It only seemed like yesterday when I was celebrating SG50 with free LEGOs and limited Hello Kitties, yet here we are now back to mark another decade – how time truly flies. This year marks SG60, and as part of a nationwide effort to celebrate Singapore’s Diamond Jubilee, the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) is collaborating with 14 Chinese institutions and cultural groups on presenting a variety of programmes to commemorate the Chinese community’s involvement in building the nation.
With an exciting lineup of exhibitions, performances, and festivals peppered across the year, let’s go over what you can expect to hear and see from the SCCC.
60 Prominent Cultural Figures from the Chinese Community
To kick off the SCCC’s SG60 lineup, the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre—along with the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI) and Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA)—have jointly launched an exhibition that spans across the SCCC building and Singapore Conference Hall.
Titled 60 Prominent Cultural Figures from the Chinese Community, the exhibition features 60 standees of Chinese Singapores who made significant contributions to the local cultural landscape across six main fields of academia, commerce, media, and the literary, performing, and visual arts.
In a media statement, SCCC CEO Mr Alvin Tan hopes that the exhibition “showcases the commitment and contributions of cultural pioneers from our local Chinese community”, which will hopefully inspire new generations of artists and cultural practitioners to “build on the foundations laid by these pioneers to bring their art forms to new heights” and to “contribute to a thriving arts, culture and heritage ecosystem in Singapore.”
Meanwhile, at the launch, historian Kua Bak Lim, who spent a great deal of time selecting these 60 figures, revealed that several criteria were employed during the decision-making process, like how they must be Chinese, Singaporean, and a leader in any of the six main fields.
Aside from the basic requirements though, the criterion I found most interesting—and the one he also exclaimed most loudly—was that they had to be deceased so that he and his team could conduct a more objective assessment of their cultural contribution.
However, as specific as these criteria seemed, I noticed they were quite flexible. Though one requirement was for every figure to be Chinese, numerous subgroups were featured like the Hokkien, Teochew, and even those of Peranakan Chinese descent! The flexibility wasn’t just limited to race though; It surprised me to see several featured women from what was a more male-dominated Singapore back then.
When I highlighted this to Mr Alvin Tan, he explained that the diversity of cultural personalities was a top priority during the conceptualisation of the exhibition. While to most people that just meant having an even distribution of figures across the cultural fields, Mr Alvin Tan shared that it also meant considering racial and gender representation.
As for the exhibit’s accessibility, the text is presented in both English and Chinese, with two QR codes on each standee to read about other prominent cultural figures and to aid communities in need by contributing to the Community Chest’s SG60 Share respectively. The standees will be on display at Singapore Conference Hall Level 2, and SCCC Levels 1, 2 and 10, as well as the escalator platform between Levels 7 and 9 until 30 November 2025.
And if SCCC is too out of the way for you, then you’ll be glad to know that the exhibition will also be adapted into panels to travel across multiple locations in Singapore from June 2025 onwards.
⏰Date: 6 March to 30 November 2025
📍Locations:
- SCCC, 1 Straits Blvd, Singapore 018906
- Singapore Conference Hall, 7 Shenton Wy, Singapore 068810
- Public libraries and other community spaces (From June 2025)
💲Price: Free
Exhibitions
The Nanyang Breakfast Club: Let’s Lim Kopi, Jiak Roti
Speaking of travelling exhibitions, The Nanyang Breakfast Club: Let’s Lim Kopi, Jiak Roti is one such programme that will be set up across public libraries, malls, and schools to explore the history of Nanyang breakfast. Pioneered by the Hainanese and shaped by Chinese, Malay, Peranakan, and Western Influences, this exhibition showcases how Nayang breakfast became a reflection of Singapore’s multicultural society.
Here are the basic details:
⏰Dates:
- SingPost Centre: 3 April to 2 May 2025
- Cheng San Public Library: 3 to 31 May 2025
- Funan: 15 to 29 June 2025
- SCCC: 6 September to 29 November 2025
📍Locations:
- SingPost Centre, Level 2, 10 Eunos Rd 8, Singapore 408600
- Cheng San Public Library, 90 Hougang Avenue 10, #03-11 Hougang Mall, 538766
- Funan, Basement 2, 107 N Bridge Rd, Singapore 179105
- SCCC, 1 Straits Blvd, Singapore 018906
💲Price: Free
Also, check out the exhibition’s dedicated webpage to stay updated on the latest updates and changes too.
Sojourners to Citizens – The Citizenship Journey
Now for all the history buffs out there, you’ll definitely not want to miss this next travelling exhibition!
