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In Chinese literature, flash fiction is a genre that is shorter in length than microfiction. After several rounds of discussion and refinement, the consensus reached regarding the word count limit for this ultra-short fiction is “preferably within 300 words, with a maximum limit of 600 words”.1 The form is characterised as short, new, strange, and fleeting, meaning that it pursues micro, novel, ingenious, and refined aspects in writing, and is thus considered a “new literary genre like a spiritual lightning bolt”.2
Flash fiction came into the spotlight after the 8th World Chinese Microfiction Symposium in Hong Kong in 2010. When then-president of the Singapore Association of Writers, Xi Ni Er, attended the symposium and witnessed the enthusiastic discussion among participants on flash fiction, he “feared being left behind by the new trend”.3 Upon returning home, he published three ultra-short stories in Lianhe Zaobao’s Literary City section, titled “Three Flash Fictions”.4 The emerging genre of flash fiction officially made its debut in Singapore with this series. In the following years, with enthusiastic promotion from writers like Xi Ni Er and Xue Feng, many Singapore Chinese-language authors began creating flash fiction.
During the five years between 2011 and 2016, flash fiction in Singapore saw a vibrant, thriving development. In January 2011, the 74th issue of Singapore Chinese Literature — a publication of the Singapore Association of Writers — featured a special collection of microfiction titled Shunjian jingcai (Brilliance in an Instant). Experimentally, the collection included 12 flash fiction pieces by four authors.5 In March the same year, Lianhe Zaobao’s Literary City also released a full colour special feature on flash fiction, featuring works by authors such as Xi Ni Er, Ai Yu, Lin Gao, Xue Feng, Lin Jin, Tong Noong Chin, Nan Zi, and Chia Joo Ming.
The following year, in the 77th issue of Singapore Chinese Literature, the Flash Fiction Special was officially launched, featuring 68 flash fiction works by 40 Singapore authors. After the release of the Flash Fiction Special to warm response, the Singapore Association of Writers seized the opportunity and, in September 2013, compiled and published Xingkong yiran shanshuo: xinjiapo shanxiaoshuo xuan (Twinkling Starry Night: Singapore Flash Fiction Selection). This anthology featured 28 participating authors and included a total of 180 flash fiction works. Additionally, the collection contained some commentary written by authors about flash fiction. With this publication, the theoretical framework for flash fiction had been established, and the lineup of creators was steadily expanding. The release of Xinkong yiran shanshuo can be said to be a significant milestone in the development of flash fiction as a literary genre in Singapore.
In fact, flash fiction creation in Singapore attracted the attention of the international literary community even during its budding stage. In November 2011, the 323rd issue of Hong Kong Literature featured a special edition on flash fiction by Singapore writers. It showcased flash fiction works by writers such as Xi Ni Er, Xue Feng, Ai Yu, Lin Gao, Zhou Can, Chow Teck Seng, Lin Jin, Chua Chee Lay, Tong Noong Chin, and Chia Joo Ming. This marked the first special edition overseas focusing on Singapore flash fiction.
During the same period, the inaugural issue of Dangdai shan xiaoshuo (Contemporary Flash Fiction), edited by Cai Zhongfeng in China, was published. It also included flash fiction works by five Singapore writers, Xi Ni Er, Xue Feng, Nan Zi, Lin Gao, and Tong Noong Chin. In October of the following year, the sixth issue of Dangdai shan xiaoshuo, the Chinese Online column specially featured a “Singapore Chinese Flash Fiction Special”, publishing 14 flash fiction works by nine Singapore authors.6
Many years later, Singapore flash fiction continues to attract attention from around the world. On 7 February 2023, the UCLA Centre for Chinese Studies hosted an online seminar where the discussion was focused on the book, Twinkling Starry Night: Singapore Flash Fiction Selection, published by the Singapore Association of Writers.7
In addition, the third issue of the Taigang wenxue xuankan (Taiwan and Hong Kong Literature Selection) in 2023 (Issue 370) featured a “Singapore Flash Fiction Special”, showcasing the works of 12 Singapore writers.8 The editor-in-chief of the mainland Chinese magazine Shan xiaoshuo (Flash Fiction), as well as the initiator and advocate of Chinese flash fiction, Cheng Siliang (pen name Lengyue Xiaoxiao), also published an article analysing the featured articles titled “yishan yishan liang jingjing” (Twinkling Flashes) in the special issue.
In addition to flash fiction anthologies, individual Singapore Chinese writers such as Zhou Can, Xi Ni Er, and Lin Gao have published their own collections of microfiction or flash fiction. The promotion of flash fiction continues unabated, with writers actively introducing flash fiction works to students through book clubs, school residencies, literary lectures, and other platforms.
The Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning’s Writing Group has published flash fiction written by students in the Qingchun xilie (Youth Series), a student anthology released in conjunction with the Author-in-Residence Programme in schools. Additionally, in 2020, the Singapore Association of Writers held the 2nd Youth Literature Award: Flash Fiction Writing Competition in the hopes of attracting more young writers to engage in the creation of flash fiction.
There is generally an optimistic attitude towards the future of flash fiction in Singapore, as its concise nature aligns with the fast-paced, fragmented reading habits of modern urban dwellers, making it an ideal trend to pursue in future literary creation. However, others believe that because flash fiction requires condensed and refined writing, it is more challenging to excel in this form.
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Singapore Chinese poetry refers to poetry written or published in Chinese or read in Mandarin or other Chinese dialects in Singapore, about Singapore or by Singapore writers. As a category under Singapore Chinese literature and Singapore poetry, it is a significant part of Singapore national literature, which encompasses works written in the four official languages (English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil). After a hundred years of development, Singapore Chinese poetry has continuously matured, becoming an important voice in fields such as “Chinese literature,” “Southeast Asian poetry,” and “World Chinese literature”.
The majority of Singapore Chinese poetry is written in modern Chinese. Its roots can be traced back to the 1919 May Fourth Movement in China, which advocated the use of vernacular Chinese. However, some poets still composed poetry in the older, classical forms, such as Khoo Seok Wan (1874–1941), Yu Dafu (1896–1945), and Pan Shou (1911–1999).1
Pursuit of creativity
Contemporary Singapore Chinese poetry emphasizes delicate or concise poetic imagery language, tending towards the depiction of daily life, inner emotions, and universal human themes, and displaying a tendency towards the integration of Chinese and Western cultures. Some poets ingeniously incorporate traditional and classical imagery and poetics, as well as concepts like post-colonialism, surrealism, postmodernism, science, and philosophy into their works, thus reshaping the possibilities of modern Chinese poetry. Such avant-garde works have been seen published by Singapore May Publishing, the May Poetry Society, literary magazine Afterwards, and on poetry online platforms such as In the Space of a Poem (Facebook).
