THE Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival holds a special place in his heart, but a Singaporean he is not.

During the 11 years that Dutch graphic designer Paul van der Veer lived in Singapore, he went around the island taking photos of Chinese street operas with his trusty Leica camera.

The result: a catalogue of 800 pictures capturing Singapore's dying art. And last year, he published a coffee-table book titled Da Xi - Chinese Street Opera In Singapore, in Holland.

It will be available here in October when it hits major bookstores such as Kinokuniya in Ngee Ann City. Each copy is priced at $50.

The 41-year-old, who worked in Singapore between 1994 and 2005, tells Life!: 'I was fascinated by the opera's bright colours and sounds. There is so much preparation, from the elaborate make-up and costumes to the religious rituals before the performances.

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times' Life!