Come together for fun and exciting activities to celebrate Chinese arts, culture, and heritage at the Wan Qing Dragon Boat Festival 2024!
Discover the story and traditions behind the Dragon Boat Festival, one of the oldest cultural
festivals in the world. Revel in the festival’s rich historical and cultural significance through
a line-up of activities including rice dumpling and mocktail-making workshops, live performances, walking tours, storytelling sessions, and more during the weekend open house.
For more information about the Wan Qing Dragon Boat Festival 2024, please visit Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall’s website (https://www.sysnmh.org.sg/en) and Facebook page
(https://www.facebook.com/sysnmh) or follow the Memorial Hall on Instagram (@sysnmh).
Workshops
1. Chinese Mugwort Scented Candle Making Workshop
(Supported by Sing Kong Whee Candles)
Date: 8 June 2024
Time: 10 am – 11.30 am
Admission: $25 per pax; purchase tickets via https://wanqingyuan.peatix.com. Tickets
available from 15 May 2024, 6 pm onwards.
Discover the cultural significance of Chinese mugwort, traditionally hung during the Duanwu Festival for its natural repellent properties, and learn how to make a Chinese mugwort-scented candle in this hands-on workshop! The workshop is facilitated by Simple
Kindle, is the lifestyle brand of Sing Kong Whee Candles, a heritage brand since the 1950s.
Join us to gain a unique cultural insight and a natural, earthy, and herbal aromatic addition to your home. In this 90-minute workshop, participants will learn the finer art of candle-making and craft a 240ml candle from scratch.
2. Parent-Child Tri-colour Quinoa Rice Dumpling Making Workshop
(Supported by Bak Chang Queen)
Date: 8 June 2024
Time: 1 pm – 2.30 pm
Admission: $38 per pair; purchase tickets via https://wanqingyuan.peatix.com.
Tickets are available from 15 May 2024, 6 pm onwards.
Valued in ancient times for its taste and perceived health benefits, rice dumplings were
served as a nutritious and balanced meal for good health and vitality during the summer
season. In this parent-child workshop, you and your child will work together to make a
healthier rice dumpling filled with quinoa, savoury meat, mushrooms, and other flavourful
ingredients. May Lin from Bak Chang Queen will guide participants through each step of
the process, providing helpful tips and insights on making rice dumplings. Participants will
bring home the dumpling that they have made and a cooked dumpling to enjoy at home.
3. Build & Power Your DIY Dragon Boat Workshop
(Supported by Terra Minds Education)
Date: 8 June 2024
Time: 3 pm – 4 pm, 4.30 pm – 5.30 pm
Admission: $20 per pax; purchase tickets via https://wanqingyuan.peatix.com. Tickets
available from 15 May 2024, 6 pm onwards.
Learn and explore the different ways a boat can be powered in this STEAM workshop!
Children will get to build and decorate their DIY dragon boat and experiment with testing the elastic power of various materials. Using the significance of dragon boating during the Duanwu Festival, Terra Minds brings science and heritage together in this fun, water-filled activity.
4. Hakka Aicao Kueh Making Demonstration Class
(Supported by Cui Nyonya Kueh)
Date: 9 June 2024
Time: 1 pm – 2.30 pm
Admission: $10 per pax; purchase tickets via https://wanqingyuan.peatix.com. Tickets
available from 15 May 2024, 6 pm onwards.
English and Mandarin.
Join Cui Nyonya Kueh in this workshop to learn the art of making Hakka Aicao Kueh. Aicao,
also known as Chinese mugwort, brings a wealth of health benefits when consumed and
is even said to help rheumatism. With helpful tips and insights, participants will learn how
to make the aicao kueh from scratch in this cooking demonstration class. Participants will
also get to sample two different types of aicao kueh with different fillings, freshly made from the class.
5. Tea-infused Mocktail Making Workshop
(Supported by W XYZ Bar)
Date: 9 June 2024
Time: 4 pm – 5.30 pm
Admission: $38 per pair; purchase tickets via https://wanqingyuan.peatix.com.
Tickets are available from 15 May 2024, 6 pm onwards. Tickets are sold in pairs.
Come beat the heat with healthy, refreshing tea-infused mocktails in this workshop. With
the fifth lunar month typically being the hottest month of the year, join our Tea-infused
Mocktail Making Workshop and learn to create your very own mocktails. Learn from the
mixologist of W XYZ Bar to create refreshing Zesty Zeros, a mocktail created specially for
this workshop, and build your mocktail with a selection of herbs and fruits. Each pair of participants will also bring home a cocktail shaker to continue making their mocktails.