Dialogues with the realities
Some Singapore Chinese poems are themed around news, current affairs, and history. The period from the end of World War II to Singapore’s independence (1945–1965) marked an era of political and social turmoil. Singapore Chinese poetry was largely shaped by its times and characterised by realism and resistance literature, reflecting themes such as anti-colonialism, anti-war sentiments, and the pursuit of social justice. Notable poets from this era include Tie Ge (born Chen Guo Lai, 1923–1948), Zhong Qi (born Zhong Ying Qi, 1928–1970), Fan Bei Ling (born Luo Zi Wei, 1930–2012), Zhou Can (born Chew Kok Chang), Du Hong (born Teh Ah Poon), Liu Bei An (born Chua Boon Hean, 1906–1995), and Yuan Dian (born Lam Yau Cheung).
Between 1919 and 1945, the identity of Singapore Chinese poetry oscillated between expressions of immigrant literature on the one hand, and responses to local or Southeast Asian contexts on the other. After independence, Singaporean Chinese poetry adopted and favoured a more urban literary style, presenting a diverse aesthetic of postmodernism, modernism, and indigenous influences.
Incorporating local characteristics
Many Singapore Chinese poets strive to inject Singaporean and Nanyang (or Southeast Asian) characteristics in their poems. Apart from local Singaporean landmarks and cuisine as imagery, such as the Merlion, Sir Stamford Raffles, Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Nanyang Technological University, districts like Serangoon and Katong, and food items like Hainanese chicken rice, Nyonya rice dumplings, and Nanyang coffee. Some of these works also feature an eclectic blend of the different languages spoken in Singapore.
Serial poetry and short verses
An abundance of serial poetry and short poetry forms (including truncated verses, jieju) are characteristic of Singapore Chinese poetry. Serial poetry are frequently seen in award-winning works of literary contests such as the Golden Point Award and the Singapore Tertiary Literature Award.
Trans-genre and transmedia re-creations
Crossing into the realm of music, Singapore Chinese poetry saw the emergence of shiyue (which features a blend of poetry and songs) in the 1970s and xinyao in the 1980s. The former was created by students from the Nanyang University before its closure, while xinyao originated from students of junior colleges and polytechnics in Singapore, composing songs to express their understanding of Singaporean life, with Liang Wern Fook being a leading figure in the xinyao movement. The songs and soundtracks for local Mandarin television dramas also exhibited literary qualities, with some of the more prominent lyricists being Muzi (born Lee Hock Ming) and Chen Jiaming (born Tan Kah Beng).
Additionally, artist Chen Chong Swee (1910–1985) was known for combining Nanyang Chinese ink paintings with classical-style poetry,2while poet Pan Shou worked with Chinese calligraphy and classical poetic forms.
Singapore Chinese poetry presents strong, notable characteristic of hybridity within the context of the separation of Singapore and Malaysia, the May Fourth Movement, and the multilingual environment,3 including multiple interpretations of Chineseness, local identity, and post-colonialism. In the 1960s, scholars such as Fang Xiu (born Goh Tze Kwang, 1922–2010) examined the evolution of Singapore Chinese poetry from historical lenses, focusing on mainly poetry that embraced realism. Other scholars have instead researched on Singapore Chinese poetry through the perspectives of modernity and modernism.4
From the viewpoint of Sinophone articulation, researchers have also examined Singapore Chinese poetry in relation to literature produced by speakers of other languages (such as the English-speaking, French-speaking and Malay-speaking) around the world , so as to reveal the power dynamics of the “centre” and “periphery”, as well as notions of local agency and identity. Research on world Chinese poetry, Southeast Asian Chinese poetry, and transmedia studies can also contribute to the advancement of Singapore Chinese poetry.5
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During the social unrest in China from the 20th year of Qing emperor Daoguang’s reign (1840) to the early Republic of China era (1911), coastal residents from Fujian, Guangdong, and Hainan, including some Cantonese opera performers, fled to areas such as the United States, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Over time, they spread their roots overseas.
According to Sin Chew Jit Poh, Cantonese opera performers organised Lei Yun Tong as a guild in Singapore in 1857, and it was renamed Pat Wo Wui Kun in 1890. Singapore is known as the second hometown of Cantonese opera. At the time, Cantonese opera troupes such as San Lai Sing, Yim Yeung Tin, Ga Lok, Sing Ping, Dai Law Tin, and San Cing Nien, under the Pat Woh Association Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, often travelled south to Singapore for performances, enjoying considerable popularity.1
Cantonese opera thrived before World War II. Several theatres in Chinatown, where many Cantonese people gathered, regularly hosted Cantonese opera performances. These theatres included the Po Cheong Chuen Theatre (located on Eu Tong Sen Street, now defunct), the Heng Wai Sun Theatre (also on Eu Tong Sen Street, now defunct), the Tien Yien Moh Toi (later known as the Majestic Theatre, on Eu Tong Sen Street), and the Lai Chun Yuen Theatre (on Smith Street, commonly referred to as Theatre Street).
Among them, the Yong Shou Nian troupe, organised by the renowned Cantonese opera actor Liang Yuanheng (1892–1964),2 performed regularly at the Lai Chun Yuen Theatre. The leading elderly role 3was played by Sing Ga Yuet (birth and death years unknown).4 The Pu Chang Chun troupe, stationed at the Pu Chang Chun Theatre, featured Sheng Jia Nan (birth and death years unknown) in principal eldery roles.5
In addition to professional opera troupes, there were many amateur Cantonese opera groups which contributed to the flourishing of Cantonese opera in the early 20th century. The Hoi Thin Amateur Dramatic Association, established in 1918,6 was the earliest Cantonese opera group in Singapore. Subsequently, other groups such as the Tarn Kah Keng Ying Charitable Dramatic Association (1926), the Yougu Musical Association (1937), and the Kwok Sing Musical Association (1936) were also founded. These organisations actively participated in charity performances during the wartime resistance against Japan.7
From the 1950s to 1970s, there were several local Cantonese opera troupes in Singapore, including Tin Ying, Gam Loong, Pek Wan Tin, and Guong Fai. Opera celebrities from Guangdong province and Hong Kong also performed in Singapore during this period, including Guai Ming Yeung (1909–1958), Pak Yok Tong (1900–1994), Sit Kok Sin (1904–1956), Sun Ma Sze Tsang( 1916–1997), Tam Sin Hung, and Law Kim Long (1921–2003).
Local Cantonese opera performers included Mak Siu Fai (1921–1996), Fa Wan Lan,8 Liew Seng Hwa (1914–1999), Fei Cuiyu (circa 1917–1992),9 and Guo Feiyu (1903–1984).
