Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall with Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2023! Visit for a spirited weekend and celebrate the spring festival 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, temple tours and heritage trails, storytelling, craft activities for the little ones, and more! Finally, capture your Lunar New Year OOTDs with the adorably ginormous rabbit installation of Bit Bit Forest. The fun never stops at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall.
Festive Installation
“Bunny-ful Blessings”
(Supported by Hong Kong based illustrator and designer Chan Siu Kau)
Date: 29 December 2022 – 19 February 2023
Time: 10am – 7pm (Closed on Mondays)
Admission: Free
The Lunar New Year is widely celebrated by the Chinese community in all parts of the world, and often it ushers in the new year with customs and festivities that are believed to bring good luck, fortune and prosperity such as putting up festive decorations, wearing red clothing on the first day, eating nian gao (a sweet sticky dessert made from glutinous rice flour), etc.
Titled “Bunny-ful Blessings”, this lawn installation is a collaboration between the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall and artist Chan Siu Kau, a Hong Kong illustrator and designer. It features two of the artist’s Bit Bit Forest characters, Bit Bit, rendered in the form of daruma dolls decorated with the words 幸 (xìng) meaning blessing, fortune and luck, and 福 (fú) meaning happiness.
This installation, therefore, represents the Memorial Hall’s wish for a year of good luck and great fortune for Singapore and will be on display on the lawn of the Memorial Hall until 19 February 2023.
Festive Giveaway
Lunar New Year Hongbao Giveaway
(Supported by National Heritage Board)
Date: 6 – 22 January 2023
Time: 10am – 5pm (closed on Mondays)
It’s time to usher in the Year of the Rabbit with the Museum Roundtable (MR) and Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH). Get ready to collect specially designed hongbao from 39 participating museums and galleries.
Don’t miss the chance to get the limited edition SYSNMH hongbao for FREE! To redeem, simply visit the Memorial Hall, follow the SYSNMH Facebook page, and verify at the visitor services counter from 6 – 22 January 2023. Limited to the first 50 visitors per day (1 pack per person) and available whilst stocks last.
Visit go.gov.sg/MRHongbao2023 for more information about the MR Lunar New Year Hongbao campaign 2023.
Lunar New Year Celebration
Auspicious Lion & Dragon Dance Performance
Date: 22 January 2023
Time: 10am – 11am
Admission: Free
Revel in the festivities and usher in the Lunar New Year at the Memorial Hall with the beloved annual lion and dragon dance performance on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
God of Fortune Visit
Date: 22 January 2023
Time: 10am – 12pm
Admission: Free
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.
Lunar New Year
Date: 22 & 24 January 2023 (LNY Day 1 & 3)
Time: 10am – 5pm
Admission: Free
Come spend your time at the Memorial Hall as admission is free for all to the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall on the Lunar New Year holiday.
Festival of Spring Weekend Open House
Date: 4 & 5 February 2023
Time: 10am – 7pm
Admission: Free admission with paid activities
Workshops
Children Lion Dance Workshop
(Supported by Martial House)
Date: 4 February 2023
Time: 1.30pm – 2.30pm, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Admission: $10 per pax; purchase tickets via wanqingyuan.peatix.com.
Recommended for children aged 6 years and above. The workshop will be conducted in English and Mandarin.
Let your child get into the festive spirit with this interactive lion dance workshop! 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.
Children Festive Chinese Drums Workshop
(Supported by Martial House)
Date: 5 February 2023
Time: 1.30pm – 2.30pm, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Admission: $10 per pax; purchase tickets via wanqingyuan.peatix.com.
Recommended for children aged 6 years and above. The workshop will be conducted in English and Mandarin.
Drum up a storm in this energetic musical workshop – your child will learn basic drumming techniques used for Chinese percussion instruments and experience a variety of rhythms and beats.
Parent-Child Festive Cute Tangyuan Workshop
(Supported by MiracleMo SG)
Date: 5 February 2023
Time: 10am – 12.30pm
Admission: $38 per parent-child pair; purchase tickets via wanqingyuan.peatix.com.
Recommended for participants aged 6 years and above. The workshop will be conducted in Mandarin.
Make adorable Lunar New Year-themed tangyuan (glutinous rice balls). In this popular workshop, learn various skills such as making glutinous rice ball skin, wrapping and shaping of tangyuan, cooking methods and many more.
Free Activities
Storytelling Sessions: Tales of Spring
(Supported by Speak Good English Movement and Speak Mandarin Campaign)
Date: 4 February 2023 (Chinese), 5 February 2023 (English)
Time: 11.30am – 12.30pm, 2pm – 3pm
Admission: Free
Be swept away with enthralling tales in 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.
Drop-in Craft Station: Lunar New Year Inspired Crafts
Date: 4 & 5 February 2023
Time: 11am – 6pm
Admission: Free
Get crafty as you make Lunar New Year inspired crafts such as greeting card colouring and God of Fortune origami folding.
Let’s Celebrate with Uncle Ting: Lunar New Year Activity Kit
Date: 4 & 5 February 2023
Time: 10am – 7pm
Kids! Come pick up an activity kit to discover more about the Lunar New Year! Join Uncle Ting to learn more about the legends and popular customs associated with this festival through a series of fun activities including red packet making! Activity kits are given out on a first-come, first-served basis while stocks last and one per child.
Guided Tours & Trails
Touring Temples: Lunar New Year and Temple Traditions
Date: 28 & 29 January 2023, 4 & 5 February 2023
Time: 10am – 1pm
Admission: $20.00 per pax; purchase tickets via wanqingyuan.peatix.com.
Parts of the tour will be conducted in English and Mandarin vice versa.
The Lunar New Year is a time of family reunion and festive cheer celebrated by Chinese and other Asian communities. Other than celebrating with family and friends, many Chinese also make it a point to visit temples during CNY (Chinese New Year), arguably the most important traditional festival and holiday for the Chinese.
Join in as you get to explore local temples during the CNY period to have a peek at how they and their devotees celebrate the New Year. You will have the opportunity to hear from temple reps who will enlighten you on customs associated with specific temples and dialect groups.
Balestier Heritage Food Trail
Date: 4 February 2023
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am (English), 11.30am – 12.30pm (Mandarin)
Admission: $12 per pax; purchase tickets via wanqingyuan.peatix.com.
Go on a gastronomic journey around Balestier with the 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 Confectionary and Bakery and discover the rich food history behind these places.
Permanent Galleries Guided Tour
Date: 4 & 5 February 2023
Time: 2.30pm – 3.30pm (Chinese), 3pm – 4pm (English)
Admission: Free; limited spaces available
Join in 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.
For more information about the Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2023, please visit Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall’s website (www.sysnmh.org.sg/en) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sysnmh) throughout the festival period.
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