Supported by Martial House)
Recommended for children aged 5 and above. Children aged 4 years old and below will not be permitted.
Drum up a storm in this energetic workshop – learn basic drumming techniques used during the dragon boat races and experience an adrenaline rush with a variety of rhythms and beats.
Date: 28, 29 May
Time: 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Admission: $10 per pax; get your tickets here.
Storytelling Session: Tales of Dragon Boat Festival
(Supported by Speak Good English Movement and Speak Mandarin Campaign)
Be swept away this weekend with enthralling tales through our popular storytelling sessions! Discover the legends and myths behind well-loved Chinese stories as local authors and veteran storytellers bring you on a literary adventure. Each session will feature a different story.
Date: 28 May (English), 29 May (Chinese)
Time:11.30am – 12.30pm, 2pm – 3pm
Admission is free; limited spaces available, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Public Talk – "New" Year Prints: Nian Hua in Singapore by artist, Ah Guo
This talk is conducted in Mandarin.
Colourful and festive woodblock prints known as nian hua (年画) or new year prints were traditionally made using woodblocks. These prints are an important part of the Lunar New Year, found in the walls and doors of Chinese households. The intricate designs were hand-carved into these blocks and the design transferred layer by layer onto paper. In this talk, Ah Guo (阿果) will share how he recreated these iconic new year prints on a digital platform, the advantages of using new technologies, and challenges he faced in recreating traditional art forms.
Date: 28 May
Time: 2pm – 3.30pm
Admission is free; limited spaces available, on a first-come, first-served basis.
"Meet My Unusual Family" Interactive Storytelling & Workshop
(Presented by Theatre Practice 实践剧场)
Recommended for children aged 4 to 8 years old. This storytelling and workshop session is conducted in Mandarin.
Guai Guai, a magical monster who is always teased by her family of magical monsters, needs your help to find her special monster powers! Join us for a 90 mins fun-filled and tactile in-person experience – where children will learn more about self-discovery and acceptance through interactive storytelling, as well as a hands-on arts and craft session. The session is conducted in Mandarin, making this a great way to engage your child in Chinese language and culture.
Date: 28, 29 May
Time: 4.30pm – 6pm
Admission: $20 per pax; get your tickets here.
Live on the Lawn: An Evening Performance
Have a chill evening out on our lawn as you enjoy a showcase of performing arts! Catch a traditional Chinese puppet performance by Sin Hoe Ping, the only surviving Henghua puppet troupe in Singapore, and end the evening with a swoon-worthy concert by B.A.T.Men – bringing you popular tunes, and today's hit songs.
Date: 28 May
Time: 5.30pm – 7pm
Admission is free.
Boats of Double Fifth: Make Your Own Dragon Boat Workshop
Recommended for parents with children aged 7 to 9. Children aged 6 years old and below will not be permitted.
Do you know that the Dragon Boat Festival has another name?
Celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Lunar Calendar, the Dragon Boat Festival is also known as Double Fifth Festival. On this occasion, dumplings are in abundance and boat races are held.
In this workshop, instructor Tan Beng Tian (theatre practitioner and co-founder of The Finger Players) takes you back to the origin of the festival and together, you will transform recycled materials into dragon boats to commemorate and keep this legend alive for more generations to come.
Date: 29 May
Time: 10am – 11.30am
Admission: $20 per parent-and-child pair; get your tickets here.
Sharing Session: Forgotten Traditions and Practices of Duan Wu
(Supported by Dialect Classroom)
Experts from various dialect groups share their stories and memories about the forgotten traditions and cultural practices associated with Dragon Boat Festival. This is an opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of disappearing traditions in Singapore – come start a conversation and dive into the past!
Date: 29 May
Time: 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Admission is free; limited spaces available, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Live on the Lawn: Guzheng Performance
(Supported by Chung Cheng High School (Main))
End the weekend with a soothing evening at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall as students from Chung Cheng High School (Main)'s Guzheng Ensemble perform a melodious seranade on the lawn to end this year's Wan Qing Dragon Boat Festival.
Date: 29 May
Time: 6 – 6.30pm
Admission is free.
Drop-in Craft Stations
Design Your Own Perfume Satchet
Design your own rice dumpling perfume sachet at our drop-in craft station! Perfume sachets (香包) is a traditional craft made during the Dragon Boat Festival, and are believed to bring good luck to the wearer.
Origami Dragon Boat
Bring home an origami dragon boat with our fun and easy drop-in craft station! Learn how to create and decorate your very own origami dragon boat and bring home a colourful souvenir in celebration of Dragon Boat Festival.
Date: 28, 29 May
Time: 11am – 6pm
Admission is free.
Special Exhibition Guided Tour
Delve into the world of nian hua, woodblock prints used in the past to decorate Chinese homes for the Lunar New Year with a guided tour of our Nian Hua: Of Deities, Guardians and Auspicious Art special exhibition!
Date: 28, 29 May
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am (Chinese), 1.30pm – 2.30pm (English)
Admission is free; limited spaces available
Permanent Galleries Guided Tour
Join us for a guided tour of Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall and hear the stories behind this century-old villa that trace Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s revolutionary activities in Southeast Asia. Gain valuable insights on the impact of the 1911 Revolution on Singapore, as well as Singapore’s contributions to the Revolution.
Date: 28, 29 May
Time: 2.30pm – 3.30pm (Chinese), 3pm – 4pm (English)
Admission: Free; limited spaces available
Digital Programmes:
Not Forgotten: Dumpling Dialogue
Dumplings are a well-loved festive food that's closely associated with Dragon Boat Festival. But what goes into the making of a dumpling? Each dialect group has their unique variation of the zong zi – this video dives into some of the dumplings that you might not have tasted, much less heard of. Rediscover and gain a newfound appreciation for this humble food!