Beijing Cultural Tour in ASEAN Held in Singapore

On 12 February 2016, at the invitation of Singa-China Association, the project of Beijing Cultural Tour in ASEAN (BCTA), co-sponsored by Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), Singa-China Association and China Cultural Centre in Singapore, was held in Singapore Tanglin Club and China Cultural Centre in Singapore for its first and second presentations in Singapore. Government officials and leaders of non-governmental organizations of Singapore including Mr. Baey Yam Keng, Parliamentary Secretary of Culture, Community and Youth, Mr. Goh Boon Kok, President of Singa-China Association, and Mr. Fang Xinwen, Minister Counselor, Ms. Liu Hongmei, Consul-General, Mr. Xiao Jianghua, Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of China in Singapore and Ms. Ma Hongying, director of China Cultural Centre in Singapore, attended the events.

Mr. Baey Yam Keng welcomed the BCTA delegation. He said that governmental and people-to-people cultural exchanges between Singapore and China had been frequent and active. Since multi-level cultural exchanges could deepen mutual understanding and appreciation between the people of the two countries, the government of Singapore had paid great attention to cultural exchanges with China and continued to invite Chinese cultural arts groups to attend cultural activities, such as “River Hong Bao” in Singapore during Chinese Spring Festival. He also hoped BCTA to Singapore a great success and ACC could continue to partner with both governmental and non-governmental organizations of the two sides to organize more cultural activities in the future. 

Mr. Sun Jianhua, Deputy Director of Education, Culture and Tourism Division (ECTD) of ACC, expressed his appreciation for the attendance of Mr. Baey Yam Keng and other distinguished guests at the events and for their support to the project. He further added that, 2016 marked the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations and it was also designated as the ASEAN-China Year of Educational Exchange. ACC would organize and participate in a series of ASEAN-China exchange and cooperative projects to commemorate this significant year. 2016 BCTA to Singapore and Thailand was the first cultural exchange project jointly carried out in ASEAN Member States by ACC and Chinese governmental and non-governmental organizations. He hoped the activities could not only add joyful festival atmosphere to Singapore, but also enhance Singaporean’s understanding of the history and culture of Beijing and China, so as to further extend the friendship between people of the two countries.

The presentation of 2016 BCTA to Singapore consisted of intangible cultural heritage handicraft demonstration, folklore performance and photo exhibition of Beijing. The activities were welcomed and appraised by the local people. Capital 95.8FM, one of the oldest radio stations in Singapore, made a live interview with representatives of intangible cultural heritage inheritors of the BCTA delegation. Minister counsellor Fang Xinwen said that he hoped more of this kind of resonating and interactive cultural exchange activities would come to Singapore from China.