SINGAPORE - More than 1,000 seniors from 39 senior care centres and nursing homes had a taste of nostalgia during a dialect storytelling session on Friday (May 28).

For nearly an hour, Mr Goh Soo Yong, 73, a freelance cultural and educational instructor, regaled them with a story in Teochew about showing respect to the elderly.

The storytelling session - on virtual platform Zoom - was part of efforts by a local business called Trendsen Cultural Enterprise to promote Chinese culture and engage seniors during the Covid-19 pandemic, the firm said in a statement.

It was held at Trendsen's office in Upper Cross Street, in Chinatown.

Organisations that took part include St Andrew's Nursing Home (Taman Jurong), Vanguard Healthcare's Woodlands Care Home, and Care Corner Active Ageing Hub in Toa Payoh East.

Trendsen marketing manager Wendy Sim said: "Since the outbreak of the pandemic, local nursing homes or centres have adopted stricter preventive measures. Most institutions allow only immediate family members to visit, and other recreational activities have been suspended."

Trendsen said it plans to hold another storytelling session for seniors in the coming months - this time in Cantonese.