Singapore HeritageFest 2024 – 1st to 26th May

Get ready for exciting galore and diverse range of programmes, such as offshore tours to kelongs and kampongs, ghostly encounters with the spookier parts of our heritage, exploring old schools and heritage hotels, also a secret “undisclosed” experience, and many more!

Singapore’s rich built heritage includes 75 National Monuments, over 7,000 conserved buildings and structures, and many more other historical sites and landmarks such as bridges, reservoirs and cemeteries, which may not be commonly associated with the term! Through SHF 2024 workshops, tours, trails, exhibitions and other activities across (and beyond the usual norm) Singapore, SHF festival goers will get to experience the history, heritage, culture and stories behind these buildings, sites and structures, packed with its own unique culture and heritage of the communities that live, work and play in and around them. 

SHF Festival Director David Chew said, “Singapore’s buildings, sites and structures – our built heritage – are more than just brick and stone. They hold the stories and experiences of diverse communities past and present, and it is the people and their stories that bring these spaces to life. They are showcases of the rich, unique culture and heritage that Singaporeans share, and we hope that many will have fun at the exciting offerings this year and discover new facets of our heritage at the same time. Ultimately, we hope that SHF will inspire Singaporeans to join us in celebrating and safeguarding our heritage together.” 

Together with more than 80 community partners, SHF 2024 celebrates the richness of Singapore’s built heritage which you can explore by foot, on bus and even on a boat. For the first time, local heritage brand Yeo’s will be an Official Partner of SHF. At SHF 2024, we will see the launch of Yeo’s special edition Orchid Chrysanthemum Tea, which will feature packaging designs inspired by an image of the Vanda Miss Joaquim in our National Collection.

Let’s Explore Stories of our Built Heritage 

With over 120 exciting and diverse programmes at SHF 2024. are you ready to start exploring stories of our built heritage? Where and how do I start? 

HOMEGROUND: We Built This City

A signature SHF offering, Homeground installation for 2024 is laid out on the lawn of a National Monument, the National Museum of Singapore, and pays homage to Singapore’s rich built heritage. 

HOMEGROUND: We Built This City will cover the themes of Nature, Commerce, Community, Residential and Governance, highlighting the intricate connections that have moulded Singapore’s architectural identity over the decades. There will be five displays that detail the evolution of Singapore’s public housing, and a landmark of Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the bandstand gazebo at Singapore Botanic Gardens. 

SHF is also proud to receive Yeo’s support for its signature HOMEGROUND: We Built This City installation. Other new partners include DP architects, which designed HOMEGROUND and they will be presenting a series of tours of Singapore’s downtown area.

Amazing lineup of SHF 2024 Programmes

Here are some of the amazing lineup of SHF 2024 programmes! New SHF programmes – Walk, ride or even paddle to explore our built heritage.

Hop-On, Hop-Off (HOHO) Bus Experience: Come onboard the Hop-On, Hop-Off (HOHO) BUs Experience and embark on a journey of Singapore’s buildings and landmarks through historical precincts such as Little India and Bras Basah.Bugis, and discover the history and beauty of our built heritage at every stop.

Island Boat Tour + Kelong Visit by Let’s Go Tour: Cruise the northeastern waters of Singapore, learn about the history of its surrounding islands, and visit one of the the last remaining belongs in Singapore. 

My Bay Experience History Wanderers: Paddle through Singapore’s urban reservoir and get exclusive access to hidden corners of the Marina Basin on a kayak tour.

Kampong Gelam Photo Walk: Architecture on Film by Syahmi Hashim & Julina Khusaini: Embark on a photo walk at Kampong Gelam and capture the allure of the traditional precinct on film.

Malay Kampong Heritage Tour: Join Wan, a descendant of Pulau Ubin islanders, on an exploration of the Ubin Orang Pulau community and Singapore’s last surviving Malay kampong.

37 Emerald Hill Site Tours: Discover stories of Straits Chinese communities here. They are the first-ever public tours of the former home of Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS), led by former teachers and students familiar with the premises. 

Living Architecture: Conservation Tours at NUS Baba House: Participants will visit a 19th-century Straits Chinese home and learn about the conservation efforts that went behind the restoration of the NUS Baba House in 2007. 

Closing Weekend Block Party: Let the good times roll at SHF Closing Weekend Block Party with food, craft, and music performances on the lawn of the National Museum of Singapore, replicating the communal experience of celebrations and festivities at shared residential spaces.

SHF Celebrates 40 years of Total Defence

Unveiling South Beach Singapore: From Military Might to Modern Marvel: Participants can uncover fascinating stories behind the architectural gems at South Beach, from their days as part of a military strong hold to their transformation into a vibrant modern hub. Participants will gain exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to level 11 of South Beach Tower for breathtaking views, and enjoy a refreshing, specially crafted cocktail as part of the programme. 

40 Years of Total Defence with the Navy: Celebrate 40 years of total defence with the Navy with special edition guided tours of the Changi Naval Base and Navy Museum. Visitors can get a taste of Singapore Navy life and learn about Singapore Navy traditions with sailors past and present. 

A Taste of Outfield Camp: Heritage in a Mess Tin: Sample an outfield camp experience and prepare for a “route march” to SAFTI Military Institute all in one day.

