Village revives National Day event with arts theme

A Hakka village in Kulai, which had suspended its National Day celebration for three years, is set to bring back the event with a focus on arts and culture. According to Lee Queck Fen, the event organising chairman, the Let’s Art at Sawit Festival, scheduled for August 30 and 31, will return after being put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The festival, which was first initiated in 2014 at Kampung Baru Kelapa Sawit, aims to celebrate the country’s diverse and vibrant culture. This year’s festival will showcase different Chinese dialect clans, featuring food, three-dimensional artworks, murals, as well as performances in wushu, dance, Chinese yoyo, lion dance, and singing. The village will also transform its alleys into event spaces for activities such as mini-markets and street shows.

As part of the festival, visitors can also appreciate more than 10 new artworks and murals, including three-dimensional creations and a newly installed arch at the village. Alan Tee, the head of the festival’s arts unit, has encouraged artists and volunteers to collaboratively enhance the village’s appeal. He stated that preparations for the festival are currently underway and invited artists and volunteers to contribute their skills and ideas to make the village more attractive. The artworks and murals in the village are planned to be refreshed or added to every two years, allowing for new and creative ideas to be continually embraced.

Individuals interested in contributing to the festival can contact the organiser through the email address: [email protected]. Notably, in 2020, a group of artists created a three-dimensional sculpture of lei cha, a famous Hakka ground tea-based dish comprising rice, vegetables, peanuts, and sesame seeds. This sculpture became a popular spot for visitors to take photographs. The Hakka village, situated at Batu 26 in Kulai, is home to a substantial population of Hakka clansmen. The village offers a variety of Hakka cuisine in its restaurants, as well as quaint cafes and small businesses.