Nanyang
Culture
Hokkien roots, Brunei soil: My father’s journey across borders and spiritual planes [Eye on Fujian series]
From wandering between homes in Malaysia to setting roots in Brunei, one would never have thought that a young rebel with just a toy car to his name would live a life in service of the gods. ThinkChina’s Josephine Hong shares snippets of the life of her father, Richard Hong Kuan Yin.
Josephine Hong
01 Apr 2026
Culture
[Video] Jereme Leung: From Nanyang to Jiangnan — where taste becomes memory
Renowned chef and pioneer of Chinese fine dining Jereme Leung sits with ThinkChina’s Josephine Hong to dive into what truly defines authentic Chinese cuisine, China’s contributions to the global fine dining scene, and how Nanyang influence shaped his culinary journey.
Josephine Hong
27 Mar 2026
Society
Tanghao plaques on HDB doors reveal family names and roots
If you have ever come across a plaque above a doorway with Chinese characters, you might be looking at a tanghao, or an ancestral hall name that traces back to somewhere in China. Lianhe Zaobao lifestyle correspondent Tang Ai Wei introduces a tradition that reveals more than expected.
Tang Ai Wei
06 Jun 2025
Culture
Bali, 1952: Nanyang artists’ search for inspiration
A visit by Nanyang artists to Indonesia in 1952 comes alive with new-found negatives of images taken during the trip, uncovered by Gretchen Liu, writer and daughter-in-law of artist Liu Kang. Writer Teo Han Wue shares his thoughts on the subject after reading Liu’s Bali 1952: Through the Lens of Liu Kang and experiencing the NLB exhibition that accompanies it.
Teo Han Wue
25 Apr 2025
Culture
What else besides Nanyang art?
While Nanyang art is known as Singapore’s first local art movement, it is not the only genre of art that took root in Singapore in the pre-independence period. Happening alongside, says CEO of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Low Sze Wee, was the rise of social realist art, and more.
Low Sze Wee
24 May 2024
Culture
Who are the Nanyang women artists?
Even those familiar with Nanyang artists may be hard-pressed to name other women artists aside from Georgette Chen. Actually, Sun Yee was a renowned artist in her own right, and in Singapore where she eventually settled down, she spent close to three decades heading an art academy. Low Sze Wee, CEO of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, tells us more.
Low Sze Wee
26 May 2023
Culture
This is what Nanyang art looks like
Following up on his article tracing the origins of Nanyang art and its influence in Southeast Asia, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre CEO Low Sze Wee explains the characteristics of Nanyang art, highlighting the unique integration of Chinese and Western art in their compositions.
Low Sze Wee
20 Jan 2023
Culture
The stories behind the woodcuts
A gift from a friend prompts former journalist Lim Jen Erh to think about the stories behind the scenes depicted in woodcuts, from simple days in school to the final days of the tongkangs on the Singapore River, and the artform that can be traced back to China, especially the modern woodcut illustration movement led by literary giant Lu Xun in the 1930s.
Lim Jen Erh
05 Aug 2022
History
An album of rare photos: From Chinese coolies to Singaporeans
From the 19th century to the 1920s and 1930s, ships transporting hundreds of Chinese coolies ready to work hard and make their "fortune" in Nanyang often docked at Kallang River. Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao recently obtained an album with rare photographs of such a ship bringing coolies from Xiamen in Fujian, China, to Singapore in the early 20th century. They are an authentic visual record of Chinese coolies in Singapore a century ago and a powerful throwback to that period.
Hsu Chung-mao
26 Jun 2020
History
Tan Kah Kee, Aw Boon Haw and the Second Sino-Japanese War [Photo story]
When Japan attacked China during the Second Sino-Japanese War, overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia made contributions to China's war efforts. Among the most prominent community leaders were Tan Kah Kee and Aw Boon Haw, who corralled donations and made separate visits to Chongqing. Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao takes us back to that period and shows us the atrocities of war and the indomitable human spirit reflected in old photos.
Hsu Chung-mao
27 May 2020