Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall with Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2023

Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall with Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2023! Expect an exciting line-up of programmes and activities, suitable for all ages. 

Venue: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Dates: 29 Dec 2022 - 19 Feb 2023
Admission: Free with fees for selected programmes

Join Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH) as they celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with family friendly events and programmes as part of the Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2023! 

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 us with the adorably ginormous rabbit installation of Bit Bit Forest! The fun never stops at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. 

See below for more details of the individual programmes. 

*Note that ticketing will only start from 6 Jan 2023 at 10 am. Also access to the lawn is free for all and access to the main building is free for Singaporeans and PR (except 22 & 24 Jan, free entry for everyone as part of celebrations)

Festive Installation - Bunny-ful Blessings

Venue: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall Lawn
Dates: 29 Dec 2022 - 19 Feb 2023, 10 am - 7 pm (closed on Mon)
Admission: Free

Titled “Bunny-ful Blessings”, this lawn installation is a collaboration between the SYSNMH and artist Chan Siu Kau, a Hong Kong illustrator and designer. It features two of the artist’s Bit Bit Forest character, 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 for Singaporeans to continue to persevere as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and chart our way forward together in an increasingly complex world. The installation will be on display on the lawn of the Memorial Hall until 19 February 2023.

Lunar New Year Hongbao Giveaway

Dates: 6 - 22 Jan 2023, 10 am - 5 pm (closed on Mon)
Admission: Free

As part of the annual Museum Roundtable Hongbao Campaign, families who visit SYSNMH will get to collect 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!

Don't forget to visit all 39 participating museums and galleries to collect the entire set!

Auspicious Lion & Dragon Dance Performance

Photo Credits: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Dates: 22 Jan 2023, 10 am - 11 am 
Admission: Free

Revel in the festivities and usher in the Lunar New Year at the Memorial Hall with our beloved annual lion and dragon dance performance on the first day of the Lunar New Year! 

God of Fortune Visit

Photo Credits: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Dates: 22 Jan 2023, 10 am - 12 pm 
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.

Children's Lion Dance Workshop

Photo Credits: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Dates: 4 Feb 2023, 1.30 pm – 2.30 pm & 3.30 pm – 4.30 pm
Admission: $10 per pax; purchase tickets via www.wanqingyuan.peatix.com

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.

Recommended for children aged 6 years and above. Workshop will be conducted in English and Mandarin.

Children's Festive Chinese Drum Workshop

Photo Credits: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Dates: 5 Feb 2023, 1.30 pm – 2.30 pm & 3.30 pm – 4.30 pm
Admission: $10 per pax; purchase tickets via www.wanqingyuan.peatix.com

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.

Recommended for children aged 6 years and above. Workshop will be conducted in English and Mandarin.

Parent-Child Festive Cute Tangyuan Workshop

Photo Credits: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Dates: 5 Feb 2023, 10 am - 12.30 pm
Admission: $38 per parent/child pair; purchase tickets via www.wanqingyuan.peatix.com

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. 

Recommended for participants aged 6 years and above. Workshop will be conducted in Mandarin

Storytelling Sessions: Tales of Spring

Date: 4 Feb 2023 (Chinese), 5 Feby 2023 (English)
Time: 11.30am – 12.30pm, 2pm – 3pm
Admission: Free

Be swept away with enthralling tales in the 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

Photo Credits: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Date: 4 & 5 February 2023, 11 am – 6 pm
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, 10 am – 7 pm
Admission: Free

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.

Touring Temples: Lunar New Year and Temple Traditions

Photo Credits: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Date: 28 & 29 Jan, 4 & 5 February 2023, 10 am – 1 pm
Admission: $20.00 per pax; purchase tickets via www.wanqingyuan.peatix.com

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.

Explore local temples during the CNY period to have a peek at how they and their devotees celebrate the New Year. Families will have the opportunity to hear from temple reps who will enlighten us on customs associates with specific temples and dialect groups. Each tour includes visits to two different temples: 

• 28 January – Sar Kong Mun San Fook Tuck Chee (沙冈万山福德祠) & Thian Hock Keng (天福宫)
• 29 January – Tiong Bahru Qi Tian Gong (齐天宫) & Thian Hock Keng (天福宫)
• 4 February – Poh Chung Tian Chor Sian Tong (普忠殿助善堂) & Toa Payoh Seu Teck Sean Tong (大芭窑修德善堂)   
• 5 February – Hong San See (凤山寺) & Sar Kong Mun San Fook Tuck Chee (沙冈万山福德祠) 

Parts of the tour will be conducted in English and Mandarin

Balestier Heritage Food Trail

Photo Credits: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Date: 4 February 2023
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am (English), 11.30am – 12.30pm (Mandarin)
Admission: $12 per pax; purchase tickets via www.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

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 (https://www.sysnmh.org.sg/en) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/sysnmh) throughout the festival period.