In addition, Cantonese opera troupes from Hong Kong, such as San Ma, Dai Loong Foong, Chor Foong Ming, Dai Kwan Ying, and Lam Ka Sing, also came to perform in Singapore. One of the actors was Leung Sing Poh (1907–1981),10 who was born in Singapore to a Cantonese opera family and later relocated to Hong Kong. His father was Sing Ga Yuet, and his sister was the famous actress Fa Kay Gin (birth and death years unknown).11 Other notable Cantonese opera actors active in the late 19th to early 20th century were Leng Pai Guo and Yun Se Siong.12
In the early days, Cantonese opera was performed mainly in the theatres mentioned above. From the 1920s, with the emergence of amusement parks like Great World, New World, and Gay World, Cantonese opera started being performed frequently at these venues. At the same time, the flourishing of Cantonese opera also resulted in good business for restaurants and tea houses. It became fashionable for people to visit tea houses and restaurants to listen to Cantonese music. Airview Restaurant, Nam Tin Restaurant, Tai Tong Restaurant, Gaosheng Teahouse, and others had regular performances by Cantonese opera singers.13
Most Cantonese opera performances were held at the People’s Theatre in Chinatown after its completion in 1969. However, for Shen Gong Opera (plays performed for the gods), temporary stages were often erected, making the performances more mobile.14 Today, Cantonese opera is performed at major venues such as the Esplanade — Theatres on the Bay, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, and Gateway Theatre.
One of the most notable Cantonese opera troupes in Singapore is Chinese Theatre Circle, which was founded by Leslie Wong (1940–2023), Joanna Wong, Lou Mee Wah, and others. Since its establishment in 1981, the troupe has dedicated itself to promoting Chinese local opera, dance, and music, with Cantonese opera as its main focus. It has performed over 2,000 times domestically and internationally, with tours spanning more than 20 countries such as Europe, the United States, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Egypt, Turkey, and China. In 1995, the troupe became the first non-profit professional Cantonese opera troupe in Singapore, and in 1997, it was honoured with the Singapore Excellence Award. In 1998, it opened the first local opera teahouse in Chinatown.15
Notable works by Chinese Theatre Circle include The Patriotic Princess (1985), Farewell to a Warrior (1984), A Costly Impulse (1988), First Emperor (1995), Wu Ze Tian (2001), and Intrigue in the Qing Imperial Court (Chinese and English version) (1987/2002). In addition, Leslie Wong has written many works such as Qiu Jin (2007), Green Snake (2016), Lady Magistrate Xie Yao Huan (2017), and Rage Over a Courtesan (2024).
In A Costly Impulse (which Foshan Cantonese Opera Troupe adapted from the Shaoxing opera of the same name), the main roles were played by Joanna Wong and Lou Mee Wah. The play was performed in Egypt (1989), Germany (1993), China (1993), Romania (1994), Brazil (2000), and other countries.
Additionally, Chinese Theatre Circle launched an English version of Intrigue in the Qing Imperial Court in 2002. An original Singapore work, its purpose was to attract a younger audience and promote Cantonese opera art overseas. The play has been performed in the United States, China, Ireland, and Ukraine. In 2010, during a performance at the International Arts Festival in Ukraine, it was honoured with the Successful Modernisation of Traditional Theatre Award.16
Another Cantonese opera troupe is the Sin Ming Sing Cantonese Opera Centre, established in 1999. Its founding mission is to create a vibrant future for Cantonese opera in Singapore and promote Chinese opera culture. Under the tutelage of Ling Dongming, a former performer from the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Institute in China, the centre has had nearly 200 different types of performances, full-length plays, special events, and activities involving teachers and students.
The centre’s repertoire includes Fan Li Offers Xi Shi (2014), Fate of Love and Hate Across Lifetimes (2014), Eastern Treasure in Singapore: Cantonese Opera Artistic Performance of Ling Dongming (2018), Continuation and Innovation, Perpetuating the B Tune (2017), and Ling Dongming Meets Fans with Affection (2012). There were guest performances by renowned Cantonese opera artists such as Ding Fan, Karl Maka, Chen Yunhong, Ou Kaiming, Mai Yuqing, and Li Junsheng. The centre has also performed in Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, and Malaysia.17
One of the most notable Cantonese opera artists in Singapore is Joanna Wong. She was awarded the Public Service Star (BBM) by the President in 1974, the Cultural Medallion by the Ministry of Culture in 1981, and became a Justice of the Peace in 1998. As the founder and artistic director of Chinese Theatre Circle, she also serves as the Permanent Honorary President and Artistic Advisor of Singapore’s Pat Wo Wui Kun.
Leslie Wong, meanwhile, serves as both the playwright and lyricist for Chinese Theatre Circle. His works include Madame White Snake, Goddess of River Luo, Ode to Singapore, Ode to Chinese Theatre Circle, Qiu Jin, Green Snake, Rage over a Courtesan, Plum Blossom Fan, and more. He was also behind the English versions of Intrigue in the Qing Imperial Court and Dream of the Peony.
Other local Cantonese opera artists are Lou Mee Wah (one of the founders of Chinese Theatre Circle),18 Chee Kin Foon and Chee Siew Fun (the two sisters who founded OperaWorks in 2008),19 and Woo Wai Fong (female wenwu sheng -female who played leading male roles).20
In addition to Chinese Theatre Circle, other active local Cantonese opera groups in Singapore are the longstanding Pat Wo Wui Kun and Kong Chow Wui Koon Opera Troupe, as well as Chinese Opera Society (Singapore), OperaWorks, and Kwok Seng Music Association. Some Cantonese opera groups were established by professional actors who migrated to Singapore. Among them are Ling Dongming’s Sin Ming Sing Cantonese Opera Centre, the Art of Lam Kam Ping Cantonese Opera Performance Association founded by Hong Kong actor Chor Wan Yuk, and others.
The veteran actors currently active on the local Cantonese opera stage include Sally Low Moon Chin, Christopher Choo, See Too Hoi Siang, Gary Kong Yew Cheong, Aw Yeong Peng Mun, and Chan Fook Hong.
Thanks to numerous artists who have carried on the tradition with meticulous care, Cantonese opera has endured and flourished in Singapore. It has become one of the most popular and vibrant regional opera genres on the island.
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For those who grew up in Singapore before the 1990s, mentions of Wang Sha (1925–1998) and Ye Feng (1932–1995) would likely evoke memories of the comedic duo’s getai (stage), radio, or television performances. Lesser known, however, is their active participation in cinema in the 1970s and 1980s.
Between the two, it was Wang who first made the leap onto the big screen in Door of Prosperity (1959). The multi-dialect romance film, directed by Hsu Chiao Meng (1910–1995), took the then newly-opened Nanyang University as its backdrop and starred several local Chinese-language performers. It opened during National Loyalty Week (3–9 December 1959), signalling the team’s commitment to Singapore’s anti-colonial nationalisation and localisation movements.
Later, Wang continued to play a part in the making of such “localised Chinese-language films”. My Love in Malaya (1963), a film shot entirely in Singapore, featured a largely local cast and was produced by Singaporean sisters Chang Lye Lye and Landi Chang. Wang played the role of the main lead’s father, who was also a satay man.
While Wang had an early start in film acting, neither he nor Ye established themselves as full-fledged film performers before the 1970s. It was their participation in Hong Kong’s media industry during the mid-1970s that really kickstarted the duo’s film acting career. In 1974, Ye had his first taste of acting for film in The Nutty Crook (1975), produced by veteran Hong Kong director John Lomar’s film company. Although The Nutty Crook would only be released retrospectively after Ye gained fame for his role in his next film, this experience gave him an inroad into Hong Kong’s film industry.