Free Activities
6. Public Talk – Dragon Boat Festival: Beyond the Rice Dumplings
Date: 9 June 2024
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am
Admission: Free, limited seats available.
First introduced with the migration of Chinese to Singapore, the traditions of Dragon Boat
Festivals have simplified over time. Practices such as wearing perfume sachets and hanging calamus leaves and mugwort leaves to ward off evil may have faded, but eating rice dumplings and dragon boat racing have endured through time. This public talk dives into the festival’s origins, the evolution of its customs, related children’s songs, delicacies, and dragon boat racing in Singapore.
About the Speaker
Mr Lee Kok Leong
Lee Kok Leong was educated both in Singapore and the United Kingdom. Over time, he
set aside his expertise in naval engineering and delved deeply into the exploration of local
history and heritage. He has published many books including Dan Yan Ji Yue Yang Ren
(大眼鸡·越洋人) and Guang Dong Ma Jie (广东妈姐). His publications were nominated for the Singapore Book Prize (non-fiction) and Lianhe Zaobao’s Top Ten Books of the Year. He is currently also the curator and researcher for Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital Heritage Gallery and Peck San Theng Heritage Gallery.
7. Storytelling Sessions: Tales of Dragon Boat Festival
(Supported by Speak Good English Movement and Speak Mandarin Campaign)
Date: 8 June 2024 (Mandarin), 9 June 2024 (English)
Time: 11.30 am – 12.30 pm, 2 pm – 3 pm
Admission: 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.
8. Drop-in Craft Station: DIY Duanwu Scented Sachets
Date: 8 & 9 June 2024
Time: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm
Admission: Free
In ancient times, it was common for people to carry with them sachets filled with Chinese
mugwort during the Dragon Boat Festival to protect against venomous animals due to the
herb’s natural repellent properties. Come make your scented sachets at our drop-in craft station to experience this traditional practice.
9. Drop-in Craft Station: DIY Duanwu Five-colour Bracelet
Date: 8 & 9 June 2024
Time: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm
Admission: Free
The five different coloured threads in a five-colour bracelet are said to represent the elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. According to Chinese folklore, it is believed
that wearing a five-colour bracelet can help children ward off evil spirits and diseases during the Duanwu period. Parents craft these bracelets for their children in hopes of protecting their children against evil spirits and misfortunes during the Dragon Boat Festival. Come make your five-colour bracelet at our drop-in craft station today!
10. Drop-in Activity Station: Rice Dumpling Wrapping Station
Date: 8 & 9 June 2024
Time: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm
Admission: Free
From the folding of leaves, filling the rice and wrapping the rice dumpling on a string, this is the perfect opportunity to learn how to wrap a rice dumpling at our Rice Dumpling Wrapping Station.
11. Drop-in Activity Station: Duanwu Mini Games
Date: 8 & 9 June 2024
Time: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm
Admission: Free
Explore the rich traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival at our mini-game booths! Engage in
interactive games that educate and entertain, offering insights into the festival’s history and customs.
12. Drop-in Activity Station: Robot Dash the Dragon Boat
(Supported by Terra Minds Education)
Date: 8 & 9 June 2024
Time: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm, at 15-minute intervals
Admission: Free with limited slots available. Pre-registration onsite is required.
Children, help save Qu Yuan from being eaten by the fishes! Inspired by the legend of Qu
Yuan, this drop-in activity uses modern robotics to engage children to develop their navigation skills and exercise sequential thinking through programming. Children will control Robot Dash the Dragon Boat to send rice dumplings into the river to save Qu Yuan
from being eaten by fishes.
13. Live on the Lawn: Dragon Boat Festival Family Fun Contest
Date: 8 & 9 June 2024
Time: 2.30 pm – 3.30 pm
Admission: Free
Gather your family for a Dragon Boat Festival Family Fun Contest on stage! Engage in
friendly rivalry as you join other families in exciting Dragon Boat Festival-themed games. It’s a session of bonding and fun! Limited spots are available, register your interest on the day to reserve your spot.
