Singapore, Our Neighbourhood

ARE TEXTBOOKS AND MUSEUMS the only outlets to learn about Singapore's past? Not so, say the organisers of this year's Singapore Heritage Festival (SHF). Even your neighbourhood wet market is a rich source of information about Singapore's heritage.

SHF returns for the 16th time from now till April 7, as a special Singapore Bicentennial edition to uncover hidden stories, see the island's 700-year history with fresh eyes, and explore the pivotal moments, communities and people that have contributed to Singapore's growth.

This year's programme sees activities in various enclaves around the island, including housing estates such as Bedok and Telok Blangah. For example, participants can go on a guided tour of the Danish Seamen's Church in Singapore, that chronicles how the Danish community took root in Singapore and their contributions to our maritime heritage. Festival-goers can meet an eclectic cast of characters at Temenggong House in A Black-and-White Voyage - a fictional dramatisation of life in the historic building in the 1920s, which traces the history of Singapore as a trading port and its influence on the Telok Blangah area, through the lives of the house's servants.