The next film project that would land on Wang and Ye’s laps was the first of the popular Crazy Bumpkins series: The Crazy Bumpkins (1974). It was also directed by John Lomar, but produced by the Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) Company. This was the first film that featured both of them together, and the duo impressed audiences with their adept comedic performances and impeccable chemistry. The roaring success of The Crazy Bumpkins affirmed both Wang and Ye’s potential as film actors, paving the way for their gradual move to cinema and, consequently, to Hong Kong.
That being said, the duo’s leap into cinema can, in fact, be traced further back to their first appearance on a Hong Kong TV variety show. Perhaps the single most pivotal event which facilitated the duo’s transition into cinema was their signing on to Hong Kong’s Television Broadcast Limited Company (TVB), which was owned by the Shaw Brothers (HK), through the mediation of Singaporean TV producer Robert Chua Wah Peng.
In the late 1960s, Chua left Singapore’s television industry for Hong Kong to join TVB. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, the producer spent five months observing the local life and culture of Hong Kongers to create the variety show Enjoy Yourself Tonight. The show grew to become hugely popular and in the 1970s, Chua invited Wang and Ye to perform on it. The duo’s act was tremendously well-received, proving that their brand of humour had struck a chord with the people of Hong Kong.
Soon after, TVB officially signed on with the duo, formally marking the beginning of their television and film career in Hong Kong. Wang later became contracted to the Shaw Brothers (HK), and Ye to John Lomar’s film company. Despite signing on to different film companies, Ye continued to act alongside Wang in many Shaw Brothers (HK) productions, including the aforementioned Crazy Bumpkins. This was made possible by special “loan-out” agreements between Lomar’s film company and the Shaws, who believed that even in cinema, Wang and Ye yielded the best results when performing together.
The fact that Wang and Ye’s film-acting endeavours began in Hong Kong (despite being originally based in Singapore) was partly due to industrial realities at that time. Following the closure of major Singapore film studios in the 1960s and early 1970s, coupled with transformative socio-political changes, Singapore had ceased to be a filmmaking centre. Indeed, the 1970s and 1980s were a time in Singapore’s film history when feature filmmaking activity decreased and eventually stopped. This explains why Hong Kong — then a robust media capital in the region — was where the two established their grounds as film actors. More importantly, with this move to Hong Kong, Wang and Ye effectively became among the earliest Singaporean pioneers in Chinese-language media to achieve transnational stardom as film stars in the post-studio era (i.e. the post-1960s).
In total, Wang and Ye acted in approximately 40 films, most of which were shot and produced in Hong Kong. Some of their most popular films include: the popular Crazy Bumpkins series (1974–1976), the Mr Funnybone series (1976 and 1978), and the Mad Monk series (1977 and 1978). The duo stayed in Hong Kong for nearly a decade, with Wang returning to Singapore before Ye after about seven years because he found it harder to adapt to life in Hong Kong, particularly its subtropical climate. Thereafter, Wang did a short stint in Taiwan’s entertainment industry, acting in a few more films that were shot and produced there, including Three Money Hunters (1980).
Overall, Wang and Ye’s film performances often fulfilled the role of comic relief. Besides being a narrative device that relieves emotional tension in heavy dramas, the meaning of comic relief here also refers to a way to soothe the everyday tension of the everyman living in the fast-changing societies of 1970s and 1980s Singapore and Hong Kong through humour. This was a time when both governments pursued aggressive economic policies, turning the cities into two of the fastest-developing capitalist economies within a short span of time. Accompanying this fast and enormous economic growth was the rapid improvement in standards of living, as well as the growth of a collective mindset that was increasingly consumerist and materialistic.
In this context, the characters played by Wang and Ye in these entertaining films provided much-needed moments of respite for both their Singapore and Hong Kong audiences, who were wrestling with the intensifying pace of life in rapidly developing capitalist societies. Their comedic acts often gave familiar everyday scenarios a slapstick or comedic treatment, enabling audiences to laugh at themselves and offering a sense of catharsis. Coupled with the distance afforded by cinema, Wang and Ye’s film characters provided audiences with a temporary avenue through which to laugh and make light of stressful everyday situations, and poke fun at themselves.
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Lee Dai Soh (1913–1989), also known as Lee Dai Sor or Li Dasha, was born in Xibeimen (Northwest Gate) in what is now Singapore’s Telok Blangah area. His given name was Lee Fook Hai, and his ancestral hometown was Dongguan in Guangdong. Lee was well-known in the world of radio broadcasting. From the 1950s to the early 1980s, he told stories in Cantonese on Rediffusion’s Silver Channel, and was known as the master of story-telling.
The two channels of the cable-transmitted radio station started off broadcasting in English and Mandarin, their programmes changed as a result of listeners’ preferences. In the 1970s, the Gold Channel of Rediffusion broadcasted in Mandarin and Chinese dialects, and the Silver Channel did the same, but interspersed such programmes with some English ones. Dialect programmes were very popular at the time because most Chinese families spoke dialects. Besides Lee, other popular storytellers were Ng Chia Keng, who told stories in Teochew, and Ong Toh, who told stories in Hokkien.
When Lee was young, he worked at the bookstore in Yeung Ching School in exchange for free education and accommodation. When he was in his Secondary Two, student unrest broke out and the school’s board of directors decided to close down the secondary school division. Lee Dai Soh transferred to the Anglo-Chinese School, where he studied for barely over a year before ending his formal education. He then took up various jobs, including working as a draftsman, security guard, and rubber factory foreman.1
In his free time, he often hung out at coffee shops and chatted with friends, sharing stories he had read. His hobby eventually turned into a profession. In 1938, he entered British Malaya Broadcasting Corporation (renamed Radio Malaya in 1946) and became the first storyteller in Malaya’s broadcasting history.2
In his more than 40-year career as a storyteller, Lee only stopped broadcasting during the Japanese Occupation. His younger brother was killed by the Japanese army, causing Lee to harbour hatred towards them and refuse to serve the Japanese in any way. In 1944, the Japanese military government ordered everyone to work in support of the Imperial Army. Anyone who defied the order would be captured and forced into hard labour. At that time, Tai Hwa Opera House (now The Majestic) screened Japanese movies — Lee provided live explanations of their plots in Cantonese to avoid forced labour.
After the war, Lee returned to the broadcasting studio and continued his storytelling career. With the launch of Rediffusion Singapore in 1949, he began storytelling in both public and private radio stations, and gradually reached the pinnacle of his career. His style was characterised by plain language, vivid imagery, and a voice that changed with the ups and downs of the story’s plot, creating a rich experience for his listeners.
The prelude to Lee’s storytelling programme Tam Tin Shuit Tei (From Heaven to Earth) was the Cantonese music piece, Han Tian Lei (Thunder in Dry Weather). The music was adapted with lyrics sung by Hong Kong star Ho Tai-So (1897–1957), beginning with, “Who says I’m foolish? I’ll let you eat a chicken drumstick.” Lee Dai Soh always ended each episode with, “The story ends here today. Please tune in next time.”