To commemorate the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s (SCCCI) over a decade fight for citizenship rights for the people, the organisation will launch Sojourners to Citizens – The Citizenship Journey.
This exhibition seeks to reflect upon this pivotal chapter in Singapore’s nation-building journey by focusing not only on SCCCI’s efforts but also on the roles many Chinese clan associations and community organisations played in supporting the registration process. Thus, if you’re interested in how we became the masters of our land, do check this one out!
⏰Date: Starts from 1 July 2025
📍Locations:
- SCCCI Building, 47 Hill Street, Singapore 179365
- Schools, community spaces, and clan associations
💲Price: Free
SG, You’ve Got Mail!
Oh my, what’s this? It seems that SG, You’ve Got Mail! As a collaboration between SCCC and Siaw-Tao Chinese Seal Carving, Calligraphy & Painting Society, this exhibition will feature 60 heartfelt letters by the society’s artists, each conveying well-wishes for Singapore’s 60th birthday through traditional art forms like seal carving, calligraphy, and painting.
Furthermore, the exhibit space—thoughtfully designed by Siaw-Tao member Tan Wei Ming—will display these letters on a layered arrangement of envelopes, evoking the warmth of handwritten words.
So, if you’re ready to reconnect with the art of letter writing or simply looking for some writing inspo, come down to this exhibit and be awed by the craftsmanship of Siew-Tao!
⏰Date: 18 July to 24 August 2025, 10am to 8pm
📍Location: SCCC Concourse, Level 1, 1 Straits Blvd, Singapore 018906
💲Price: Free
Remember to check out the exhibition’s dedicated webpage as well to stay updated on the latest updates!
Federation of Art Societies (Singapore) SG60 National Day Art Exhibition
Finally, the last exhibition I have to share is the Federation of Art Societies (Singapore) SG60 National Day Art Exhibition. Self-explanatory title, but what’s more impressive is that the exhibition will feature around 180 to 200 artworks of different mediums from artists of various races, including foreign artists who have made their home in Singapore!
If witnessing the development of Singapore through its art interests you, then come down and #supportlocal by visiting this once-in-a-lifetime exhibit!
⏰Date: 7 to 11 August 2025
📍Location: SCCC Multi-Purpose Hall, Level 7, 1 Straits Blvd, Singapore 018906
💲Price: Free
Performances
Tok Tik Tok – Singapore River Rhapsody
Moving on, the lineup of performances will begin with the Young People’s Performing Arts Ensemble’s Tok Tik Tok – Singapore River Rhapsody. This locally produced drama play utilises Kuaiban—a traditional Chinese performance art that combines dialogue, rhythmic clapping, and music—to narrate the story of our Singapore River.
Follow Ah Seng, who lived alongside the river since the 1960s, as he recounts its incredible transformation. From squalid and smelly to clean and green, witness the spectacular change in both the Singapore River and Singapore itself through a memorable drama that features local performers both old and young!
⏰Date:
- 21 March 2025, 8pm
- 22 March 2025, 3:30pm and 8pm
- 23 March 2025, 3:30pm
📍Location: SCCC Auditorium, Levels 9 & 10, 1 Straits Blvd, Singapore 018906
💲Price:
- Standard: S$30
- Concession (for seniors): S$27
- Group (minimum purchase of 4 tickets from the same category): S$25 per ticket
*Note that all ticket prices exclude booking fees, which are as listed:
- S$4 booking fee per ticket for tickets S$40 and above
- S$3 booking fee per ticket for tickets between S$20.01 and S$40
- S$1 booking fee per ticket for tickets S$20 and below
As always, please visit the exhibition’s dedicated webpage and, most importantly, the ticketing website for purchase details.
Legends: Journey to Singapura
Now, is anyone else a sucker for musicals? If you are, here’s Legends: Journey to Singapura! Inspired by Journey To The West, Reverberance—a Singaporean Chinese wind percussion ensemble—is bringing this classic to audiences with a distinctly Singaporean lens through a place named Singapura.
For this multi-disciplinary project, Reverberance will be collaborating with Cultural Medallion recipient Dr Liang Wern Fook and playwright/actor Mr Garrick Wong to bring the stage to life, whilst local homegrown composer Mr Sulwyn Lok will be responsible for the music composition and orchestration.
All event dates are currently sold out, but do check out the ticketing website to see if anything changes!
