Missed out on island-hopping? HeritageFest has more to offer

Film screenings, exhibitions at 11 hubs islandwide

Mr Lee Pok Sew, 83, and his granddaughter Ariel, four, enjoying an exhibit on Kusu Island during a visit to the National Museum. The museum will be one of the 11 hubs for this year's HeritageFest.
Mr Lee Pok Sew, 83, and his granddaughter Ariel, four, enjoying an exhibit on Kusu Island during a visit to the National Museum. The museum will be one of the 11 hubs for this year's HeritageFest. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Hopping on boats to Singapore's outlying islands may be one way to learn more about the Republic's island heritage - but it is not the only one.

Those who do not manage to register for the popular island-hopping trails, organised as part of this year's Singapore HeritageFest, can still glean nuggets of history from the festival's other programmes.

These include film screenings as well as activities and exhibitions at 11 festival hubs islandwide.

They are among more than 60 different programmes put together by organiser National Heritage Board for the annual festival, which is focusing for the first time on Singapore's island heritage.

Now in its 11th edition, the Singapore HeritageFest will be held from July 18 to 27.

At the festival hubs located at shopping malls and places such as the National Museum of Singapore, visitors can browse exhibitions featuring themes ranging from Singapore's myths and legends to its kampung history to its island heritage.

For instance, the Tales From Our Shores festival hub at Century Square, a mall in Tampines, will tell six stories that have been passed down through the generations.

Some will dwell on the origins of places and things - such as the hot springs of Sembawang and the kompang drum, a Malay musical instrument - while others will centre on how places in Singapore were named.

Visitors to the exhibition will learn how Bukit Merah - which means "red hill" in Malay - got its name after a jealous ruler ordered his men to kill a young boy, causing his blood to flow down the hill.

At another festival hub, at Jurong's Westgate mall, visitors can find out more about the different forms of traditional healing from the different ethnic groups - traditional Chinese medicine; jamu, which is traditionally Malay; and ayurveda, a traditional Indian healing form.

Traditional Healing hub curator Angeline Tong, 38, said: "The exhibition aims to inform visitors that traditional healing is a collection of ancient wisdom that we should treasure."

The festival's offerings have piqued 26-year-old bank analyst Daniel Govindan's interest.

"The festival hubs in heartland malls will be convenient to visit, and I'll pop by on my way home from work," he said.

audreyt@sph.com.sg

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