Dive into Singapore’s Maritime Heritage

Dive into Singapore’s Maritime Heritage with Singapore Maritime Discoveries, organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. 

Singapore Maritime Gallery Tour: Experience Singapore’s maritime past, present and future at the Singapore Maritime Gallery Tour, which will highlight the industry’s rich maritime heritage, the impacts on our daily life, and how Singapore continues to thrive as a global hub port and international maritime centre.

Maritime Heritage Trail and Maritime Evolution Trail: Discover Singapore’s early maritime history on the Maritime Heritage Trail, and learn about the progress of our modern maritime industry on the Maritime Evolution Trail.

Raffles Lighthouse: Set sail on a journey of discovery through the Singapore Strait and visit the Raffles Lighthouse, a historic beacon which has over 168 years of maritime history. 

Echoes of 1959: Singapore River Tour – Time-travelling storytellers take participants on a captivating theatrical tour along Clarke Quay and bring forgotten stories of a street hawker, a secret society member, and a coolie to life on Echoes of 1959: Singapore River Tour.

Discover unique haunts in Singapore

For those who are interested in the paranormal, you can discover unique haunts in Singapore during SHF 2024.

Haunted History: Armenian Street – Fort Canning:  Explore the stories lurking beneath the veneer of modern Singapore, where anecdotes of ghostly encounters have been passed down through generations in Haunted History: Armenian Street – Fort Canning. Embark on a walking tour from the Peranakan Museum, and hear haunting tales of the area around Armenian Street and Fort Canning Hill. 

Dark Changi, The Walking Tour: Take a walk on the dark side and explore the rich history, abandoned buildings and spooky tales that lie hidden in plain sight at Changi. Dark Changi, The Walking Tour offers two experiences: Heritage and Hantu: A Twillight Tour of Changi’s heritage and abandoned buildings in the fading evening light, and Walk with Hantu: Changi where notorious sites set the scene for lore and legends to come alive through the haunting accounts of eyewitnesses. 

SHF 2024 programmes highlight

Although there is an extensive and diverse list of SHF 2024 programmes, there are two particular programmes that caught my attention and I would like to highlight to all my readers!

Undisclosed by SHF: Join a mystery tour organised by SHF, the only catch is – they won’t tell you where you are going.

NUS ArClab (https://www.arclabnus.com/)

The NUS Architectural Conservation Laboratory (ArClab) is part of National University of Singapore’s Department of Architecture. ArClab is into cutting-edge cross disciplinary research and collaboration across digital conservation technology, material sciences, and building aesthetics. 

For SHF 2024, ArClab has talks & workshops, tours & trails. During the media preview, I got to visit ArClab and got to know more about them. They are definitely worth a look at, if you are into heritage conservation and architecture. 

Lenses of the Past at Capitol Singapore & CHIJMES 

Capitol Singapore and CHIJMES are participating in SHF 2024, not only do they have promotions for festival goers to check out, they have activities and an exhibition too.

Our Storied Past: Heritage Tour and Afternoon Tea

Enjoy an amazing and delicious afternoon tea experience at the Lobby Lounge at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore with its 5 course Afternoon Tea. After your Afternoon Tea, start your exclusive walking tour to explore the history, heritage, culture, architecture and stories of Stamford House and Capitol Building. Next, take a short walk to CHIJMES and continue to learn about this National Monument.

Heritage Tour and Afternoon Tea Experience 

Dates: Every Wednesday and Saturday from 1st May to 26th May

Time: 

• 15:00 – Afternoon Tea experience at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore
• 17:00 – Guided Heritage Tour of the The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore, followed by CHIJMES 
• Weekdays at S$52++ per person
• Weekends at S$58++ per person

For more information, please visit https://www.kempinski.com/en/the-capitol-singapore/meetings-events/singapore-heritagefest-20242 

Legacy Lens Kit

Photography and heritage enthusiasts would love this Legacy Lens Kit! It’s limited edition, 10 lens cards in a vintage camera pouch! Walk around Capitol Singapore or CHIJMES historical landmarks shown on the lens cards, align the outline on each lens card to the real-life structure and take a photo!

For more information on Legacy Lens Kit, please visit https://chijmes.com.sg/happenings/singapore-heritagefest-legacy-lens-kit/ 

Lenses of the Past: Heritage Exhibition 

At CHIJMES, don’t miss the giant retro camera display for you to take photos for your Instagram and TikTok! Check out the Lenses of the Past: Heritage Exhibition on the history, heritage, culture and stories of CHIJMES.

Thereafter, you can have your happy hour drinks, lunch or dinner at CHIJMES with their promotions in conjunction with SHF 2024.

Visit https://chijmes.com.sg/ for more information!

Let’s go explore Singapore’s stories of our Singapore’s Built Heritage!

This Singapore HeritageFest 2024 is packed with an amazing and diverse list of programmes to celebrate Singapore’s rich history, heritage, culture, architecture and stories. Pack your backpack, pack your camera, rally your family, loved ones and friends, let’s go explore Singapore’s stories of our Singapore’s Built Heritage!

For more information on Singapore HeritageFest 2024, please visit https://www.sgheritagefest.gov.sg/ 

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