Lee, also known as Li Dasha, once explained the origin of his stage name. When he first joined the Chinese department of British Malaya Broadcasting Corporation, his director Sze Chu Sian (1910–1990) drew inspiration from Ho Tai-So (He Dasha), one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of the Cantonese music world.
Through his stories, Lee introduced his listeners to classics such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Justice Bao, Seven Heroes and Five Righteousness, and martial arts novels and folk legends like The Return of the Condor Heroes, The Romance of Hong Xiuquan, The Eight Immortals in the East China Sea, Chang’e Flies to the Moon, The Romantic Talent Lun Wenxu, The Battle of Magic at Maoshan, and The Battle of the Snake Demon Mountain, among other works. On air, he became a teacher for the people, providing entertainment while also conveying values through those stories.3
It’s not widely known that Lee performed plays and Cantonese opera onstage. He also told stories for an Australian radio station for more than 20 years, with each episode lasting 15 minutes, covering mainly martial arts novels and folk stories.4
On 30 December 1982, Rediffusion stopped its dialect programmes, and Lee retired from the local broadcasting world. However, he was still active in the Cantonese community. For example, he continued to serve as a master of ceremonies, telling stories at wedding banquets, recording Cantonese storytelling tapes, and writing the column “From Heaven to Earth” for the Lianhe Zaobao newspaper.
Lee served as a council member of the Tung On Wui Kun for more than 30 years. He believed serving the community was his duty, especially during his twilight years when the clan association faced many challenges. Many elderly members were returning to their hometowns, younger people were losing interest in the association’s Cantonese opera activities, and falling membership was a concern. Lee also represented the association at activities organised by Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng, where he volunteered to take care of the funeral affairs of the Cantonese community.
Decades after Lee’s death, his storytelling continues to live on in the memories of Singapore’s Cantonese and wider Chinese community.
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Qiongju, otherwise known as Qiongzhou opera, or simply Hainanese opera, is a traditional form of theatre found locally in places such as Haikou and Ding’an in the Chinese province of Hainan. It is one of the dramatic arts of the Minnan language family, and is widely popular in the Hainan province and Southeast Asian countries.
The establishment of clan associations in Fujian, Gaozhou, Chaozhou, and five counties communities in Haikou between the fifth and 58th year (1740–1793) of Emperor Qianlong’s reign during the Qing dynasty contributed greatly to the boom of Hainanese opera, as these associations took turns to bring in opera troupes from their various hometowns to perform in Haikou. Hainanese opera flourished and underwent significant changes between the reign of emperors Xianfeng (1851–1861) and Guangxu (1875–1908), a time in which Chinese opera artists from other parts of the country found their way to Hainan and stayed there to teach and perform. This external influence had a profound effect on the performance and vocal styles of Hainanese opera and resulted in its gradual transformation from qupai ti to banqiang ti.1
Unlike other Chinese opera troupes, Hainanese opera troupes in Singapore were mainly made up of amateur groups in the early years. Records show that Hainanese opera had been performed on the island even before the 1920s.2 The dawn of the 1920s marked the first golden era of Hainanese opera in Singapore, and was brought about mainly by the civil war in China then. This resulted in numerous famous Hainanese opera artists fleeing to Southeast Asia and contributing to the blossoming of Hainanese opera in the region. Major groups from this period included: Qiong Han Nian Opera Troupe, Guo Min Yue Opera Troupe, Heng Nam Drama Association (now Tien Heng Kang Heng Nam Drama Association), Se Xiu Nian Opera Troupe, and Shi Si Gong Si Opera Troupe.3
In the late 1930s, the Nan Xing Hainanese Opera Troupe staged fundraising performances in support of the anti-Japanese resistance with a repertoire of anti-war titles such as Huanwo heshan (Return My Country), Luzhou liang furen (Two Women in Luzhou), and Yalü jiang shang (On the Yalu River) — all released around 1938. The troupe was later ordered by the British colonial government to disband, and Xin Qiong Ya Opera Troupe was formed in its place.4
During the Japanese Occupation in the 1940s, Hainanese opera artists were assigned to perform at the New World and Great World amusement parks, where they put up traditional plays between 1942 and 1945 such as Zhang Wenxiu (The Top Scholar Zhang Wenxiu), Qin Xianglian, Liang Shanbo yu Zhu Yingtai (The Butterfly Lovers) and Gou yao jinchao (The Dog Bites the Golden Hairpin).5 Going into the 1950s, the Hainanese opera scene became more active again due to the efforts of artists such as Lin Xi Chou, Goh Toak Eng, Song Hanchan, Sai Qionghua, and Huang Qisheng.
In the late 1950s, Ming Tian Hainanese Opera Troupe, Qiong Lian You Opera Troupe, and Heng Nam Drama Association were set up in succession. Soon after, in the 1960s, Qiong Lian Hua Brothers Opera Troupe, Hymn Rhyme Seng Opera Club, Yi Guang Opera Troupe, and Lu Nam Ke Huan followed suit, marking the second golden era of local Hainanese opera since the 1920s.6
By the 1970s, even though the seven aforementioned opera groups were still in operation, only Heng Nam Drama Association and Hymn Rhyme Seng Opera Club remained active. From the 1980s to the early 2000s, the development of Hainanese opera in Singapore was mainly sustained by Hymn Rhyme Seng Opera Club, Tien Heng Heng Nam Dramatic Association (formerly known as Heng Nam Dramatic Association), and Singapore Hainan Society (formerly known as Kheng Chew Junior Association).
Today, the remaining local Hainanese opera groups that can be found in 2023 include: Singapore Hainan Society, Hymn Rhyme Seng Opera Club, Qiong Ju Society of Singapore, and Chinese Opera Ensemble, with the former being the most active. Relentless in its efforts to promote Hainanese opera since its establishment in 1956, the society has helped improve the performance standards of its members by setting up training classes, hiring well-known local Hainanese opera artists and teachers, and inviting renowned masters from Hainan to share their artistry. Some of the performances they have staged include: Hongye tishi (Poem on Autumn Leaves, 1977), Qin xianglian zhi cemei ji (The Case of Chen Shimei, 1981), Liangzhu (Butterfly Lovers, 2002), Yuanye (The Savage Land, 2006), and Zhaoshi gu’er (Zhao’s Orphan, 2011).
Similarly, Qiong Ju Society of Singapore, founded in 2010, is one of the more active groups in the scene. Formed by a group of Hainanese passionate about their culture, especially Hainanese opera, the society has been actively organising performances and engaging masters of the art from home and abroad. Performances they have staged include: Zhenzhu ji (Story of the Pearls, 2010), Wang Guixiang gaozhuang (The Petition of Wang Gui Xiang, 2010), Sanbai huatang (Triple Wedding Bows, 2010), Hua yan (Flower of the Banquet, 2017), and Yi, Honglou meng (Memory of the Dream of the Red Chamber, 2019).
