Usher in the Year of the Pig at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall’s Lunar New Year celebrations! Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2019 presents an exciting line-up of festive offerings suitable for all ages, including auspicious Lion and Dragon dance performances, heritage tours and trails, and craft activities for the little ones. Join us for the Memorial Hall’s signature mass lohei and toss to bountiful luck and prosperity, get your zodiac predictions for the new year, challenge your friends in our Kampung Games, enjoy an evening concert of contemporary and traditional performing arts, and more.
Our festive zodiac animal installations also promise to make for great photo moments. Join us in celebrating this much loved Chinese festival and learn more about the origins, customs and traditions behind the Lunar New Year!
Activities are free unless otherwise stated.
Programmes
Auspicious Lion Dance Performance
Revel in the festivities and usher in the Lunar New Year at the Memorial Hall with an exciting lion dance performance! Don’t forget to rub shoulders with our God of Fortune for an auspicious year ahead.
Date: 16 February 2019
Time: 6.00pm
Admission: No registration required
Festival of Spring Prosperity Toss
(Supported by Kwong Cheong Thye Pte Ltd)
Join visitors from all walks of life in the Memorial Hall’s signature mass outdoor lohei, and toss to bountiful luck and prosperity for the Lunar New Year!
Date: 16 February 2019
Time: 6.00pm
Admission: No registration required. Available on a first come, first served basis.
Paper Sculpting Workshop
(Supported by A Piece Of…)
Join this hands-on workshop by Malaysian craft label, A Piece Of… and learn to create adorable festive paper sculptures inspired by the art of traditional Chinese paper cutting! Don’t forget to get your hands on Chinese New Year art pieces and merchandise by A Piece Of…, available in Singapore for the first time and exclusively sold at the Memorial Hall.
Date: 16 February 2019
Time: 11.00am – 12.00pm; 4.00pm – 5.00pm
Admission: No registration required. Available on a first come, first served basis.
3D Festive Paper Cutting
Festive decorations are a common sight during Lunar New Year, with paper cuttings adorning most Chinese homes to signify conjugal felicity and festive cheer. Visit our drop-in craft station and try your hand at this traditional Chinese folk art with a modern twist!
Date: 16 February 2019
Time: 11.00am – 2.00pm
Admission: No registration required. Available on a first come, first served basis.
Miniature Mask Painting
Chinese opera performances are marked by their colourful costumes and dramatic masks, which were often painted onto the artistes’ faces to reflect the personality traits of the characters they played. Grab a paintbrush and get creative in designing your very own miniature clay mask!
Date: 16 February 2019
Time: 1.00pm – 4.00pm
Admission: No registration required. Available on a first come, first served basis.
Festive Pouch Making Workshop
(Supported by Mama & Misse)
Ever wondered how to breathe new life into your preloved clothing items into useful accessories? Join this upcycling workshop by cheongsam specialists, Mama & Misse and learn how to create simple festive pouches using unique cheongsam fabric! Accessorise your pouch with trimmings and Chinese buttons, and feel free to bring along your preloved clothing to learn more about how you can upcycle them.
Date: 17 February 2019
Time: 11.00am – 12.00pm; 4.00pm – 5.00pm
Admission: No registration required.
Red Packet Origami
No Chinese New Year celebration is complete without red packets, which connote blessings of good fortune, abundance, and bountiful wealth. Have fun folding creating origami art pieces using colourful red packets for an even more auspicious year ahead!
Date: 17 February 2019
Time: 11.00am – 2.00pm
Admission: No registration required. Available on a first come, first served basis.
Zodiac Animals Bookmark Making
Love reading books but always forgetting where you left off? Have fun creating your personalised Chinese zodiac animal bookmark at our drop-in craft station, and never skip a page in your book again!
Date: 17 February 2019
Time: 1.00pm – 4.00pm
Admission: No registration required. Available on a first come, first served basis.
Festival of Spring Lantern Riddles
Have fun guessing the riddles in this traditional game. Collect your activity passport at our Reception Desk and get a stamp when you get five answers correct, and stand a chance to win a mystery prize!
