Singapore and Malaysia jointly nominate Chingay for Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage list

Singapore and Malaysia will be jointly nominating Chingay for inscription on the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity.

With Chingay-practising communities in Singapore, Penang and Johor Bahru, the nomination, which will be submitted in March 2025, was decided by both countries, the National Heritage Board (NHB) said on Tuesday (Nov 5).

The NHB added: "Chingay reflects the shared heritage of both countries, celebrates our connected cultures, and continues to be actively practised in both countries today."

It also said that the joint nomination commemorates the 60th bilateral anniversary between Singapore and Malaysia in 2025.

This is set to be Singapore's third Unesco nomination to the list and its second multinational nomination. Its first single-country nomination was hawker culture, which was successfully inscribed in 2020. Its second Unesco nomination was the kebaya, which was jointly nominated with Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand in 2023.

Malaysia and Singapore will submit the nomination file to Unesco in March 2025, and the result is expected to be announced in end 2026 at the earliest.

'Chingay' is the art of costume and masquerade in the Hokkien dialect and is deeply rooted in Singapore's history, according to Chingay Parade Singapore.

The street parade began in 1973 to celebrate the Chinese New Year and has since evolved to become an annual event known for its floats, props and multi-cultural performances.

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