Celebrate the Year of the Tiger at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall with Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2022! Join us for a rousing weekend as we usher in the Lunar New Year with an exciting line-up of programmes and activities, suitable for all ages.
Expect family-friendly offerings such as lion dance and festive drumming workshops, heritage trails, guided tours, craft activities for the little ones, and more! Delve into the world of nian hua, woodblock prints used to decorate Chinese homes for the Lunar New Year for centuries, at our Nian Hua: Of Deities, Guardians and Auspicious Art special exhibition. Watch artworks come to life at our annual thematic installation, Blessings Come A-Knocking (祈福临门) and capture your Lunar New Year OOTD with us!
Online programmes will also be available on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sysnmh
). Catch a livestream of our annual lion dance performance on the first day of the Lunar New Year and a traditional face-changing performance during the festival weekend. Finally, keep a lookout on our social media channels for a chance to win limited-edition merchandise!
Programme Details:
Festive Installation: Blessings Come A-Knocking
(Supported by Tik Ka)
During the Lunar New Year, Chinese households worldwide would often decorate their homes and doorways with red banners, spring couplets, paper cuttings, Chinese zodiac decorations, new year prints etc. These new year decorations add to the festive spirit and, in the case of new year prints, are believed to bar bad luck from entering, to offer protection and to attract blessings for their households for the upcoming year.
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 – 9pm on 28 – 30 January 2022, 1, 2, 12,13 February 2022
Admission: Free, no registration required
Lunar New Year Red Packet Giveaway
(Supported by National Heritage Board)
It’s time to usher in the Year of the Tiger with the Museum Roundtable and SYSNMH! Get ready to collect specially designed red packets from 35 participating museums and galleries.
Don’t miss the chance to get the limited edition SYSNMH red packets for FREE! To redeem, simply visit our Memorial Hall, follow our Facebook page and flash the page at our reception counter from 15 January to 2 February 2022. Limited to the first 50 visitors per day and available whilst stocks last!
Date: 15 January – 2 February 2022
Time: 10am – 5pm (closed on Mondays)
Auspicious Lion Dance Performance
Revel in the festivities and usher in the Lunar New Year at the memorial hall with our beloved annual lion dance performance on the first day of the Lunar New Year!
Date: 1 February 2022
Time: 10am – 10.30am
Admission: Free; limited spaces available, this event is strictly restricted to first 30 pax only.
God of Fortune
Rub shoulders with the God of Fortune for an auspicious year ahead! The God of Fortune will be at the memorial hall and giving away sweet treats for a bountiful year!
Date: 1 February 2022
Time: 10.30am – 12am
Admission: Free; limited spaces available
Balestier Heritage Trail
(Street Corner Heritage Galleries edition)
Behind every business lies a treasure trove of stories we don't often think about when we drop by the neighbourhood tau sar piah shop, or dabao our favourite chicken rice. Embark on our ever-popular Balestier Heritage Trail (Street Corner Heritage Galleries edition) to uncover the rich history and origins of Balestier from as early as 1835. Delve into the architectural and cultural developments of Balestier as you visit heritage stops such as Loy Kee Chicken Rice and Lam Yeo Coffee Powder Factory, and discover the unknown stories behind these places.
Date: 12 February 2022
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am (English); 11am – 12pm (Chinese)
Admission: $10.00 per pax; purchase tickets via Peatix
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 we explore three local Chinese 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: 12 February 2022 (English), 13 February 2022 (Chinese)
Time: 10am – 1pm
Admission: $15.00 per pax; purchase tickets via Peatix.
Letterpress Printing Workshop: Red Packets
Print your own red packets with our letterpress printing workshop! Participants will learn more about the process and history behind letterpress printing in Singapore, get hands-on with a proofing press, and experience the traditional woodblock printing technique.
Date: 12 February 2022
Time: 10am – 12pm
Admission: $10 per pair; purchase tickets via Peatix. Suitable for children 7 years old and above.
Lantern Making Workshop
Learn the basics of lantern decoration through printmaking and enhance your understanding of Chinese culture through this workshop. Design, paint, and print patterns to create your very own lantern with Jimm Wong, one of the last few traditional lantern makers in Singapore making Fuzhou and Cantonese-style lanterns.
Date:
13 February 2022
Time: 10am – 12pm
Admission: $10 per pair; purchase tickets at Peatix. Suitable for children 7 years old and above.
Children’s Lion Dance Workshop
(Supported by Martial House)
Lion dance performances are a common sight in Singapore during festive occasions, as they are believed to be bearers of good luck. Get into the festive spirit with this interactive children’s lion dance workshop that promises unforgettable fun for the whole family! Limber up with a series of full-body stretches, learn basic dance movements from expert instructors, have fun trying on miniature lion dance costumes, and discover the origins behind this well-loved artform.
Date: 13 February 2022
Time: 12.30pm – 1.30pm, 4pm – 5pm
Admission: $8 per pax; purchase tickets via Peatix. Recommended for children aged 5 years and above.
Festive Chinese Drums Workshop
(Supported by Martial House)
Dong dong chiang, it’s time to celebrate Lunar New Year! Drum up a storm in this energetic musical workshop – team up with your child and learn basic drumming techniques used for Chinese percussion instruments and experience a variety of rhythms and beats.
Date: 12 February 2022
Time: 12.30pm – 1.30pm, 4pm – 5pm
Admission: $8 per pax; purchase tickets via Peatix
Public Talk – Tua Pek Kong: A Very Short Introduction
The arrival and settlement of Chinese migrants not only brought about popular deities and native-place gods from China to Southeast Asia, but also led to the invention of new gods in the migrant society.
Explore the proliferation of Tua Pek Kong’s cult among the Overseas Chinese communities in this talk, which will also examine this multifaceted belief system through three forms: a symbol of sworn brotherhood, a Sino-Malay deity, and a Sinicised god. This talk is conducted in English
.
Date: 12 February 2022 (English)
Time: 2pm – 3.30pm
Admission: Free; the session is strictly restricted to first 20 pax only.
Public Talk – Nian Hua Beyond Chinese New Year: Singapore’s Forgotten Qixi Festival and How Youths Can Help Revive It
Through Nian Hua, associated art forms, as well as social memories gathered first-hand, join local millennial Lynn Wong as she shares her journey in rediscovering the Qixi festival which has disappeared in Singapore for over half a century. She will explore the lesser-known aspects of this festival that was once even grander than the Lunar New Year, and discuss how youths can help revive and reimagine it. This talk is conducted in English.
Date: 13 February 2022 (English)
Time: 2pm – 3.30pm
Admission: Free; the session is strictly restricted to first 20 pax only.
Storytelling Sessions: Tales of Spring
(
Supported by Speak Good English Movement and Speak Mandarin Campaign)
Be swept away this weekend with enthralling tales in 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: 12 February (Chinese), 13 February (English)
Time: 11am – 11.30am, 1.30pm – 2pm
Admission: Free; limited spaces available
Drop-in Craft Station: Festive Clay Painting
Get hands-on with our Festive Clay Painting drop-in craft station! Choose between your favourite zodiac animal and other festive motifs for your very own Lunar New Year-themed souvenir to bring home.
Date: 12 and 13 February 2022
Time: 11am – 11.30am, 12pm – 12.30pm, 1pm – 1.30pm, 2pm – 2.30pm, 3pm – 3.30pm, 4pm – 4.30pm
Admission: Free, no registration required
Drop-in Craft Station: Design Your Own Walking Tiger
Walk into a new year! Design, colour, and create your very own walking tiger at our drop-in craft station during our festive weekend!
Date: 12 and 13 February 2022
Time: 11am – 11.30am, 12pm – 12.30pm, 1pm – 1.30pm, 2pm – 2.30pm, 3pm – 3.30pm, 4pm – 4.30pm
Admission: Free, no registration required
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: 12 and 13 February 2022
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am (Chinese), 1.30pm – 2.30pm (English)
Admission: 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: 12 and 13 February 2022
Time: 2.30pm – 3.30pm (Chinese), 3pm – 4pm (English)
Admission: Free; limited spaces available
Digital Programmes
Hu虎-at Greeting Instagram Filter
Our vibrant tiger mascot is gearing up to greet everyone this Lunar New Year but we need your help to complete the greetings! Blink to capture the festive greetings with SYSNMH’s Instagram filter to huat and be rewarded.
Simply take a screenshot of the completed Lunar New Year greeting and present it at the memorial hall’s Front Desk to redeem attractive prizes*.
*Whilst stocks last, and subject to availability.
Date: 28 January – 13 February 2022
Lion Dance Livestream
Usher in the festivities – virtually! Catch a livestream of our annual lion dance performance on the first day of the Lunar New Year on our Facebook page
Date: 1 February 2022
Time: 10am – 11am
Face-changing Performance
Get up-close with a face-changing performance, and marvel at the skills and artistry behind this ancient art. Get a glimpse of the Chinese deities and guardians featured in our Nian Hua: Of Deities, Guardians and Auspicious Art special exhibition, then visit our memorial hall to learn more about these mythical and legendary figures!
Date: 12 February 2022
Time: 12pm