Many would have tried Hinghwa (PuTian) cuisine but did you know that there is much more to the Hinghwa culture? The inaugural Hinghwa Food and Cultural Festival, a six day cultural extravaganza, is set to open from 12 to 17 March 2024 at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza.
Hinghwa Food & Cultural Festival: Sharing Heritage through Food and Performances
The festival aims to promote and share Hinghwa heritage to the public through colourful and captivating performances by overseas performers and local singers of Hinghwa descent like Nathan Hartono and Joanna Dong, savouring Hinghwa delicacies, and embracing the rich heritage of Hinghwa crafts and specialties.
We got a sneak peek at the array of over 30 Hinghwa delicacies, desserts and drinks that will be available at the Hinghwa Food & Cultural Festival. These are made with the freshest and finest ingredients sourced directly from Putian.
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These include dishes like the Hinghwa Red Rice Cake that is filled with green bean paste, a symbolic treat traditionally enjoyed during festivities in Putian.
In fact visitors will also be able to catch the complex process of handmaking these traditional treats which are rarely available in Singapore, onsite.
Other unique Hinghwa offerings include the Pickled Olive Skewer, Tofu Meatballs with Pork Meat in Thick soup and Oyster cake.
One of our favourite has to be the Hinghwa Steamed Rice Cake, Crispy Fried Seaweed Oyster, Braised Intestine Skewer and Chilled Jello Worm.
Definitely not your usual Chinese dishes on the menu but we highly recommend them.
A crowd favourite will be the Hinghwa Pan Fried Bun and Hinghwa Fried Beehoon.
Other delicacies include Hinghwa Pancake, Steamed Golden Cake, Hinghwa Sweet Potato Bun and the Fumao Pork Puff Pastry from Fumao Bakery, a traditional Bakery that has stood the test of time and successfully preserved the recipe of the Fumao Pork Pastry for over a century.
There will also be drinks available such as the nutritious Red Mushroom Tea and Bayberry Tea with Iced Berry Cubes.
Expertly curated and prepared by top chefs from China and Singapore, this culinary extravaganza promises an unforgettable and unique experience for visitors of all ages.
Learn about Hinghwa Culture
Other festival highlights including opera performances, Shaolin Kungfu performances, Hinghwa handicrafts and more!
Must-watch Performances at the Hinghwa Food & Cultural Festival
Get ready to be enthralled by the performances at the Hinghwa Festival.
One highlight is the Puxian Opera by a renowned opera troupe hailing from China. It will be presenting u踏伞行 (Ta San Xing), a performance that has received nation-wide recognition with its debut during the Spring Festival Gala 2023 broadcasted across China.
It also clinched the prestigious “Wenhua Award” – one of China’s national awards for the performing arts at China Art Festival. Puxian opera has its historical roots in the Tang and Song dynasties.
See the real deal of Shaolin Kungfu live at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza.
Watch high-energy and adrenaline-charged performance by the Southern Temple Shaolin Monks as they showcase their Kungfu mastery.
Apart from Shaolin Kungfu and Puxian Opera, the festival will have other edutainment segments to further our understanding and better appreciate the Hinghwa culture and heritage.
History of the Hinghwa People
Who are the Hinghwa people?
The first of the Hinghwa community arrived in Singapore in the late 19th century from Putian, also known as Henghua or Hinghwa, a city in East China’s Fujian province.
The Putian city has a long and distinctive history, and has been designated as a national historical and cultural city in China.
According to the Census of Population 2020, there are about 27, 000 Hinghwa people in Singapore. There could be many more Hinghwas, but many had categorised themselves as belonging to the Hokkien dialect group instead.
Mr Fong Chi Chung, President of Singapore Puxian (Hinghwa) Network, said, “We set up the Singapore Puxian (Hinghwa) Network to bring together descendants of the Hinghwa who are working and living in Singapore. We have since grown from about 200 members to about 700 members today. We have organised many events and even tours to Putian China and our members have greatly supported these activities and feedback that they enjoy them very much. Organising a food and cultural festival in a big-scale manner will hopefully help foster deeper understanding and appreciation of the Hinghwa culture among the general public, and we look forward to welcome everyone from Singapore and the region to join us.”
Visiting the Hinghwa Food and Cultural Festival
The festival is free for public and attendees need only to purchase coupons worth $20 each to redeem at food booths. Coupons are available for purchase at Singapore Puxian (Hinghwa) Network at 87272510 or via email at puxian.sg@gmail.com.
The Hinghwa Food and Cultural Festival is organised by Singapore Puxian (Hinghwa) Network and supported by the Putian Municipal People’s Government.
When: 12 to 17 March, 11 am to 10 pm
Where: Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza
Website
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