The emergence of the celebrated actress Goh Toak Eng in the 1950s marked a turning point in the history of Hainanese opera in Singapore where female roles were no longer played solely by male actors. Goh was born in Singapore in 1932 and left for Wenchang in Hainan with her parents at the age of four. In 1951, she returned to Singapore and made her stage debut the following year to raise funds for the construction of Pui Tak School. Later, she joined various opera troupes such as Xin Nanfeng Hainanese Opera Troupe, Xin Guo Feng Hainanese Opera Troupe, and Hymn Rhyme Seng Opera Club, before announcing her retirement in 1993.7
Another notable figure was the president of Hymn Rhyme Seng Opera Club Foo Qing Yun (born Foo Soon Lee), who was born in Malaysia in 1939 and moved to Singapore at the age of six. Ever since he was invited to contribute to the establishment of Yi Guang Opera Troupe at the end of 1963, he has been active on stage for half a century, bearing witness to the highs and lows of Hainanese opera in post-war Singapore. He is the only veteran who is still currently active on the Hainanese opera stage.
On the international front, Hainanese opera groups from Singapore have also actively organised exchange performances with their foreign counterparts. Hainanese opera troupes from China naturally have had a great influence on the development of Hainanese opera in Singapore since the Guangdong Hainanese Opera Troupe first performed here in 1982. Acclaimed Hainanese opera masters and directors from Hainan have been invited to the island as advisors, while Hymn Rhyme Sing Opera Club, Tien Heng Kang Heng Nam Dramatic Association, and Qiong Ju Society of Singapore have staged well-received performances in countries such as China (Hainan, Beijing, and Nanjing), Malaysia, and even the United States (Southern California).
It is worth noting that the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic did not crush the survival and development of Hainanese opera in Singapore. On 26 November 2023, the Traditional Arts Centre (TAC) invited Hainan Qiong Opera Theater from China to collaborate with Qiong Ju Society of Singapore and Chinese Opera Ensemble to stage Baishe zhuan (Legend of the White Snake) at the Drama Centre Theatre. The large-scale, newly adapted mythological Hainanese opera was part of the Chinese Opera Extravaganza 2023 organised by TAC. It was directed by TAC founder Cai Bi Xia, and featured a script consolidated by Chen Baoliang and music composed by Zhang Fachang. This production signified the resumption of cultural exchanges between Singapore and China in post-pandemic times and marked a new milestone in the branding of local Hainanese opera.
Despite a shortage of younger talent in the community, the future of Hainanese opera in Singapore still holds promise if current efforts persist and if Singapore continues to bring in talents from abroad.
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When Peking opera first arrived in Singapore at the end of the 19th century, it was still referred to as “Fuzhou opera”. This could have been a reference to the Fuzhou opera troupe (circa 1910) that was invited to perform at the Heng Seng Peng theatre in Singapore not long after it was completed.
According to the book Zhongguo Jingju shi (History of Chinese Peking Opera), “Originally, Fuzhou’s Peking opera was not much different from the original Peking opera. However, at the time, the people of Singapore did not know what Peking opera was, so they all called it ‘Fuzhou opera’. It was not until shortly after the war that it was renamed ‘Peking opera’.”1
As for when Peking opera first appeared in Singapore, Wang Fang suggests in Jingju zai Xinjiapo (Peking Opera in Singapore) that it happened between 27 December 1893 and 6 January 1894, when the Fuxiangsheng Peking Opera Troupe from Fuzhou in Fujian, China, performed in Singapore.2
Another early performance of Peking opera in Singapore was documented in 1910. According to Yi Yan, “Chen Xin Guan, the troupe leader of Xinxianghe Fuzhou Opera Troupe at the Heng Seng Peng theatre, hired more than 80 Peking opera performers from Xiamen to complement the original cast. They sometimes performed together on stage, and sometimes presented Peking opera during the day and Fuzhou opera at night.”3
In 1922, in an initiative by Heng Seng Peng’s new stage troupe leader, artistes Lei Wenguang (1867–1926), Liu Changsong (1899–1987), Ming Yuezhu and others were invited from southern China to lead a troupe to perform in Singapore.4Others in this early group of actors, who played different roles, included: Xiaoguifen, who portrayed elderly male characters; Shisandan (born Hou Junshan, 1854–1935), who played young female characters; Zhou Yueying, portraying female warriors; Mei Fengchun and Wang Qilin, actresses portraying young male characters; Guo Fengxian, an actress playing a martial role, Fu Zhengkui, who played male characters with painted faces, and actress Shisihong.5
In 1932, amusement park Great World built a Peking opera stage. A group of Bangzi opera performers, including Jin Haitang, subsequently joined Great World, making the switch to Peking opera.6 Most Peking opera performances took place in formal theatres rather than in outdoor ones, but Great World was an exception to this trend.
On 5 October 1941, the Chang Chou General Association Beijing Opera Group hosted a charity performance at the Thian Hock Keng Temple to support the British Army during the Pacific War, featuring Peking opera plays Xiao Yao Jin, Yellow Crane Tower, and Lianhua Nunnery. The locally renowned artist Hor Chim Or (1920–2021) played Zhang Fei in Yellow Crane Tower.7
From 30 November to 1 December 1946, the Chang Chow General Association’s (formerly known as the Chang Chow Ten Clan Association) Pingju troupe held a public performance at the Thian Hock Keng Temple as well. The repertoire included full-length plays such as The Heroes’ Gathering, Zhulian Village, Empty City Strategy, and Dumu Pass, among others.8
In 1947, the renowned martial artist Liu Changsong, along with his son Liu Songhe and other martial arts performers, joined the Xiaoguanghan Drama Society. They performed martial arts plays such as Money Leopard, White Waterside, Jindaozhen, A Grudge Settled with One Arrow, and others at Great World, causing a sensation.9
Early Peking opera groups in Singapore included the Huanan Pingju Society, the Chang Chow General Association Pingju Department, the Nanlu Club Pingju Group, the Xiamen Association Pingju Group, the Huabei Association Pingju Group, the Chang Chow Ten Clan Association Pingju Group, the Xiaoguanghan Drama Society, and other small-scale Peking opera organisations,10 all of which were once very active. The aforementioned Hor Chim Or, who also played the role of Zhang Fei in his early years in The Marsh of Reed Flowers, often performed during charity events organised by the Chang Chow Association.
Established in 1940, Ping Sheh is the oldest Peking opera troupe in Singapore’s history. The term pingju originated from the word ping in Beiping City during the Republic of China era. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, it became commonly referred to as jingju (Beijing opera) instead when Beiping was renamed Beijing. Ping Sheh, having been born during the era when Beiping was still in existence, was thus named accordingly.11
According to Wang Fang’s research, Ping Sheh was officially registered in 1941,12although it had already organised two large-scale charity performances at Tien Yien Moh Toi, also known as the Palace Theatre (now known as The Majestic), in 1937. Its president Lim Keng Lian personally took the stage, leading by example in contributing to charity efforts.13Han Dynasty Su Wu remains one of Ping Sheh’s most representative plays, starring Yim Chong Seng as Su Wu and Xu Hong as Hu Ayun.
