SINGAPORE, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu on Saturday launched a special exhibition on the country's early Chinese newspapers at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall.
Titled "Early Chinese Newspapers in Singapore (1881-1942)", the exhibition presents the history and development of Chinese newspapers and printing industry in Singapore through more than 100 artefacts, historical documents and images.
The exhibition takes visitors on a historical journey from the 1880s to the Japanese Occupation of Singapore in 1942 by tracing the rise of various newspapers, the Chinese pioneers behind the establishments, journalistic trends and the shift in the newspapers' focus which has evolved over the years to meet the needs of the community.
Minister Fu said the early Chinese newspapers in Singapore played a major role in informing, influencing and educating the Chinese community in the region. These newspapers functioned as an important platform to discuss social issues. She also encouraged people to learn from the pioneers to better service the society.
Working with community contributors, the exhibition highlights precious exhibits such as a rare imperial gazette which was published during the Qing dynasty and used for the dissemination of imperial court news and official announcements; a copy of "Lat Pau" which is regarded as Singapore's first Chinese daily and a Hakka-Malay dictionary published by a Singapore printing press in 1929, which reflects early Chinese immigrants adapting to local culture.
To attract more young people to participate in, curators of the exhibition have added interactive features to enhance the experience. For instance, multimedia games have been created for visitors to learn more about the early newspaper printing industry. Visitors can also capture their memories at the unique photo booth, which allows them to appear on the cover of an early advertisement or poster.
According to the curators, the exhibition will run until Oct. 9. A series of public talks that shed light on the rich history of several prominent Chinese newspapers in Singapore will also be held in the following days as an extended part of the exhibition.