HiddenSG @ Katong-Joo Chiat: Festival Race

Starting from Haig Road Market and Food Centre, race participants will embark on a journey exploring through Katong-Joo Chiat. Along the way, you have to unravel hidden clues and complete challenges that will uncover the Katong-Joo Chiat neighbourhood’s rich heritage, history and culture. Guiding you through every step of the way are the friendly virtual mascots: Void Deck Cat and Hannie the HAN sparrow.

The first 5 teams to cross the finishing line will win vouchers and cash prizes (1) kindly sponsored by HiddenSG, i12 Katong, The Federation of Merchants’ Associations Singapore and Heartland Enterprise Centre Singapore!

Can I still go on HiddenSG @ Katong-Joo Chiat game after the festival race?

If you are unable to join during the festival race period, the HiddenSG @ Katong-Joo Chiat game will still be available after the festival race for those who are interested to play at your own pace. Tickets are priced at S$9.90 and this includes a surprise F&B item along the way!

What is the HiddenSG @ Katong-Joo Chiat all about?

The HiddenSG @ Katong-Joo Chiat is one of the programme highlights of NHB’s Heritage Activation Nodes: Katong Joo Chiat (HAN@K-JC) launch festival held from 20th to 21st April 2024.

Attendees can look forward to a diverse range of activities organised in collaboration with over 20 community partners and heritage businesses in the area, at various locations around the Katong-Joo Chiat neighbourhood. 

For more information on HAN@K-JC and HiddenSG @ Katong-Joo Chiat, please visit https://go.gov.sg/nhb-han 

A preview of HiddenSG Race @ Katong-Joo Chiat 

I went for a media preview for this HiddenSG Race @ Katong-Joo Chiat, it was a fun and interactive amazing race, Singapore Heritage edition. This unique heritage race is interactive, the questions have its own unique style of making us unravel the clues and completing the challenges. 

For myself who has been photographing and documenting in the heritage sector, this amazing race style game is refreshing for me in how we can approach, embrace and reach out Singapore’s history, heritage, and culture through technology and new media, to a wider community from the young to the seniors, attracting and getting more people to discover and know more about Singapore’s history, heritage and culture.

Although I don’t live in the East side of Singapore, the recent NHB Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Katong-Joo Chiat launch, and recent photography assignment location in Katong-Joo Chiat, brought me to Katong-Joo Chiat district for the fourth time in two months. 

Here are some tips that I would like to share with you when you embark on this interactive HiddenSG Race @ Katong-Joo Chiat:

• Wear comfortable attire and shoes, you are going to walk and walk!
• Observe the rich heritage and culture in the Katong-Joo Chiat neighbourhood
• Take the chance to learn about the rich heritage, history and culture of Katong-Joo Chiat district
• Bring your water bottle! Remember to hydrate!
• Remember to bring your umbrella or poncho, you never know when it might rain!
• Be safe, watch out for traffic and people when crossing the roads/walking
• Last but not least, enjoy and have lots of fun with your group of family and/or friends!

Information on HiddenSG Race @ Katong-Joo Chiat

• Date: 20th April 2024
• Meeting Point: Haig Road Market and Food Centre
• Timing: 1pm
• Price: S$10*
• Register here: https://go.gov.sg/nhb-han 

Notes:

• Covers up to 5 participants. You can play individually or in a group of up to 5 people for the same price. Please bring a phone with internet access and WhatsApp, wet weather protection, and a water bottle. 
• (1) 1st Prize: $300 KLIK vouchers (i12 Katong app voucher) & cash prize of S$500; 2nd and 3rd Prizes: $250 cash prize each; 4th and 5th Prizes: $100 cash prize each.

The post Embark on an interactive (SG) Heritage Race – HiddenSG @ Katong-Joo Chiat: Festival Race appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Street Corner Heritage Galleries Scheme

For those who might not be too familiar or heard about Street Corner Heritage Galleries previously. What is the Street Corner Heritage Galleries Scheme all about?

The Street Corner Heritage Galleries scheme by the National Heritage Board (NHB) started off in Balestier in 2020, followed by Kampong Gelam in 2021, Little India in 2022 and Chinatown in 2022. The Street Corner Heritage Galleries scheme is an excellent way to celebrate and document the rich experiences of heritage businesses, this scheme aims to foster a deeper appreciation for heritage in everyday spaces.

Under this scheme, NHB works closely with interested owners of heritage businesses with at least 30 years of history to co-create “mini-museums” to showcase the history, heritage, culture and stories of their businesses and trades, through the displays of historical documents, photographs and artefacts.

