Enrich your November and December with two heritage festivals that allow you to discover Heritage, Food & Traditions all in one place. Organised in collaboration with the National Heritage Board, here’s how you can participate in the Wan Qing CultureFest & Malay CultureFest 2020.
The Wan Qing Culture Fest 2020
Organised by the Sun Yat-Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, The Wan Qing Culture Fest 2020 shines the spotlight on the significance and symbolism of food in Chinese culture. Held online via the memorial hall’s Facebook page from 14 to 29 November 2020, participants are invited to join an engaging learning experience exploring the relationship between food and the life stages that we all go through.
Exploring the relationship between life stages and food
From customary practices that take place during a newborn’s first-month celebration, such as the consumption of Ang Ku Kueh, (a traditional red Chinese pastry made from soft, sticky glutinous rice flour wrapped around sweet mung bean filling), to superstitions and rituals behind wedding betrothals and one’s golden years, participants are sure to gain new insight on the various food-related customs and beliefs in the Chinese culture.
Virtual events at The Wan Qing Culture Fest 2020
The festival will be narrated by three digital mascots and there is a whole line up of activities to look forward to such as a ‘live’ ang ku kueh-making demonstration, a step-by-step guide on how to prepare Guo Da Li (betrothal gifts) and conduct a wedding tea ceremony, an interactive ‘live’ Q&A session with a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physician and dietician on the dos and don’ts of pre and post-natal foods, and more!
For more information, visit the website here.
Malay CultureFest 2020
Held in conjunction with the launch of the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC)’s special exhibition ‘Urang Banjar: Heritage and Culture of the Banjars in Singapore’, this year’s Malay CultureFest focuses on the diversity in Malay artistic and cultural expressions.
Malay Heritage Centre (MHC)’s special exhibition
The Urang Banjar: Heritage and Culture of the Banjar in Singapore focus on the Banjar community of Singapore, or ‘urang Banjar’, who trace their roots to the Banjar regency of South Kalimantan, Indonesia. They are one of the smallest sub-ethnic Malay communities in Singapore and their contributions to the wider Malay community and the country can be discerned in various fields.
Participants will be able to attend this special digital edition of the Malay CultureFest 2020 which features three weeks of performances, talks, workshops, trails and cultural activities that one can enjoy from the comfort of their own home.
Dance performances at Malay CultureFest 2020
Some acts to look forward to in this event include two performances by members of the Guntur Mataram Dance Company. On the opening night, 28 November 2020 at 8:30 pm, there will be solo dance performances by dancers from Banyumas, South Sulawesi and Kalimantan. These dance performances will let the audience appreciate the dance forms from various parts of the archipelago.
For the second evening on 29 November at 8:30, the audience can enjoy ensemble dances by dancers from Yogyakarta, Temanggung, Banjarmasin and Kelantan with musicians from Singapore.
For more information, visit the link here.
