This year-end holiday season, the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH) presents the Wan Qing CultureFest x Children’s Season 2021. Wan Qing Culturefest is SYSNMH’s last signature event for the year and it celebrates Chinese arts, culture and heritage. The festival will also be held in conjunction with Children’s Season this year. Jointly presented by the National Heritage Board and the Museum Roundtable, the annual Children’s Season aims to provide cultural and educational experiences that will inspire and engage the young, on Singapore’s collective heritage.
Visitors can expect an array of fun onsite programmes including dramatised storytelling, child-friendly craft activities, engaging workshops and an interactive heritage hunt. They can also take their pick from a number of self-guided activities. The fun and learning can also continue at home through our specially curated bilingual activity kit.
The festival will also feature interesting online content via our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sysnmh) and Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/sysnmh/). Young audiences can join Xiao Qing, SYSNMH’s little mascot, and her brother on a time-travel adventure to learn about modern women’s changes in fashion, roles and status.
Programme Details:
Flutters of Hope
(Supported by NParks & Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum)
Butterflies (Order Lepidoptera family) are insects with brightly coloured wings and a fluttering flight, and there are over 320 species in Singapore. They have a four-stage life cycle, and are commonly found in parks, gardens and forests. In Chinese culture, the butterfly symbolises happiness as it sounds like fudie (福叠) which means “accumulated blessings” while a pair of butterflies symbolises eternal love. The Mandarin term for butterfly is also a homophone of “seventy to eighty years of age” (die, 耋) and hence, it is a symbol of longevity.
A collaboration with NParks and Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Flutters of Hope features five species of butterflies that are commonly found in Singapore mounted on the front façade of the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. It depicts the delicate moment in a butterfly’s life cycle when it has just emerged from its pupa and before it takes off into the sky. The installation symbolises the memorial hall’s hope that Singapore will emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic transformed for the better and reminds visitors to keep faith even as we undergo changes in our daily lives.
The installation will be on display from 20 November to 31 December 2021 and is part of the memorial hall’s Children’s Season 2021 programmes.
Date: 20 November - 31 December (Closed on Mondays)
Time: 10.00am - 5.00pm
Admission: Free, no registration required
Craft Station: Butterfly Brooch Making
Try your hand at making a butterfly brooch with different materials at this drop-in station. Get inspired by our butterfly installations at our veranda to create your very own butterfly brooch!
Date: 20 & 21 November
Time: 11.00am – 4.00pm
Admission: Free, no registration required
Craft Station: Make yourself a Beaded Bracelet
Always wanted to design your very own beaded bracelet? Bring your creative ideas to life at our drop-in station! Choose from a range of different sizes of coloured beads and ornaments to create your masterpiece.
Date: 20&21 November
Time: 11.00am – 4.00pm
Admission: Free, no registration required
Behind the Scenes “Conserva-tour”: Perspectives from the Curator and Conservator
The “conserva-tour” provides an opportunity for participants to explore behind-the-scenes stories of the garments on display through a tour led by Tan Yan Ni, curator-in-charge of the special exhibition and Geraldine Sim, textile conservator. In this tour, you will be guided through the exhibits, learn about their historical significance, the material used, the decorative elements, the challenges of conservation and more. You will also be given tips on how to care for heirloom garments and textiles that you can apply at home!
Date: 20 November
Time: 10.30pm – 12.00pm
Admission: Free. Register via Peatix
Craft Station: Fold a Flower Origami
Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding dating back thousands of years. Did you know that the word Origami is derived from two Japanese words: Ori (folded) and Kami (paper)? Learn how to make a flower origami with our easy step-by-step instructions.
Date: 20-28 November 2021 (Closed on Mondays)
Time: 11.00pm – 4.00pm
Admission: Free, no registration required
Cheongsam Storyline
（Supported by Wordforward)
Come join little Darla, a fashionista in the making on this entertaining and educational journey through time! With the help of her mother, Darla will be sharing on the evolution of modern Chinese women’s fashion through different notable female figures! Look forward to an engaging storytelling session full of fun audience interaction, hands-on art activities, and even a mini fashion show!
Date: 20, 21, 23, 25 November 2021
Time: 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Admission: $10 per pair. Purchase tickets via Peatix.
“Modern Women of the Republic” Children’s Activity Booklet
Collect your activity booklet and let the young ones explore the evolution of modern women’s fashion with Wan Qing Yuan’s young virtual mascot, Xiao Qing!
Date: 20 November - 12 December 2021 (Closed on Mondays)
Time: 10.00pm – 5.00pm
Admission: Free. Available in English and Chinese, suitable for children 5 years old and above.
“Be a Little Fashionista” Heritage Hunt Upsized
(Supported by River Valley High School)
The “Be a Little Fashionista” heritage hunt is back and better than ever with a fun-filled kit to keep the little ones busy! Grab the kit and go on a hunt with Xiao Qing to discover Chinese fashion, culture and history through a series of interactive activities. The activity is co-designed with students of River Valley High School.