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 10.00am – 8.00pm
Admission: No registration required
Balestier Heritage Trail
Embark on the Balestier Heritage Trail to uncover the history of the precinct from as early as 1835. From landmarks like Tan Tock Seng Hospital to the Maha Sasana Ramsi Burmese Buddhist Temple, delve into the architectural and cultural developments these places underwent to give Balestier the unique charm it holds today.
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 10.30am – 12.00pm
Admission: $5.00 (includes bottled water and a traditional snack). Register at http://wanqingyuan.peatix.com/. Available in English or Mandarin.
God of Fortune
Rub shoulders and snap a photo with our God of Fortune this Chinese New Year for blessings of luck, wealth and prosperity!
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 11.00am – 5.00pm
Admission: No registration required.
Street Magician
Be amazed by some close-up magic tricks this festive season. From card tricks and vanishing acts to optical illusions, our street magician has plenty up his sleeve!
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 11.00am – 5.00pm
Admission: No registration required.
Zodiac Animals Finger Puppet Making
Participate in this simple festive craft activity, suitable for all ages. Select from a range of adorable designs to create your own zodiac animal finger puppets for some wiggly good fun!
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 11.00am – 8.00pm
Admission: No registration required. Available on a first come, first served basis.
Festive Face Painting
Transform yourself into a lucky piglet, fearsome tiger, or adorable bunny at the stroke of a brush. Select your zodiac animal and watch our artist work her magic!
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 11.00am – 8.00pm
Admission: No registration required. Available on a first come, first served basis.
Chinese Knot Making
Chinese knots first began as a form of folk art in the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279 AD), with the word ‘knot’ translating directly to mean vigour, harmony, and unification. Chinese knots were therefore often gifted to symbolise blessings and best wishes for the recipient. Try your hand at creating your own Chinese knot for a blessed Lunar New Year!
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 11.00am – 8.00pm
Admission: No registration required. Available on a first come, first served basis.
Festive Photobooth
Have some festive fun at the Memorial Hall’s Lunar New Year photobooth! Grab your family and friends and snap some photos with our quirky props, and take home a free photo souvenir.
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 11.00am – 8.00pm
Admission: No registration required.
Art Stamping Workshop
(Supported by Bèbè Artiste)
Join us in this vegetable-and-fruit stamping workshop, where children will be encouraged to have fun, create and express themselves freely without inhibition! Participants will get to touch and explore an array of festive fruits and vegetables, learn about their symbolism in relation to Lunar New Year, and create their very own art pieces in a fun and creative manner. One lucky child will also stand to win a giant Lucky Egg (36cm tall) filled with six fun and educational toys (worth $59.00)!
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 1.30pm – 2.30pm
Admission: No registration required. Available on a first come, first served basis.
Special Exhibition Guided Tour
Through their satirical sketches, early Chinese cartoonists captured a declining China in the late 19th century and used them as weapons against a corrupt regime. Consequently, these cartoons served as agents of political change and became tools of the revolutionary movement to end imperial rule in China. Learn more about the history of political cartoons with our volunteer guides as they take you through the Memorial Hall’s special exhibition, Between the Lines – The Chinese Cartoon Revolution!
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 10.30am – 11.00am (Chinese); 1.30pm – 2.00pm (English)
Admission: No registration required
Permanent Gallery Guided Tour
Take a tour of the Memorial Hall’s permanent galleries and learn more about Dr Sun Yat Sen and Singapore’s role in the 1911 Revolution.
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 2.30pm – 3.30pm (Chinese); 3.00pm – 4.00pm (English)
Admission: No registration required
Lunar New Year Tales
(Supported by the Speak Good English Movement and Speak Mandarin Campaign)
Discover the legends and myths behind Lunar New Year in our popular storytelling sessions conducted by local authors and veteran storytellers. Embark on a literary adventure with stories such as The Story of Nian, Mei Lin and the Reunion Dinner, and more. Each session will feature a different story and craft activity.
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 2.00pm – 3.00pm; 6.00pm – 7.00pm
Admission: No registration required
Evening Concert
Experience wonder and delight in this dynamic showcase of cultural and contemporary arts! Grab a hammock and enjoy a range of performances including live music, traditional Chinese dance and drums, Lunar New Year-themed magic shows, and more.
Date: 16 & 17 February 2019
Time: 7.30pm – 9.30pm
Admission: No registration required