SINGAPORE, 23 August 2026 – Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC), with support from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the National Heritage Board, will establish a new Singapore Chinese Heritage Gallery (SCHG) at the Singapore Conference Hall, to honour and tell the Singapore Chinese community story as part of our shared multicultural heritage. With SCHG located close to SCCC and Singapore Chinese Orchestra, visitors can look forward to a more vibrant and immersive experience in Singapore Chinese arts, culture and heritage in the area.

Community support efforts to preserve and share Singapore Chinese community’s journey

As Singapore evolves, it is important to comprehensively document the histories of our different communities so that future generations can better understand how these communities have collectively shaped our nation. Since mid-2025, SCCC has been conducting engagement sessions with key community leaders, clan associations, docents, youths and students – including close to 100 youths and SCCC Youth Force members. Feedback from these engagements showed support for a dedicated gallery that provides a broad overview on the history, heritage and contributions of the Chinese community in Singapore.

The following key insights emerged from these consultations:

• Provide a balanced, historically grounded overview of the Chinese community’s development, covering key aspects from migration and settlement to education, businesses, language, 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.
• Curate content that is inclusive, relatable and reflective of lived experiences. Youth participants identified food, festivals, customs, values, language and dialects as meaningful aspects of Singapore Chinese culture. Many were particularly interested in contemporary topics such as language and identity as well as the impact of new immigrants. Some highlighted that personal stories and links to present-day experiences will help make historical content more relatable.
• Create engaging experiences for a diverse audience. Participants wanted a balanced mix of personal stories, tactile and digital interactives, and immersive experiences. They also supported complementary programmes such as talks, performances and workshops that encourage deeper engagement.

Deepening appreciation and understanding of Singapore Chinese community’s history and our multicultural identity

Scheduled to be opened in 2031, the Gallery’s storyline will focus on six themes following the timeline of Singapore’s development from pre-14^th century to the present day:

• Ports and Trade in Early Singapore (Pre-14th century to early 1800s)
• Chinese Settlements in British Empire (1819 to 1870s)
• Cultural Convergence: Institutions and Networks (1900s to 1942)
• Tides of Change (1877 to 1965)
• The Chinese Community in Post-Independence Singapore (1965 to 1980s)
• Chinese Singaporean in a Global City (1980s to present day)

This will complement the work of other heritage institutions and galleries in Singapore that showcase different aspects of our history and culture. This includes SCCC’s SINGAPO人 Permanent Exhibition which focuses on the evolution and manifestations of contemporary Chinese culture and identity in Singapore.

To gather diverse perspectives and anchor the Gallery in Singapore’s multicultural context, SCCC will also be consulting other cultural institutions such as National Museum of Singapore, Malay Heritage Centre, Indian Heritage Centre, and Eurasian Association, as well as other key stakeholder groups.

Making Singapore Chinese arts, heritage and culture accessible to all

Building on earlier engagement efforts, SCCC will launch a new travelling exhibition titled Have Your Say: Co-conceptualising the Singapore Chinese Heritage Gallery to introduce SCHG to the public. The exhibition will also invite the public to share their aspirations for the Singapore Chinese story and shape the gallery’s content, including preferred modes of presentation and key takeaways. The exhibition will be on display at Chinatown Point from 25 August to 11 September 2026, daily from 10.00am to 10.00pm. It will then move to One Punggol from 12 September to 2 October 2026, daily from 10.00am to 10.00pm, before travelling to other venues including shopping malls, public libraries, community hubs, schools and community centres.

Mr Ng Siew Quan, Chairman of Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, said: “SCHG is an important milestone project for the local Chinese community as it will complement SCCC’s SINGAPO人 Permanent Exhibition to provide an overview of the community from pre-14^th century to modern times. It will also serve as the hub connecting and directing visitors to other institutions and galleries showcasing different aspects of local Chinese history and culture. Through the Gallery, we hope to showcase Singapore Chinese identity and culture as rooted in a multicultural society; strengthen the sense of belonging amongst Chinese Singaporeans local and new; and promote core values cherished by the community such as resilience, diligence, patriotism and communal spirit.”

For more details on SCHG and SCCC’s Have Your Say: Co-conceptualising the Singapore Chinese Heritage Gallery travelling exhibition, please refer to our website here.