Chinese New Year is celebrated by most Chinese in Singapore. The first day of the lunar new year usually falls between the winter solstice (dongzhi) and spring’s beginning (lichun). This typically falls between 21 January and 20 February each year.
Various cakes, fruits, sweetmeats, nuts and delicacies are popular treats served and eaten during Chinese New Year as part of festivities celebrated in Singapore by those of Chinese descent. These items are served primarily because their names have auspicious double ...
Yusheng (鱼生; yusang in Cantonese), meaning “raw fish” in Chinese, is a salad dish comprising thin slices of raw fish and various seasonings that are mixed together as diners toss the ingredients. It is a dish usually eaten during Chinese New Year. Traditionally ...
The lion dance is a pugilistic performance dating back to more than 1,500 years. Its performance during auspicious occasions, such as the launch of new businesses and shops, is believed to bring good fortune and wealth. The lion dance is also performed during the ...
The Mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata) is a tropical and sub-tropical tree belonging to the family Rutaceae. Associated with good fortune by the Chinese, it is a features prominently in local Chinese New Year celebrations. The fruit is high in Vitamin C and its ...
The Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) is an umbrella body of Chinese clan associations in Singapore. The Federation was registered on 9 December 1985 and formally inaugurated on 27 January 1986. It was founded by seven clan associations, ...
The Chinese Commercial Bank (华商银行) was founded in 1912 by Lim Peng Siang, a Hokkien businessman who established the Ho Hong group of companies. Set up by the Hokkien business community, the Chinese Commercial Bank had many leading figures involved in the establishment ...
The Lian Yak Building, which housed Hotel New World, collapsed on 15 March 1986 due to structural defects and poor-quality construction. The collapse left 33 people dead, and was considered one of the worst disasters in post-war Singapore. A rescue operation involving ...
Chinese wedding customs and tradition generally vary according to dialect group. Although modernisation has resulted in the simplification of traditional marriage rituals, a Chinese wedding is often not considered complete until the couple have performed the customary ...
The Chinese Protectorate was established in the Straits Settlements in 1877 to address matters concerning the Chinese community. Its main functions included establishing a pool of civil servants conversant in the Chinese language, managing newly arrived coolie ...
The Chinese Post Office Riots of 15 December 1876 were a series of violent protests by the local Chinese community to demolish a new post office established by the colonial government to handle letters and remittances sent to China. The perpetrators of the riots ...
The Chinese Christian Association (CCA) was established in October 1889 and lasted for more than half a century. The group organised religious activities such as bible classes alongside secular activities including debates, lectures as well as drama and reading ...
Wayang, a Malay word meaning “a theatrical performance employing puppets or human dancers”, commonly refers to Chinese street opera in Singapore, although it is also used in reference to other forms of opera such as wayang kulit. In Mandarin, Chinese street opera ...
The festival of Eid, known in Singapore as Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Hari Raya Puasa, falls on the first day of Syawal, the 10th month of the Hijrah (Islamic) calendar. It is a celebratory occasion following a month of fasting, which is known as Ramadan. Hari Raya ...
Chinese New Year celebrations are accompanied by specific rites and rituals with strict prohibitions and taboos.
The Chinese Garden in Jurong was built by the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) in 1975 to provide social and recreational amenities for the rapidly developing industrial town.
Several Chinese villages in the northern part of Singapore, from Kranji through Woodlands to Yishun.
For the Chinese, the family is regarded as the primary unit of society. A birth within the family therefore holds special significance for the community, and is associated with a number of rituals. Although traditional birth observances have largely given way to ...
The Society of Chinese Artists (SOCA) was established in 1935. It is one of the earliest art associations in Singapore, alongside the Singapore Art Club (新加坡美术俱乐部, established in around 1882) and Commercial Art Institute (新加坡美术广告研究会, established in 1937). SOCA’s ...
The Chinese water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis) is an edible corm. It is available in two forms. The wild one abounds in the fresh, brackish and saline waters of southern Asia and much of Oceania. The other is the cultivated, larger, sweeter and juicier version ...