Singapore, 26 March 2021 – Singapore Post Limited (SingPost) today commemorated the successful inscription of Hawker Culture in Singapore on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020 by releasing a set of illustrated stamps.
The stamps feature sketches of elements found at the hawker centres including that of a traditional kopi hawker brewing coffee; dining patrons at a hawker centre; common hawker fare; and well-known hawker centres across Singapore.
The two-year long journey began on 19 August 2018 when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced Singapore’s intention to nominate its Hawker Culture for the international honour. The inscription application was led jointly by the National Heritage Board, National Environment Agency and The Federation of Merchants’ Associations with strong support from hawkers’ associations, schools, community groups, corporations, and the general public who came forward to actively show their support for the bid.
Singaporeans are incredibly familiar with the hawker culture, as it forms an integral part of life in Singapore. A melting pot and natural meeting point for residents across all walks of life, people gather at hawker centres to dine and bond over a diverse variety of local dishes. Singapore’s famed hawker dishes originated from the food cultures of different immigrant groups who settled in Singapore a long time ago, and have over time, evolved to become the distinctive local dishes loved by residents and tourists alike, forming an important part of Singapore’s rich food heritage.
SingPost Senior Vice President for Post Office Network, Financial Services and Philately, Ms Marjorie Ooi said that SingPost is delighted to commemorate this momentous milestone with this set of stamps.
“The inscription of Singapore's hawker culture is a big source of pride for all of us in Singapore. Food is a big part of the Singapore way of life, and hawker centres are ubiquitous here in Singapore. It is a natural progression to preserve this as a heritage for the world to know Singapore for, and we cement the occasion with a beautiful set of stamps illustrating our colourful hawker culture,” Ms Ooi said.
The stamps (valued between 30 cents and S$1.40 each), Pre-cancelled First Day Covers (S$4.80 each) and Presentation Packs (S$5.85) is available for sale from today (26 March 2021) at all post offices, philatelic stores and online at shop.singpost.com, while stocks last.
About Singapore Post Limited
For more than 160 years, Singapore Post (SingPost), as the country's postal service provider, has been delivering trusted and reliable services to homes and businesses in Singapore. Today, SingPost is pioneering and leading in eCommerce logistics as well as providing innovative mail and logistics solutions in Singapore and around the world, with operations in 19 markets.
Building on its trusted communications through domestic and international postal services, SingPost is taking the lead in end-to-end integrated and digital mail solutions. The suite of SingPost eCommerce logistics solutions includes front end web management, warehousing and fulfilment, last mile delivery and international freight forwarding.