⏰Date: 19 to 20 April 2025
📍Location: SCCC Auditorium, Levels 9 & 10, 1 Straits Blvd, Singapore 018906
💲Price: S$80, S$65, S$40
Rediscovering Chinese Music Concert
For the last performance programme in this lineup, it’s the Rediscovering Chinese Music Concert, which pays tribute to the evolution of Chinese music during Singapore’s nation-building years, focusing on the transformative 1960s and 70s.
Here, a confluence of old and new mix; veteran musicians who contributed to the local musical renaissance will collaborate with young professionals, fostering an intergenerational exchange that ensures the transmission of historical techniques and stories.
If you’re interested in hearing a little bit of history or have parents who want to relive their musical memories, sign the whole family up for this concert when tickets are available!
⏰Date: 24 August 2025
📍Location: SCCC Auditorium, Levels 9 & 10, 1 Straits Blvd, Singapore 018906
💲Price: To be confirmed
Events
Eternal Vigilance: SCCCI Learning Journey
Unfortunately, we’re almost done covering the lineup. But remember, it’s not about the destination, but the journey. And speaking of a journey, SCCCI has launched a special learning journey titled Eternal Vigilance: SCCCI Learning Journey. This heritage tour will bring participants from the SCCCI Building to the Civilian War Memorial, Lim Bo Seng Memorial, Victoria Memorial Hall, Former City Hall, and the Cenotaph.
Whilst learning more about our nation’s wartime history, including the stories of our World War II heroes, participants can also reflect on the importance of racial harmony and social cohesion in overcoming challenges and building a more resilient future for Singapore.
📍Locations: From SCCCI Building, 47 Hill Street, Singapore 179365, to Civilian War Memorial, War Memorial Park, Beach Rd, Singapore 189768
⏰Date: Starts from 1 February 2025
💲Price: Free
Therefore, come explore Singapore’s past on a walk that brings history and heritage to life by signing up on Eventbrite, ensuring the legacies of these legends live on.
National Day Sing-Along (SG60 Edition)
Why not go all out at a karaoke session with the nation? Co-organised by the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) and SCCC, the annual National Day Sing-Along is back with a bang!
As part of the SFCCA’s SG60 offerings, this event will feature a thoughtfully curated song setlist to foster a deep sense of belonging and pride, reflecting the nation’s multiracial and multicultural identity. Personally, I’m hoping for The Voices of Ordinary People (小人物的心声) and Di Tanjong Katong to make it on the list!
The sing-along will also highlight the importance of collective efforts and personal growth in facing new challenges so that we can build a bigger and better tomorrow. Hence, do sign up for this event for an unforgettable day of communal singing with your fellow citizens!
National Day Sing-Along (SG60 Edition)
⏰Date: August 2025
📍Location: To be confirmed
💲Price: To be confirmed
Publications
The Compilation of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry Council Meeting Minutes (1906 to 1942)
Next, here’s something that’ll cure your brain rot. Along with organising an exhibition, the SCCCI will also publish a compilation of the organisation’s 1906 to 1942 Meeting Minutes, chock-full of vital discussions and decisions from the SCCCI’s earliest days.
These minutes will also shed light on the organisation’s key role in shaping early Singapore society and its contributions to economic growth and social cohesion prior to independence, offering SCCCI’s best wishes for the nation’s continued prosperity and enduring success.
If you want to own a piece of history through this sweet tribute to Singapore, then purchase this book as soon as it hits the shelves!
⏰Date: To be confirmed
💲Price: To be confirmed
Festivals
SG60 Weekend: A Community Celebrates
Finally, here’s the big festival you’ve been waiting for: as part of place-making efforts, SCCC and Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) will be co-organising SG60 Weekend: A Community Celebrates.
This two-day celebration will see SCCC offer family-friendly arts and culture performances and programmes, with the SCO meanwhile presenting Ode to Singapore, a musical tribute to Singapore’s remarkable journey through six decades of unity, resilience and growth.
If you’re interested in these events and want to show your support for place-making efforts like these, come down and enjoy the festivities with the Chinese community!
⏰Date: 27 to 29 June 2025
📍Locations:
💲Price: To be confirmed
And with that, here’s everything the SCCC and Chinese community have to offer for SG60! Or everything that’ll be offered for now. The SCCC is still looking for partners to collaborate with to sustain this initiative until December, so if you or someone you know are in charge of a Chinese institution or cultural group, do hit them up on their website!
Speaking of their website, it is also a good resource to check out if you simply wish to catch up on their latest events, do also follow them on Facebook and Instagram, as well as on WeChat with the ID: sccc_sg! See you at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre!
Photos by Russell Loh of the DANAMIC team. Additional visuals courtesy of Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre.