Reunite at the Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival 2023

Revel in the rich historical and cultural significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival with a line-up of live performances, cultural workshops, storytelling sessions, and more during the open house.

Venue: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH)
Dates: 23 & 24 September 2023
Admission: Free Admission with ticketed activities

Discover the story and traditions behind Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the oldest cultural festivals in the world, and revel in the rich historical and cultural significance of the festival with a line-up of live performances, cultural workshops, heritage walking tours, storytelling sessions, and more during the weekend open house.

At the Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival 2023, SYSNMH has teamed up with various clan associations to present programmes for visitors of all ages to learn more about the dialect cultures of the Chinese community. Highlights for the Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival Open House include a Teochew Cultural Trail by the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan, a Hokkien Song & Rhymes Workshop by Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, and a Parent-Child Hakka Abacus Seeds Making Workshop by Nanyang Hakka Federation.

Workshops will go on sale from 1 Sep 2023, 10 am onwards at https://wanqingyuan.peatix.com/, and we highly recommend that you purchase them early as they get sold out really quickly!

Outdoor Lantern Installation

Dates: 29 Aug - 1 Oct 2023, 10 am - 9 pm daily

Don’t miss the return of SYSNMH’s annual outdoor lantern installation. This year, the special installation titled A Mid-Autumn Paw-trait features two adorable giant panda lanterns. Catch them in typical giant panda fashion – one sitting in a relaxed position, and the other in a stretching stance – at SYSNMH’s lawn! 

The installation conveys the Memorial Hall’s wish for every Singaporean to enjoy a “panda-stic” Mid-Autumn reunion but more importantly, it features the giant panda as an acknowledgement of past and ongoing wildlife conservation efforts, and celebrates the reclassification of giant pandas from endangered to vulnerable status by the IUCN Red List.

Parent-Child Recycled Panda Lantern Making Workshop

Dates: 23 Sep 2023, 10.30 am - 12 pm
Fees: $24 per parent-child pair (Recommended for 4 years old and above)

Join artist Francis Theo to kickstart your Mid-Autumn celebration with our parent-child workshop! Create eco-friendly magic as you craft an adorable panda lantern from recycled milk bottles. Dive into creativity and sustainability, all while bonding with your little ones. Participants are also encouraged to bring a washed 2L Meiji milk bottle to support recycling efforts. Let's illuminate the night with art and environmental consciousness this season. 

Melodies in Motion: Hokkien Songs & Rhymes Workshop

Dates: 23 Sep 2023, 1 pm - 2.30 pm
Fees: $10 per pax (Recommended for 4 years old and above)

Let the young ones be immersed in Hokkien culture by joining the Melodies in Motion: Hokkien Songs & Rhymes Workshop! Conducted by Jeremiah Soh of Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Cultural Academy, kids can learn the Hokkien dialect through folk songs and movements, and get the chance to shine in a mini showcase at the end of the workshop. Parents are also encouraged to join their children at this fun-filled session!

Tales in Melodies: Teochew Songs & Rhymes Workshop

Dates: 23 Sep 2023, 3.30 pm - 5 pm
Fees: $10 per pax (Recommended for 4 years old and above) 

Kickstart your kids’ Teochew culture journey early and together with the Tales in Melodies: Teochew Song & Rhymes Workshop! Learn more about the Teochew dialect through folk songs and hear the stories and meaning behind those melodies with Lim Guay Eng of the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan. Kids can learn a song or two by the end of the workshop. Parents are encouraged to join their children in this fun-filled session!

Parent-Child Hakka Abacus Seeds Making Workshop

Dates: 24 Sep 2023, 3.30 pm - pm
Fees: $38 per parent-child pair (Recommended for 4 years old and above)

Join us for a special parent-child workshop where you’ll learn the art of making traditional Hakka Abacus Seeds! In this workshop, you and your child will work together to knead, pinch and roll these delicious yam seeds! Nanyang Hakka Federation will guide participants through each step of the process, providing helpful tips and insights on making abacus seeds. Participants will bring home the abacus seeds that they have made along with some cooked abacus seeds prepared by the federation to enjoy at home.

Escape Game - Lost in Time: The Case of the Missing Researcher

Dates: 23 & 24 Sep 2023, 11.30am – 1pm, 1pm – 2.30pm (Sunday only), 2.30pm – 4pm, 4pm – 5.30pm
Fees: $8 per pax (4 - 5 pax per group, recommended for 10 years old and above) 

You and your team are called in to investigate the disappearance of a renowned researcher who has vanished while studying a mysterious 19th century artefact. The researcher was known for his obsession with the artefact's historical significance and is believed to have used a forbidden method of time travel that has left him trapped in the past. 

To find and rescue the researcher, you and your team will need to navigate through twists and turns to uncover clues and solve puzzles. But beware, as there may be those who would go to great lengths to keep the researcher hidden, and the dangers of the forbidden method of time travel are ever-present. 

Tales of Mid-Autumn Festival

Dates: 23 Sep (Mandarin) & 24 Sep (English), 11.30 am - 12.30 pm & 2 pm - 3 pm
Fees: Free

Be swept away 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. 

Drop-in Craft Station: Mid-Autumn Festival Inspired Crafts

Dates: 23 & 24 Sep 2023, 10.30 am - 6.30 pm
Fees: Free

Get crafty as you make crafts inspired by Mid-Autumn Festival such as a palace lantern and more or pick up a colouring sheet and colour your hearts out. Crafts are brought to you by students at River Valley High School.

There will be other free programmes and activities happening at the centre over the weekend. Refer to the Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival for the full list of happenings! 

*Photo Credits: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall