《联合早报》- 新加坡将设华族历史文化馆 预计2031年建成开放 (2026-08-24)
为记录新加坡华社的发展历程，肯定华族先辈对社会的贡献，我国将设立“新加坡华族历史文化馆”，预计2031年建成开放。
华族历史文化馆由新加坡华族文化中心发起并管理，将设在新加坡大会堂，与华族文化中心相辅相成。这个项目获得政府与华社领袖支持。
黄循财总理星期天（8月23日）在国庆群众大会华语演说中宣布这个消息。
黄总理强调：“文化馆所要展现的是华族先辈如何在新加坡落地生根、开枝散叶。它也将介绍宗乡会馆、商会和文教组织对社会的贡献，特别是为建设一个多元种族社会所付出的努力。”
根据华族文化中心发出的新闻稿，文化馆与新加坡华族文化中心及新加坡华乐团比邻，让公众在市中心通过更多元、更具沉浸感的方式，深入了解和体验本地华族历史、艺术与文化。
文化馆的侧重点将有别于华族文化中心的常设展“SINGAPO人”。后者聚焦当代，着重展现本地华族文化与身份认同的演变与多元面貌；前者则更多以历史发展为主轴。
文化馆的展览内容将沿着新加坡从14世纪以前发展至今的历史脉络展开，聚焦六大主题：港口和早期新加坡贸易、英殖民地的华人聚落、团体组织及社群网络、波折起伏的历史浪潮、新加坡独立后的华社，以及全球城市中的新加坡华人。
华族文化中心办巡回展 邀公众分享对文化馆期许
为了向公众介绍文化馆的筹建计划，华族文化中心将推出“共绘新章：塑造新加坡华族历史文化馆”巡回展，邀请公众分享他们对文化馆的期许，并就文化馆未来的展览内容与呈现方式等提出建议。
巡回展首站是牛车水唐城坊，8月25日至9月11日每日上午10时至晚上10时开放。9月12日至10月2日转至榜鹅综合社区中心举行。那之后，巡回展将陆续走进商场、图书馆、学校及社区中心。
文化、社区及青年部长梁振伟星期天在脸书发文说，欢迎公众前去参观“共绘新章：塑造新加坡华族历史文化馆”巡回展，分享各自希望在文化馆看到的故事和内容；希望国人集思广益，共同塑造“属于大家的文化馆”。
华族文化中心自2025年起征求华社领袖、宗乡会馆、导览员、青年和学生的反馈，获各界普遍支持设立文化馆，概述新加坡华人社群的历史、文化与贡献。
文化馆将填补空缺 成新加坡华族发展重要平台
中心主席吴绍均向媒体指出，文化馆对华社意义重大。“长期以来，本地缺少一个能概述并集中呈现华族历史发展的机构。文化馆将填补这个空缺，成为公众认识新加坡华族发展历程、文化传承，以及华族对国家建设所作贡献的重要平台。”
新加坡华乐团未来将与文化馆同在新加坡大会堂屋檐下，行政总监何伟山受访时对这一意义非凡的“新邻居”表示欢迎。
他说：“这不但是空间上的邻近，更是文化内容上的天然伙伴。文化馆让大家了解新加坡华族的发展，而华乐团则通过华乐，让这些历史与文化发出声音。”
历史学者兼文化馆咨询委员柯木林则指出，文化馆将发挥核心枢纽的作用，汇集各博物馆、宗乡会馆和社团的历史脉络与资料，成为本地人和游客认识新加坡华族发展历程的一站式平台，让公众了解新加坡华族如何凭借共同经历逐渐形成身份认同，呈现丰富多元的面貌。
华族文化中心青年团“青年协力星”成员许宏睿是历史系毕业生。他认为文化馆会是年轻一代探索本地华人社区历史的理想起点，也让他们能以贴近自身、与当下生活息息相关的方式，继续认识和传承本地华族文化。
NDR 2026: S’pore to showcase Chinese heritage with new gallery and exhibition
SINGAPORE – Singapore is stepping up efforts to preserve and deepen appreciation of Chinese heritage and culture, with a new gallery tracing the history of the Chinese community and an exhibition showcasing rare editions of China’s four great classic novels.
A Singapore Chinese Heritage Gallery to honour the country’s Chinese pioneers will be set up by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) in 2031, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in his Mandarin speech at the National Day Rally on Aug 23.
