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Maxwell Food Centre
Photograph: Danny Santos / Singapore Tourism Board

Singapore’s hawker culture is now part of UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage

It comes after some two years of hard work

Fabian Loo
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Fabian Loo
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More good news to end the year with – Singapore’s hawker culture is now officially listed as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

The result was announced via a virtual ceremony yesterday evening (December 16), after 24 international committee members voted unanimously to pass the country’s application. It comes after some two years of hard work since Singapore first announced the intention to list hawker culture as part of the UNESCO list.

This means that the hawker culture is now Singapore’s first item on the intangible cultural heritage list, and joins more than 460 other entries including Thai massage and yoga in India.

And to celebrate this momentous occasion, a three-week celebration, SG HawkerFest, will take place from December 26 to January 11 2021. Participants can take part in virtual treasure hunts and online quizzes, and win prizes in the form of vouchers that can be redeemed across 29 participating hawker centres.

Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball
Photograph: Singapore Tourism Board

For now, the best way to celebrate is to drop by your nearest hawker centre. Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post that “the biggest thanks must go to the generations of hawkers for nourishing a nation’s stomach and spirits”.

He added: “Why not celebrate by ordering your favourite hawker dish this week?”

For more hawker culture content, check out our Hawker Spotlight series or find out what is Singapore's most iconic dish

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