Public invited to shape content of 2,000 sq m Singapore Chinese Heritage Gallery opening in 2031

SINGAPORE - A new gallery telling the story of Singapore’s Chinese community through interactive and ‘Instagrammable’ elements will span over 2,000 sqm when it opens in 2031 at the Singapore Conference Hall.

The Singapore Chinese Heritage Gallery (SCHG) will showcase the history, heritage and contributions of the Chinese community from the pre-14th century to modern times.

Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre chief executive officer Alvin Tan gave more details of the new gallery on Aug 25, two days after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced it in his Mandarin speech at the National Day Rally.

Speaking at a travelling exhibition titled Have Your Say! Co-conceptualising the Singapore Chinese Heritage Gallery at Chinatown Point on Aug 25, Tan invited Singaporeans to suggest what they hope to see in the gallery.

Tan said the gallery will also cover how the Singapore Chinese culture has evolved through interactions with other ethnic communities and cultures.

It will be established by the SCCC, with support from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the National Heritage Board.

Tan said he hoped the new gallery would also serve as a starting point for visitors who can then be directed to other places if they want to learn more about specific aspects of the community.

For example, those who are keen to dive deeper into what Chinatown was like in the early days may then continue to the Chinatown Heritage Centre. Others who are keen to find out more about early Chinese businessmen, or clan associations, will be referred to the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, respectively.

“What we want to achieve is also to instil a sense of pride in visitors by showcasing the community’s resilience, achievements and contributions, and inspire the next generation of Singaporeans,” he added.

The location of the gallery - next to SCCC in the Central Business District near Shenton Way MRT station - was chosen to make it accessible to the public, he said.

“We wanted to provide a seamless experience,” Tan added. “When you go to the (new gallery), you learn about the historical development of the Chinese community in Singapore. When you want to look at the modern expressions of local Chinese culture or identity, you just walk over to SCCC.”

Together with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra which is located at the Singapore Conference Hall, the three centres hope to form a vibrant arts, culture and heritage hub in the heart of the city, he added.

The travelling exhibition at Chinatown Point comprises four feedback zones that offer visitors early insights into the gallery’s content and visitor experience. It also invites visitors to vote for their preferred content themes, presentation modes and takeaways, and to share their reflections on Singapore Chinese culture.

The exhibition will be at Chinatown Point from Aug 25 to Sept 11 before moving to One Punggol from Sept 12 to Oct 2. It will then travel to other venues including shopping malls, public libraries, community hubs, schools and community centres till February 2027.

Senior curator Shaun Choh said the challenge is to ensure that the content is grounded in academic rigour, and at the same time, exciting for the visitors.

For the younger cohort in particular, this would mean the presentation has to be immersive, interactive and even “Instagrammable” or photogenic, he said. The team will reach out to parents and schools to visit the free-admission gallery.

History graduate Koh Horn Ray, 26, hopes the experience will be sensory.

“What did people smell and touch in the past? I think a lot of people go to museums and galleries for some sort of emotional connection. We don’t just go to learn things,” he said.

Historian Kua Bak Lim, a member of the new gallery’s advisory panel, said most Singaporeans may not be familiar with the period of maritime trading in early Singapore.  

This was when Chinese traders arrived and brought with them their customs and culture, which evolved subsequently through interactions with local Malays and Indians - a precursor to the Chinese Singaporean identity today.

For retiree Lee Tai Guan, who contributed his feedback to the exhibition, the content should include local Chinese culture like dance, music, as well as languages and dialects.

“We are very exposed to Western culture, so this is a timely project to expose us to our own culture and identity, especially dialects which are fast disappearing from our lives.”

The 79-year-old Hainanese, who has a two-year-old granddaughter, added: “When my granddaughter visits the gallery in a few years’ time, I also want her to learn about the hardship of our early pioneers and immigrants, and how they overcame hardship for their country and family.”

Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times, covering a wide range of topics including community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage.