It’s official.
Singapore’s hawker culture is now officially on the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
All representatives on the committee deciding the fate of nominations voted “aye” on 16 Dec 2020 for Singapore hawker culture’s inclusion within three minutes.
It was decided that as Singapore has fulfilled all the necessary requirements needed to make it onto the list, there was no need for a debate.
Joins 463 Other Entries On The List
The journey to entering the Unesco list isn’t as easy as it sounds.
For almost three years, folks from the National Heritage Board, the National Environment Agency and the Federation of Merchants’ Associations worked hard to make 16 Dec 2020 a reality.
The preparation work started in Feb 2018 and the submission was made in Mar 2019.
They took inspiration from other food cultures on the list, including:
- Traditional Japanese food which was associated with the “essential spirit of respect for nature that is closely related to the sustainable use of natural resources”
- The gastronomical meal of French also made it in as a “customary social practice for celebrating important moments in the lives of individuals and groups”
- Belgium’s beer culture
With the successful nomination, Singapore’s hawker culture joins 463 other entries on the list.
It’s also Singapore’s second entry on the Unesco lists, with the first being the Singapore Botanic Gardens back in 2015.
The Singapore Hawker Culture
In PM Lee’s 2018 National Day Rally, he mentioned Singapore’s plan to get our hawker culture listed as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.
To him, Singapore’s hawker culture is a unique part of Singapore.
And it’s more than just food. The hawker culture is something that resonates with every Singaporean. In fact, he claimed it’s the “best cure for homesickness” for overseas Singaporeans.
Hawker centres, he said, are community spaces where people of all races, income and religions get together to eat.
Shortly after the announcement of the successful nomination, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong thanked all hawkers and Singaporeans for their support.
“Singapore’s hawker culture is a source of pride for Singapore and all Singaporeans. It reflects our living heritage and multiculturalism, and is an integral part of the daily lives of everyone in Singapore regardless of age, race or background.
“I thank all our hawkers and Singaporeans for their overwhelming support of this nomination… We pledge to do our part to safeguard our intangible cultural heritage.”
Previously, many, including Makansutra’s founder KF Seetoh, were witnessing the decline of Singapore’s hawker culture.
Well-known, traditional hawker stalls face the danger of dying out because there was no one to pass the skills and knowledge down to, and young people were avoiding the trade.
With this nomination, however, it seems like the hawker culture in Singapore might just get a new lease on life.
Safeguarding The Legacy
Getting the nomination is only the first step.
In order to keep the nomination, Singapore has to protect and nurture the hawker culture further.
Every six years, Singapore has to submit a report to Unesco, showing the efforts and successes made in maintaining and passing down the hawker culture to future generations.
This probably means attracting more young people to the trade, so if you’ve ever dreamt of operating your own zichar stall, regardless of how tough it is, the next few years could just be the best time to do it with the support of the government.
SG Hawker Fest
To celebrate this historic moment, Singapore is going to hold a three-week SG hawker fest from 26 Dec 2020.
Unfortunately, because we’re still dealing with the pesky Covid-19 pandemic, most of the activities will be held online.
There’ll be online treasure hunts and games which you can join to win vouchers that can be redeemed at 29 participating hawker centres.
PM Lee, President Halimah Yacob and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment has spoken up to thank Singaporeans for their support during this period, noting how Singapore’s unique hawker culture has helped shaped the identity of many people here.
It is also notable that among all the food entries on the Unesco list, Singapore’s entry stands out for its multiculturalism.
Featured Image: Vichy Deal / Shutterstock.com
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