Ping Sheh’s founders included Lim Keng Lian (1893–1968), Toh Keng Tuan (1913–1966), Li Zelun (1900s–1979), Lim Bo Seng (1909–1944), and others. After the outbreak of the Pacific War in 1941, President Lim retreated to Chongqing, China. The members of the society dispersed, and Ping Sheh was temporarily dissolved.14Since its revival in 1945, however, Ping Sheh has been very active, staging numerous large-scale productions such as Shepherd Su Wu.
In early 2023, the new leadership team that took over Ping Sheh completely revitalised the organisation’s hardware and software. All its performers, from old to young, were well-prepared to take the stage in the four main roles of Peking opera: sheng (male), dan (female), jing (painted face), and chou (clown). They continued on the path of promoting and passing on traditional Chinese culture.
In 1992, Tian Yun Amateur Peking Opera Troupe was established. Its founders included Hor Chim Or, Tay Kim Woo, Chua Kok Lim (1928–2013), Mao Wei, Lim Teck Pin, Loo Teck Ming, Lim Mei Lian, Kor Khoon, Han Yin Juan, and others. Hor served as its first president for 13 years,15before Loo, a graduate of Dunman High School, took over in 2005, holding the position to this day.
In 1994, Tian Yun Amateur Peking Opera Troupe began teaching Peking opera at Dunman High School, injecting new blood into the society at the same time. As a result, it became a relatively young troupe. It has staged large-scale productions since then, including Premier Liu Luo Guo: Ode to the Plum Blossom, Judge Xu’s Promotion, and Wang Xi Feng.
The most notable play by Tian Yun Amateur Peking Opera Troupe is Premier Liu Luo Guo: Ode to the Plum Blossom. Originally created by the Beijing Peking Opera Theatre, it has been staged three times by Tian Yun Amateur Peking Opera Troupe in 2009, 2010, and 2019. The response was positive, and audiences felt that light-hearted comedies such as this were suitable for all ages and should be preserved as part of the standard repertoire.
A group of highly-educated middle-aged and young actors with rich stage experience has emerged as future successors of Tian Yun Amateur Peking Opera Troupe. With the team’s rejuvenation and the diversification of repertoire, the troupe is moving towards attracting younger audiences and people from different ethnic groups.
Another local Peking opera troupe established in 1983 was the Leling Beijing Opera Troupe, founded by Goh Siew Geok and Huang Houjian.16Prior to that, Goh had entered the Huanan Pingju Society at the age of 12 and later joined Ping Sheh. The troupe was renamed TAS Theatre in 1993.17
With the merger of Huanan Pingju Society and Ping Sheh, veteran artists in the local Peking opera scene included Su Ziqian, Liu Fushan (circa 1902–1974), Liu Changsong, Zhao Meiling (circa 1914–2016), Wang Yunxia, Phan Wait Hong (1914–2016), Wu Chunfu, Lin Laixi, Cao Yanqin, and Qian Jiechu (huqin player).
Most cultural enthusiasts in Singapore would have been no stranger to Hor Chim Or, who not only worked as a journalist but was also a national basketball player. His passion for Peking opera from a young age led him to study martial arts and stagecraft under figures such as Zhang Helou (unknown–1960s) and Liu Changsong. At the age of 18, Hor made his debut performance in Peking opera with the play Nanyang Pass. In his later years, he, along with like-minded individuals such as Tay Kim Woo, departed from Ping Sheh and co-founded the Tian Yun Amateur Peking Opera Troupe.
Another important figure is Phan Wait Hong, who received the Singapore Cultural Medallion in 1992. Born Zhao Lanzhen, she lived in Shanghai before the age of 14. As a child, she disliked studying and reading but had a passion for singing Peking opera. When the opportunity presented itself, she travelled by boat to Singapore with the Caifeng She to perform and became an instant hit after singing at the Nam Tin Restaurant.18
In its early days, Nam Tin Restaurant (now Yue Hwa Building) had a top-floor teahouse where the wealthy could enjoy Peking opera. The audience only had to pay for tea to enjoy the entire evening’s entertainment. Phan made her debut there after joining Ping Sheh. Later, when Tian Yun Amateur Peking Opera Troupe was established, she was active in both organisations.
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Ong Toh (1920–1999), whose real name was Wang Du Gong, was born in Xiamen, China and studied at the local Anglo-Chinese College there.
In 1945, he married Li Xiu Hua (birth and death years unknown), and the couple later followed Li’s younger brother, Li Qiang, to Singapore. Soon after that, Ong took up a teaching position in Terengganu, Malaysia.
After leaving his position in Terengganu and returning to Singapore, he became a teacher at The Chinese Kindergarten & Primary School and later served as its principal. His wife found a job managing records at the privately-owned Rediffusion, Singapore’s first cable radio service. Ong later joined Rediffusion as well to perform Hokkien plays. Impressed by his Xiamen accent and sonorous voice, the head of Rediffusion’s Chinese media department Li Xiaoyin (1918–2015) hired him as a storyteller in 1953. He was then holding two jobs — as principal of a kindergarten and storyteller at Rediffusion. His impeccable Hokkien and the pleasing cadence of his delivery made him a hit with listeners. Ong Toh soon became a household name.
Ong was known for narrating Hokkien folklore as well as martial arts and chapter novels. He was also the first local storyteller to feature martial arts novels by famed writer Louis Cha, better known by the pen name Jin Yong. Ong also acted in detective plays and radio plays for children. Experts praised his knack for captivating audiences with the climatic ending of his stories, a skill which they said surpassed that of his predecessors in Hokkien storytelling. He was especially adept at selecting the right stories and making them more exciting and intense.
Following the launch of the Speak Mandarin Campaign in 1979, programmes in dialects gradually ceased broadcasting after 1982. On 31 December 1982, Rediffusion officially stopped airing programmes in dialects, spelling the end of Ong’s storytelling career. That same year, he retired from The Chinese Kindergarten & Primary School. Switching gears, he became a car and property agent. Though no longer involved in storytelling, he still kept some of the story materials he had used in his broadcasts, such as Bi xue jian (Sword of the Hero’s Blood); Bingshuang jian hua lu (Chronicle of the Frosted Sword); Baoqi yudi (Sacred Banner and Jade Flute) and Qi long ling (Decree of the Seven Dragons).1
In 1992, Ong and his wife emigrated to the Philippines, where his sister lived. He died from illness in 1999, and his ashes were brought back to Singapore. A memorial service held at the Jubilee Church in Outram Road was attended by many of his former colleagues from Rediffusion. Among other tributes, they praised him as a rare talent, a first-rate storyteller, and an honourable and loyal friend.
At the height of its popularity in the 1980s, Rediffusion, which charged a monthly subscription of $5, had close to 100,000 listeners. Besides Ong, Lee Dai Soh and Ng Chia Kheng, who narrated tales in Cantonese and Teochew respectively, were also master storytellers in Singapore’s broadcasting history.
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Ng Chia Keng, whose birth name was Ng Yong Khern (1912–2003), was a master storyteller in the Teochew dialect. He was born in Shantou, China and hailed from Xianxi Village in Anbu, Chaoan County. As the youngest child in his family, he had four brothers and two sisters. He provided Chinese-language tutoring to elementary students in his hometown before moving to Singapore at the age of 18.
