Hawkers and Hawker Centres in Singapore History

About the Programme

Hawkers and Hawker Centres in Singapore History

Although Singapore's hawker culture was only inscribed as intangible UNESCO world heritage in 2020, its heritage and histories can be traced from more than a century ago. This talk broadly discusses how hawkers were progressively transferred from the streets and other locations into serviced and regulated buildings commonly known as hawker centres, drawing material from two books Early Hawkers in Singapore: 1920s and 1930s (2020) and Ambrosia for People: Hawker Centre Food (2021).

The programme will be conducted at Programme Room 2, Basement 1 (inside Central Public Library), National Library Building.

About the Speaker

Lai Chee Kien is an architectural and urban historian, and a registered architect in Singapore. His book Through the Lens of Lee Kip Lin (2015) was awarded Best Non-Fiction Title in 2016, while an artbook collaboration Building Memories: People, Architecture, Independence (2016) won Book of the Year in 2017. His 2021 book, 歷史的臍帶：東南亞建築與生活, was booklisted by Asia Magazine in the non-fiction category in the same year.

Located at B1 of the National Library Building, the Central Public Library is home to the Children’s Biodiversity Library by S.E.A. Aquarium. The library also offers content on Singapore culture, literature and sustainability.

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