14. Live on the Lawn: Chinese Orchestra Music by Bukit Batok Chinese Orchestra
Date: 8 June 2024
Time: 5 pm – 5.30 pm
Admission: Free
Join us for a mesmerising Chinese orchestra performance presented by the Bukit Batok
Chinese Orchestra as they capture the essence of traditional Chinese narratives and the beauty of natural landscapes through their performance. Be delighted with the diverse repertoire, from powerful rousing melodies to enchanting pieces that convey the peacefulness of the countryside.
15. Live on the Lawn: 24 Festive Drums Performance by RE:SOUND
Date: 9 June 2024
Time: 5 pm – 5.15 pm
Admission: Free
Join us for a captivating Chinese drums performance by RE:SOUND, a drum team comprising alumni members of the Nanyang Technological University Chinese Drums Club. Experience the traditional art of Chinese percussion in a mesmerising display of skill and rhythm against the backdrop of the Memorial Hall.
16. Live on the Lawn: Lion & Dragon Dance Performance by NTU Dragon & Lion
Dance Troupe
Date: 9 June 2024
Time: 5.15 pm – 5.40 pm
Admission: Free
Be enchanted by the ever-popular lion and dragon dance at Wan Qing Dragon Boat Festival 2024. Don’t blink an eye as the performers showcase their agility and coordination in this crowd-puller act by the NTU Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe.
17. Live on the Lawn: Mini Dragon Boat Racing
Date: 8 & 9 June 2024
Time: 5.30 pm – 6 pm
Admission: Free
Get your little ones in on the action and join in the fun with our mini dragon boat racing event at the Wan Qing Dragon Boat Festival 2024! Join us to race across the Memorial Hall’s lawn on mini dragon boat toy rides and end the festival on a high note!
18. Festive Food & Herbal Tea Tasting
Date: 8 & 9 June 2024
Time: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm
Admission: Free, limited quantities available.
Savour the taste of tradition and sample yummy festive delicacies such as rice dumplings
and freshly brewed herbal tea. Enjoy these festive delicacies as you learn more about the
Dragon Boat Festival!
19. Festive Snacks Pop-up Booth by Yue @ Aloft
Date: 8 & 9 June 2024
Time: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm
Admission: Free, limited quantities available.
Experience the flavours of Yue @ Aloft at the Festive Snacks Pop-up Booth! Sample yummy snacks such as Mushroom with Yue’s Signature Creamy Milk and Salted Egg Lime Sauce or indulge in other light bites such as the Popcorn Chicken and Glutinous Rice Ball with Truffle Chicken. Spice things up with Chilled Sze Chuan Mala Lotus Root and lastly, savour the sweetness of Mango Sago or enjoy some refreshing drinks like the Cinnamon Apple Tea and Sunrise Sparkling Jasmine Tea right here at Wan Qing Dragon Boat Festival 2024.
20. Let’s Celebrate with Uncle Ting: Dragon Boat Festival
Date: 8 & 9 June 2024
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Kids, pick up a free activity kit to discover more about the Dragon Boat Festival! Join Uncle
Ting to learn more about the legends and popular customs associated with the Dragon Boat Festival through a series of fun activities such as origami rice dumpling folding! Activity kits are given out one per child on a first-come, first-served basis while stocks last.
Guided Tours & Trails
21. Balestier Heritage Healthcare Trail
Date: 8 June 2024
Time: 4.30 pm – 6.30 pm
Admission: $12 per pax; purchase tickets via https://wanqingyuan.peatix.com. Tickets
available from 15 May 2024, 6 pm onwards.
Uncover the rich history and lesser-known stories of the Balestier precinct which is home
to some of Singapore’s earliest healthcare institutions in this walking trail! From landmarks
such as the former Tan Tock Seng pavilion wards and the former nurses’ quarters (now
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine), delve into the architectural developments of Balestier and its significance to Singapore’s healthcare history. Tours are brought to you by our Heritage Volunteers.
22. Permanent Galleries Guided Tour
Date: 8 & 9 June 2024
Time: 2.30 pm – 3.30 pm (Mandarin), 3 pm – 4 pm (English)
Admission: Free; limited spaces available.
Join us for a guided tour of the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall and hear the stories
behind this century-old villa that traces Dr Sun Yat Sen’s revolutionary activities in Southeast Asia. Gain valuable insights into the impact of the 1911 Revolution on Singapore,
as well as Singapore’s contributions to the Revolution. The tour is brought to you by our Heritage Volunteers.
