If you are not familiar with Hinghwa culture, here’s your chance to learn more about it at the inaugural Hinghwa Food and Cultural Festival, taking place from Mar 12 to 17 at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza in Orchard Road.
Organised by the Singapore Puxian (Hinghwa) Network and supported by the Putian Municipal People’s Government, the six-day festival aims to promote and share Hinghwa heritage, culture and cuisine to the public.
Putian, thought to be the birthplace of sea goddess “Mazu”, is also known as Henghua or Hinghwa, Hin Ann and Puxian. According to the Census of Population 2020, there are about 27,000 Hinghwa people in Singapore. The community is believed to have first arrived in Singapore in the late 19th century from Putian.
The festival will feature over 20 types of authentic dishes and cultural performances to celebrate the heritage and cuisine of the Hinghwa people.
One of the key highlights of the festival is the Puxian opera, a long-lasting art form with historical roots in the Tang and Song dynasties. A renowned opera troupe hailing from China, will be putting up 踏伞行 (Ta San Xing), a performance that received nation-wide recognition through its debut during the Spring Festival Gala 2023 broadcasted across China. Puxian opera garnered mainstream attention when 踏伞行 clinched the prestigious “Wenhua Award”, one of China’s national awards for the performing arts, at the thirteenth edition of China Art Festival.
Visitors can also look forward to adrenaline-charged performances by Southern Temple Shaolin Monks who will showcase their Kungfu mastery, and edu-tainment segments for a greater understanding of Hinghwa culture.
In addition, those who are keen to find out more about the history of the community in Singapore can purchase the books, The History and Stories of the Hinghwa People and Notable Hinghwa People in Singapore, published by the Singapore Puxian (Hinghwa) Network at the Festival.
For more information, visit www.puxian.org.sg.
