【54th Talk】Dr. Donald Chan Hong Yin: From “Getai” to “Seventh lunar month Getai”: The transformation of “Getai” in Singapore (1940s-1980s)
Upcoming Event
| Introduction | The 54th session of the “Tan Lark Sye Lecture Series,” organized by the Institute of International Education and the Tan Lark Sye Institute at New Era University College, is now open to all participants. Featuring Guest Speaker Dr. Donald Chan Hong Yin Lecturer in Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Department of Social Science. The lecture is titled “From “Getai” to “Seventh lunar month Getai”: The transformation of “Getai” in Singapore (1940s-1980s).” This Lecture focuses in a history spanning over 80 years, getai (songs on stage) is an indispensable element of Singapore’s Chinese cultural heritage, particularly among the Hokkien-speaking community. Since its emergence in the 1940s as a form of entertainment in amusement parks, getai has gradually moved to the streets and, by the 1960s, evolved from a form of entertainment into a major Seventh-Month festive event that combined entertainment and religious functions. This talk examines the transformation of getai and the dynamics of its cultural connotations, exploring the reciprocal relationship between the vitality of local Chinese culture and the state narrative on Chinese culture from the late colonial era to the early stage of the Republic of Singapore. Thus, getai has continually adapted to Singapore’s ever-changing socio-cultural environment. As such, through the lens of getai, this talk investigates the dynamic relationship between the Chinese community and state power, emphasizing the agency embedded in this cultural tradition. |
| Speaker | Dr. Donald Chan Hong Yin (Lecturer, Department of Social Sciences, School of Arts and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Metropolitan University) Dr. Donald Chan Hong Yin holds a PhD from the Department of Chinese Studies at the National University of Singapore and is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences at the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Metropolitan University. He previously obtained his Bachelor's and MPhil degrees from the Department of Humanities and Creative Writing at Hong Kong Baptist University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of East Asian Studies at Tel Aviv University in Israel. His research expertise lies in Chinese popular religion and Chinese diaspora studies, with a primary focus on the history and culture of Cantonese communities in Singapore and Malaysia from the nineteenth century to the present. He has published multiple academic papers in these related fields. |
| Moderator | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pek Wee Chuen (Head, Department of Southeast Asian Studies, New Era University College) Dr. Pek Wee Chuen holds a PhD in Geography from National Taiwan Normal University and is currently the Head of the Department of Southeast Asian Studies and an Associate Professor in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at New Era University College. He currently serves as a Geography Subject Consultant for Dong Zong and the Honorary Secretary-General of the Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies. His research expertise focuses on the regional geography and social changes of Malaysia. He is the author of several books, including The Transformation and Integration of Chinese Society in Johor Bahru: 1855–1942, The Nanyang Code on the Equator, and Farewell to Tangshan: Rebirth in the Exotic Land of the Malay Peninsula, and has published numerous academic articles. |
| Information | Date: 28 October 2026 (Wednesday) Time: 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM ZOOM ID: 8266571752 |
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