The unfavourable circumstances in Singapore back then caused him to work as a clerk for a local produce company in Pekan, Pahang in Malaya, before returning to Singapore after World War II. He died on 26 May 2003 from liver disease.
In early Singapore, there were three prominent storytelling figures in the local Chinese community. The longest in tenure was Lee Dai Soh (1913–1989), who spoke Cantonese and entered the world of radio in 1938. The second was Ng Chia Keng, a Teochew speaker who made his radio debut in 1947 and later became a member of Rediffusion in 1950. The third was Ong Toh (1920–1999), a Hokkien who began storytelling in 1953.
Ng was best known for narrating martial arts novels written by Hong Kong authors Liang Yusheng (1924–2009) and Jin Yong (1924–2018). Initially, he delivered short stories for half an hour every Sunday, gradually increasing the frequency and telling longer stories for three half-hour sessions per week. From then on, his broadcasting time slots kept increasing.
One of Ng’s most well-known programmes in his 35-year radio career was Ti liang ti re (Chatting about Hot and Cold; ti meaning “to chat” in Teochew), which mostly focused on folktales. He initially freelanced for radio, earning $15 for each 15-minute session, a substantial amount at the time. The show was so well-received that it prompted the newly opened private station Rediffusion, who was eager to recruit talent, to offer him a slot every Sunday afternoon to “chat” for half an hour.
As his popularity soared during the Ti liang ti re period, Teochew listeners either tuned in at home, if they had subscribed to Rediffusion, or gathered at coffee shops at Clarke Quay and Teochew Street. The roads in these areas were deserted, reflecting the extent of his popularity.
Recognising his widespread appeal, Hong Kong Rediffusion invited him to Hong Kong. At this point, he had changed the programme’s name to Ti Chia keng ue (Chatting with Chia Keng), using his stage name as part of his storytelling brand. There was also a playful connotation to his stage name. In Teochew, mispronouncing his surname Ng sounds like “wu” (meaning “the absence of”), so Wu Chia Keng would literally translate to “without proper conduct”.1
Ng also hosted a programme called Ting chi bai dan (Listening and Eating White Porridge), which roughly translates to “talking nonsense”. This programme was specially dedicated to telling traditional folk literature stories. After they were refined and organised by Ng, the stories became more captivating and gained widespread popularity. Ting chi bai dan told story after story in its run, all classic tales that listeners never got tired of.
In 1960, he founded the Tong Iong Teochew Amateur Broadcasting Team, with television artist Chen Shucheng becoming one of his apprentices. However, when all dialect programmes on radio stations were discontinued by 31 December 1982 during the height of the Speak Mandarin Campaign, 70-year-old Ng bid farewell to storytelling as a profession, even declining invitations by organisations to continue storytelling. The exception was in 1990, when he readily accepted an invitation by the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations to perform during its “Chinese Cultural Month”, singing Teochew nursery rhymes with a group of children at Raffles Place that night.
Ng’s children’s songs were very well-known. In 1989, the Oral History Centre compiled a collection of his handwritten children’s songs, which were authentic Chaoshan nursery rhymes. The melodious songs were both entertaining and educational, portraying the local culture and traditions of Chaoshan. In 1992, independent arts centre The Substation hosted a recitation event titled “Memories of Children’s Songs”, where Ng once again caused a sensation by reciting Teochew nursery rhymes. In 1995, the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan published his selected annotated work Compilation of Teochew Nursery Rhymes with Pronunciation.
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Singapore artiste Chng Soot Fong (also known as Chong Set Png, Chong Sit Fong or Zhuang Xuefang) is a well-known getai performer and Amoy-dialect film actress.1
In 1947, at the age of 15, Chng became a prominent getai star in Singapore and Malaya. She had often visited the backstage of amusement park New World’s Ann Le Ting getai stage to listen to songs. Vivacious, eager to learn and in love with the stage, she caught the attention of Ma Rong (birth and death years unknown), a senior getai performer who taught her how to sing. Chng’s subsequent debut on the Ann Le Ting stage marked the start of her performing career.
At the time, most getai performers simply stood and sang. Chng, however, took a different approach, taking her cue from getai pioneers — including Bai Yan (1920–2019), who had moved from Shanghai to Singapore and developed a unique style that combined singing with dance movements. She also participated in stage drama performances, which contributed to her widespread fame. Chng later founded the Bai Xue Song and Dance Troupe and the Chng Soot Fong Opera Troupe. In the 1940s and 1950s, when long-distance travel was not common, she toured extensively with her troupes, performing in locations across Singapore and Malaya (as far as Kedah) and even the Philippines.
Having made a name for herself in the getai scene, Chng was invited to appear in Amoy-dialect films in their heyday in the 1950s. In 1957, she had a cameo in the Mandarin film Shenmi meiren (The Lady of Mystery), showcasing her umbrella dance and silk dance skills. That same year, a Filipino-Chinese businessman named Shi Weixiong (birth and death years unknown) collaborated with Huaxia Film Distribution and Singapore’s Eng Wah Film Company and invited Chng to Hong Kong to star in an Amoy-dialect film titled Tianya genü (The Wandering Songstress).
After finalising the terms with Eng Wah’s founder Goh Eng Wah (1923–2015), Chng flew to Hong Kong to embark on a film career. The Wandering Songstress premiered in Singapore in 1958 and was an immediate box office sensation. From that point onwards, Chng shifted her focus to cinema, and would go on to star in about 30 Amoy-dialect movies. Due to her fame and accomplishments, she was dubbed the “Queen of Amoy-dialect Cinema”.
After establishing her reputation in the industry, Chng founded her own Amoy-dialect film production company, Chng Soot Fong Film Company. The Amoy-dialect films Chng acted in and produced contributed to the prominence of Amoy-dialect cinema in the 1950s, helping to elevate it to a status on par with Mandarin and Cantonese-language films. Together, the Mandarin, Cantonese and Amoy-dialect film industries formed what scholars described as the “three-legged vessel” (sanjiao ding), or three pillars of Chinese-language cinema.
Despite her transition to the film industry, Chng did not completely abandon her singing career. It was popular at the time in the Chinese-language film industry to hold live stage performances alongside film screenings, where artistes would tour and perform in sync with the showing of the film. Chng, who had ventured into the film industry, frequently performed on stage in Taiwan and various Southeast Asian locations to accompany film screenings. Wherever she went, she often drew large crowds of fans, both film and music enthusiasts, who filled the venues to capacity.
Chng’s last film is generally thought to be the Taiwanese film Longshansi zhi lian (Romance at Lung Shan Temple, 1962), where she played a Chinese mainlander (waisheng ren) and spoke in Mandarin rather than Southern Fujian (Minnan) dialect which Amoy-dialect is part of. This reflected a wider trend where Amoy-dialect films were on the wane, being replaced by Mandarin and Cantonese films. She retired from the stage and film industry in 1971. As she gradually bade farewell to the scene, she returned to Singapore and largely limited her stage appearances to charity performances.