Date: 20 November - 12 December 2021 (Closed on Mondays)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Admission: Free, for the week of 20 November to 28 November, register via Peatix;
For the week of 30 November to 05 December, register via Peatix;
For the week of 07 December to 12 December, register via Peatix.
Children’s Season 2021: Fantastic Critters & Where To Find Them
Go on a hunt for Fantastic Critters at the museums during the December school holidays! Starting from 20 November 2021, collect your copy of the Fantastic Critters Activity Booklet at any of the participating museums, and complete the activities listed in the booklet to collect specially designed critter stickers. Collect all 15 critter stickers to redeem limited edition prizes from the Museum Roundtable.
Date: 24 November - 12 December 2021 (Closed on Mondays)
Time: 10.00am – 5.00pm
Admission: Free, self-guided onsite activity, suitable for children 5 years old and above.
Get Crafty with Xiao Qing: Traditional Costume
Get crafty with Xiao Qing and learn more about Chinese traditional costumes through this DIY paper cube activity!
This is available at the memorial hall (while stocks last) or you can download online and DIY at home.
Date: 20 November - 31 December 2021 (Closed on Mondays)
Time: 10.00pm – 5.00pm
Admission: Free, drop-in activity and online resource, suitable for children 5 years old and above.
Note: Available at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (while stocks lasts)
Fun with Chinese Activity Kit - Xiao Qing and Traditional Costumes
Looking for ways to engage the little ones to learn Chinese in the comfort of your home? Have fun learning Chinese with Xiao Qing as you unravel the world of traditional Chinese costumes through a century-old wooden chest filled with her grandmother’s clothes collection of the past.
Date: 20 November - 31 December 2021 (Closed on Mondays)
Time: 10.00pm – 4.00pm
Admission:
$9.90 per kit ($7.90 per kit if you complete “Get Crafty with Xiao Qing: Traditional Costume” and show it to our visitor services staff at the reception counter.)
Note:
• Suitable for children 5 years old and above.
• Bilingual kit in English and Chinese.
Stitch Your Own Pouch
(Supported by Mdm Ng Bee Hong)
It's time for some family bonding! Express your creativity and stitch your own pouch with basic sewing techniques. Gain insights into the auspicious meanings of motifs commonly found on Chinese traditional costumes worn by women in the past.
Date: 24 November 2021
Time: 10.30am - 12.00pm, 2.00pm - 3.30pm
Admission: $10 per pair. Purchase tickets via Peatix
Create Your Own Scented Wax Sachet
Did you know Two Girls Florida Water is one of the earliest cosmetics used by women in the past and this brand can still be found in medicinal halls today? It contains lavender, which is known for stress-relieving. Create fuss-free organic lavender wax sachets in this hands-on aromatherapy workshop and enjoy some bonding time with your little one.
Date: 26 November
Time: 10.30am - 11.30am, 2.00pm - 3.00pm
Admission: $10 per pair. Purchase tickets via Peatix
Tips & Secrets for Videography and Vlogging
(Supported by JEI Creative)
In this hands-on workshop, participants will get to learn the basic techniques of photography and video production through a lecture, demonstrations and interactive sessions. Challenge yourself and create a video documenting your experiences with your own equipment at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to learn how to vlog from the award-winning photographer, videographer and short film director Yu Jiang.
Date: 27 November 2021
Time: 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Admission: $10 per pax. Purchase tickets via Peatix
Craft Station: Flower Key Chain
Did you know that the flower motifs on our special exhibition’s artefacts have different symbolism and meaning? Get some inspiration before creating your keychain by visiting our “Modern Women of the Republic: Fashion and Changes in China and Singapore” exhibition! Found a motif you like? Challenge yourself to recreate it in the form of a keychain!
Date: 27 & 28 November 2021
Time: 11.00am – 4.00pm
Admission: Free, no registration required
Craft Station: Rainbow Wool Pendant
Get creative at this fun drop-in activity where you will get to make a rainbow wool pendant with different coloured wool. Hang your masterpiece on your bag as an accessory or use it as a decorative piece for your home!
Date: 27 & 28 November 2021
Time: 11.00am – 4.00pm
Admission: Free, no registration required
Chinese Fan Painting
(Supported by Event Arts)
Get ready for a fun afternoon of arts and crafts in this hands-on workshop! Learn more about the symbolism and meaning of different motifs such as peonies as you paint them onto traditional Chinese fans.
Date: 28 November 2021
Time:
2.00pm – 3.00pm
Admission: $10 per pair. Purchase tickets via Peatix
Hand Print Your Own Scented Card
(Supported by STPI - Creative Workshop & Gallery)
Did you know many flowers like chrysanthemum and osmanthus carry auspicious meanings in Chinese culture? These flower motifs were commonly found on women’s clothing in the past. What's more, some of these flowers have medicinal benefits. Pick up cool printing techniques in this printmaking workshop and create your very own collection of scented prints with different types of flowers and herbs!
Date: 1 December 2021
Time: 10.30am - 12.00pm, 2.00pm - 3.30pm
Admission: $10 per pair. Purchase tickets via Peatix