Five Footway Festival Returns for Third Edition to Bring the Storied Past of Chinatown to Life

From 9 to 17 March 2024 there will be Fun for All Ages

(Singapore, 20 February 2024) The highly anticipated Five Footway Festival is returning to Chinatown Singapore from 9 to 17 March 2024 with a host of fun and exciting activities for visitors of all ages. Organised by the Chinatown Business Association in collaboration with programme partners, the festival will take place at various locations in Chinatown where the streets come alive with the hustle and bustle of Chinatown in the 1900s.

The Five Footways in Singapore is an integral part of everyday life of the community. In collaboration with Sun Yat-Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall and students from Hwa Chong Institution, we embark on a journey into the history of the Five Footway, clans and associations, as well as related stories for Chinatown Singapore to create this unique exhibition for the festival. Gain a deeper understanding on the way of life, values, and traditions of our forefathers in Singapore’s Chinatown, and how the lives of early immigrants were centred at the Five Footway across trades, clan activities, cultural, arts and entertainment activities and beyond.

Visitors to the festival can also register for Conserved Buildings in Chinatown, a walking trail by Do It SG to learn about the conservation of heritage buildings in Singapore, the history behind some of the oldest buildings in Chinatown and the activities that used to line the Five Footways. Revel in intricate stories of folktales at Joss Stick Storytelling and do not miss Tan Ah Huat in Chinatown, a theatrical walking tour by Let’s Go Tour that transports you back in time through the eyes of Tan Ah Huat, a Chinese immigrant from the 1920s as he shares the fascinating tale of Chinatown back in the early days of Singapore.

Paying homage to its previous name Theatre Street or Hei Yuen Kai, Smith Street is set to enthrall visitors to the Five Footway Festival with rich, cultural theatre acts across Cantonese Opera, Teochew Opera and Peking Opera performances as well as the Hokkien puppet show. The festival will provide visitors with opportunities to pick up some of these traditional skills through various workshops and classes. Visitors can sign up for Colourful Dialects to create their own personalised idiom and slangs colouring book, while learning their meanings and how to use them. Alternatively, Ping Sheh’s Introduction to Peking Opera class and Yan Wong Cultural Troupe’s Kirin Workshop offer participants a fun and inclusive time to experience their music, movements and more.

Executive Director of the Chinatown Business Association, Ms Lim Yick Suan stated, “The Five Footways of Chinatown hold a remarkable place in the heart of Singapore’s history. The enduring legacies of tenacity, hope and culture that have lined these Five Footways have continued to influence our lives today. Through the Five Footway Festival, we look to bring visitors of all ages to experience the lives of old Chinatown Singapore through sights, sounds and flavours, bridging the past to present, with interactive elements for all to try.”

As the diversity and passion for food in Singapore continue to flourish through generations, come join us in uncovering traditional dishes in Chinatown Singapore. Discover the rich heritage of Hakka culture with Hakka Imperial Kitchen as they take you on a journey through the makings of Hakka rice wine and its exquisite flavours. Learn to make a traditional omelette toast, attend the Traditional Wedding Talk with AMD Wedding, and hone your culinary skills with Auntie Helen in her culinary class as she teaches Hainanese-style pineapple stir-fry pork rind and fried preserved beans with chicken. Let’s Go Tour’s Chef Colin will also be hosting Put Chai Ko Making Classes, a traditional Cantonese dessert that is known as red bean sweet rice pudding. It promises to be an educational journey that teaches patience and precision as you master the traditional techniques in handling the glutinous rice flour and balancing its flavours.

Visitors to the Five Footway Festival, especially families with children, can enjoy childhood games together at Pagoda Street with the nostalgic can and ring toss, hoop wheeling, chapteh, zero point, and snakes and ladders. They can also munch on the much-loved traditional Singaporean snacks and biscuits, including Kacang Putih from stall vendors. Stilt walking Samsui women and khaki shorts policemen will be at the festival to meet and greet with visitors for photo taking opportunities. Other interesting activities include movie screenings, dragon dances, wushu and many more.