(Yicai) Sept. 18 -- The inaugural Singapore Cultural Festival, organized by Singaporean Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, kicked off in Shanghai, presenting the Southeast Asian country's diverse culture through music, films, food, cultural talks, and digital exhibitions to local audiences.

Singapore and China have deep ties and cooperate across multiple areas, David Neo, Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Education, said during the festival's opening ceremony yesterday. While a government-to-government alliance is important, the connection between the peoples of the two countries forms the foundation of their friendship, he stressed.

Cultural exchanges can help Singaporeans and Chinese people better understand how their respective cultures have evolved amid different historical and social backgrounds, while strengthening appreciation of each other's cultural heritage, he pointed out.

Public events for the festival will be held in Shanghai tomorrow and on Sept. 20, before moving to Beijing from Sept. 24 to 26. The first stop includes the Harmonic Echoes concert, jointly presented by Singapore's Siong Leng Musical Association and cross-ethnic ensemble Artusik, and the screening of four Singaporean movies -- Anthony Chen's We Are All Strangers, as well as Ajoomma, Ah Girl, and 667.

"We hope that through this festival, our friends in China will gain a deeper appreciation of Singapore's unique Chinese culture. While it has its roots in Chinese culture, it has also been shaped by Singapore's multicultural society, giving it a distinctive character of its own," Neo said.

The Harmonic Echoes concert is based on Nanyin, a traditional music form from Fujian, and incorporates elements of Indian classical music, while Artusik combines Malay, Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, and Western musical elements.

The China Oriental Song and Dance Ensemble visited Singapore in 1979, before the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1990, Neo noted, adding that the Asian Civilizations Museum in Singapore is working with the Dunhuang Research Academy, to stage the exhibition “Sacred Caves: Dunhuang, Buddhism, and the Silk Road.”

Singaporean Chinese-language newspapers have long been involved not only in news dissemination but also in Chinese-language education and cultural heritage, said Ang Yiting, editor-in-chief of Lianhe Zaobao. The festival aims to allow Chinese audiences to "experience, connect with, and discover the vibrant, multifaceted charm of Singaporean culture," she added. 

Editor: Martin Kadiev