“The true value of Singapore Chinese culture lies not only in what we can see and taste. It carries well over a century of our pioneers’ wisdom,” he said.
The gallery at the Singapore Conference Hall will trace how the pioneers put down roots and built lives here, and pay tribute to the Chinese community organisations that helped build Singapore’s multiracial society, he added.
Its storyline will span Singapore’s development from the pre-14th century to modern times, according to SCCC. The gallery is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the National Heritage Board.
To gather diverse perspectives and anchor the gallery in the local multicultural context, SCCC said it will consult other cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Singapore, Malay Heritage Centre, Indian Heritage Centre, and Eurasian Association.
Since mid-2025, it has also been conducting engagement sessions with participants such as community leaders, clan associations and youth on how the Chinese community’s story should be told.
One of the key insights is the need to provide a balanced, historically grounded overview of the Chinese community’s development, covering key aspects such as migration and settlement, businesses, the arts, and the contributions of different generations of immigrants.
It is also important to show how Singapore Chinese culture has evolved through interactions with other communities in Singapore’s multicultural society, SCCC said.
SCCC will launch a travelling exhibition to introduce the gallery to members of the public, who can share their aspirations for the Singapore Chinese story.
The exhibition will be at Chinatown Point from Aug 25 to Sept 11 and One Punggol from Sept 12 to Oct 2. It will then travel to other venues such as public libraries, community hubs and schools.
SCCC chairman Ng Siew Quan noted that until now, no single institution has brought together and presented the broad overview of the history of the Chinese community.
“The gallery will fill this gap, serving as a one-stop hub where the public can learn about the community’s development, cultural heritage and contributions to nation-building,” he said.
Historian Kua Bak Lim, a member of the gallery’s advisory panel, said: “The gallery will become a convenient one-stop destination for locals and visitors to learn about the Chinese Singaporean experience, and how our identity is multi-faceted and shaped by shared experiences.”
Chinese classics coming to Life
Meanwhile, an exhibition on the four great Chinese classic novels – Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dream of the Red Chamber, Water Margin and Journey to the West – will open at the National Library Singapore in December 2026.
It brings together rare historical artefacts from the National Library of China (NLC) and National Library Singapore.
“Many Singaporeans know these stories from young and have learnt many values from them,” said PM Wong. “The exhibition will include treasured artefacts being shown outside of China for the first time.”
Presented in both English and Chinese, the exhibition offers an immersive journey through each novel’s story world, with interactive digital installations woven in, said the National Library Board.
Among the highlights are artefacts on loan from the NLC, including Tier 1 cultural relics, China’s highest classification for national heritage objects. These early editions, woodblock prints and opera scripts dating from the 17th to 19th centuries have never been exhibited outside of China.
Creating conducive environment for learning mother tongues
In his speech, PM Wong said there are concerns that Singaporeans may gradually lose touch with their cultural roots and lose their bilingual edge. “We must preserve our Asian identity and character and must not become a monolingual society,” he added.
He updated that over 1,000 students have benefited from the easing of criteria for taking Higher Chinese this year.
Today, one in four Secondary 1 students studying the language is taking it at the Higher Chinese level, and more schools are also offering Higher Chinese, he noted.
While schools matter, the language environment at home is also important, PM Wong said.
Recalling his growing up years, he said: “Every evening, my family watched Channel 8 dramas together. From the Army Series to The Flying Fish and The Awakening, I did not miss any of them... This was how my Mandarin gradually improved.”
He also cited the example of The Straits Times journalist Alyssa Woo, who shared in an article that she wanted her children to learn Mandarin despite her limited fluency. She immersed herself in Mandarin through daily TV programmes and songs, improving her fluency after three months and sparking her children’s interest in the language.
The Straits Times journalist Alyssa Woo (second from right), 36, with her husband Samuel Wong (second from left), 38, and children (from left) Lara, one, Liv, five, and Lucas, three.
PM Wong said there must also be a supportive social environment where mother tongues are used in everyday life.
Local media, cultural groups and artists are creating engaging Mandarin content, he noted. Young Singaporeans also have access to Mandarin films, dramas, music and games from abroad.
“Singaporeans embrace diverse cultures, while continuing to preserve and celebrate our own,” he said. “We remain open to learning from the richness of cultures around the world.”
