While the gates of the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH) remains temporarily locked, for now, the Internet becomes the key to getting your culture fix. Delve into the history and cultural significance of the annual Wan Qing Dumpling Festival as it returns with its very first digital edition from June 1 to 30. The online portal welcomes all in uncovering ancient Chinese myths and practices through a line-up of family-friendly digital initiatives such as cooking classes, game contests, quizzes, interactive craft demonstrations, and more.
Also known as the Dragon Boat Festival, the Dumpling Festival is celebrated by Chinese communities around the world. But what's the correlation between dragons and dumplings? No fire-breathers involved, the festival commemorates the death of China's national hero Qu Yuan with rice dumplings, realgar wine, and dragon boat races. To bring a slice of Chinese heritage, culture, and arts closer to home, SYSNMH is making its Wan Qing Dumpling Festival accessible to all via its Facebook page.
There is a myriad of activities for families to try together such as a cooking tutorial of the traditional Chinese rice dish bak zhang, DIY craft activities including folding your very own origami dragon boat, and an interactive game of catching rice dumplings where you can stand a chance to win exclusive museum merchandise. If you're in the mood for a story, cosy up for an animated storytelling session about rice dumplings and how the practice of dragon boat racing came to be.
The programmes are available via SYSNMH's Facebook page. For more information, visit sysnmh.org.sg.