A brief history of Katong-Joo Chiat district

You would probably know Katong-Joo Chiat from pictures of the colourful pre-war Peranakan shophouses, that attracts not only locals to head there for a photo shoot. Our international friends have also make their way into Katong-Joo Chiat district for its charm, beauty and colourful blend of old and new, from its colourful pre-war shophouses in the neighbourhood, the diverse communities co-existing with modern shopping malls and hip cafes. 

There are rich history, heritage and culture elements in Katong-Joo Chiat, waiting for you to discover them behind those heritage businesses in Katong-Joo Chiat. Each has their own story of resilience, innovation and intergenerational piety. What are some of the stories and insights into heritage businesses in this vibrant Katong-Joo Chiat precinct? What are some of the lesser-known anecdotes behind those classic delicacies to inspirational tales of intergenerational support and cooperation? 

Why not take a walk and explore Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Katong-Joo Chiat, discover and find out more about them?

Six Participating Businesses for Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Katong-Joo Chiat

NHB is launching Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Katong-Joo Chiat with six participating businesses: 

• Kway Guan Huat Joo Chiat Popiah
• Joo Chiat Fei Fei Wanton Noodle House
• Kim Choo Kueh Chang
• Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant
• Sin Heng Claypot Bak Koot Teh
• D’Bun

Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0 – Empowering the Community 

This Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Katong-Joo Chiat is an expansion of the scheme, as part of the NHB’s ongoing efforts under the Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0, to empower more Singaporeans to get involved with the celebration of our heritage and support heritage businesses and crafts. The Street Corner Heritage Galleries scheme provides curatorial support and assistance in terms of research and content development, and funding for the fabrication of showcases. 

NHB will also work closely with the heritage businesses to develop programmes that complement the showcases, and provide opportunities for them to participate in key NHB events to increase awareness of their businesses and offerings. 

What can the public look forward to? From guided trails and workshops that will showcase the Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Katong-Joo Chiat during NHB’s inaugural Heritage Activation Nodes (HAN), that will be launched in Katong-Joo Chiat district and various precincts from this year as part of NHB Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0. The HAN provides opportunities for the community to develop and implement projects that will increase the number of heritage touchpoint in the heartlands and celebrate the distinctive heritage of their neighbourhoods. 

Mr Gerald Wee, Director, Education and Community Outreach, NHB said: “We have been encouraged by the success of the pilot Street Corner Heritage Galleries scheme over the past three years. Feedback from the business owners has been positive and we hope this expansion of the scheme will allow more heritage businesses to showcase their stories and heritage, and to benefit from increased public awareness and support.”

A short tour of Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Katong-Joo Chiat

During the media session, we took a short tour of the Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Katong-Joo Chiat district. Starting off at Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant, next was Kway Guan Huat Joo Chiat Popiah, Joo Chiat Fei Fei Wanton Noodle House and Kim Choo Kueh Chang.

Although it was a short session at each location due to time constraints, we heard stories from the  people behind the those heritage businesses. Although I had explored Katong-Joo Chiat quite a fair bit over the years for heritage, history and arts related events and activities, as well as doing photography shoots at various locations in the iconic Katong-Joo Chiat, hanging out at the Katong Square Lifestyle & Vintage Market by The Retro Factory, there were still many stories that I am hearing it for the first time about Katong-Joo Chiat district. 

As I don’t stay in the east side of Singapore, and I am not too knowledgable about Peranakan cuisine, I didn’t know about the history and legacy of Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant until that day when I stepped into the premises for the start of the media event for Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Katong-Joo Chiat. I would love to visit and try their authentic Peranakan cuisine after trying out some of their delicious kueh and light bites that they prepared for the media event. 

Next up was Kway Guan Huat Joo Chiat Popiah. I heard about them previously, now I got to visit their store and hearing them share their history, stories and journeys. I love to eat popiah, I am going to check out their website, see which popiah skin or popiah sets to order, and plan a popiah eating gathering.

Visiting Kim Choo Kueh Chang at Joo Chiat Place, the original location and also its main factory, it was not the same as their East Coast Branch where I visited a few times over the years whenever there were events held in the Katong-Joo Chiat district. We were given a tour of their factory during our media tour, hearing them share about KIm Choo Kueh Chang history, stories and journeys. 

On a personal note, it was good to meet Mr Lim of Joo Chiat Fei Fei Wanton Noodle House again, I met him a few years back, thanks to Victor, a senior in Scouting, also a heritage enthusiast that I met at Katong Square Lifestyle & Vintage Market, for introducing him. 

The four Street Corner Heritage Galleries in Katong-Joo Chiat district that we visited, all had their own unique history, stories and journeys, from one generation to the next. I would like to invite you to explore and check them out during your exploration of Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Katong-Joo Chiat, whereby you can learn more about their origins, how they continued to thrive and grow over the years.

For more information on Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Katong-Joo Chiat

If you like to know more information on Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Katong-Joo Chiat, please visit https://go.gov.sg/schgkatongjoochiat 

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