A Complete Guide to Singapore’s Premier Cultural Celebration
February 27 – March 8, 2026 | Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Introduction
As Singapore ushers in the Year of the Horse, the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay transforms into a vibrant celebration of Chinese arts and culture. The 24th edition of Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts promises ten days of extraordinary performances that traverse traditional boundaries and contemporary innovation, offering audiences an unparalleled journey through the richness of Chinese artistic expression.
From intimate musical cabarets exploring linguistic heritage to grand orchestral reimaginations of legendary tales, from dystopian theatrical explorations to nostalgic pop concerts, this year’s festival showcases the remarkable diversity of Chinese culture across Singapore, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. The carefully curated program reflects both the preservation of cherished traditions and the fearless pursuit of artistic evolution.
The Venue: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Nestled along Singapore’s picturesque Marina Bay waterfront, the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay stands as one of Asia’s most iconic performing arts centers. Often affectionately referred to as ‘the durian’ by locals due to its distinctive spiky architecture, this cultural landmark has been Singapore’s premier arts venue since its opening in 2002.
Architectural Marvel
The Esplanade’s twin domes, clad in thousands of aluminum sunshades, create a stunning visual spectacle both day and night. The venue comprises two main performance spaces: the 1,600-seat Concert Hall with its exceptional acoustics designed for orchestral performances, and the 2,000-seat Theatre, which hosts a wide range of theatrical productions, dance performances, and musical concerts. For the Huayi festival, various spaces within the complex will be utilized, including the intimate Recital Studio and the outdoor Theatre on the Bay.
World-Class Facilities
Beyond its performance halls, the Esplanade offers numerous amenities for visitors. The complex features a library dedicated to music and the performing arts, multiple rehearsal spaces, and several exhibition areas. The waterfront promenade provides breathtaking views of Marina Bay, making it an ideal spot for pre-show dining or post-performance reflection.
How to Reach by Public Transport
Singapore’s efficient public transportation system makes accessing the Esplanade convenient and straightforward. Multiple transport options ensure that audiences from across the island can easily attend performances.
By MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)
Esplanade MRT Station (Circle Line) – This is the most direct route, located directly beneath the Esplanade complex. Exit A leads directly into the building via an underground link. The journey from major hubs is brief: approximately 15 minutes from Orchard, 10 minutes from Chinatown, and 8 minutes from Marina Bay Sands.
City Hall MRT Station (North-South and East-West Lines) – An alternative option located approximately 10 minutes’ walk from the Esplanade. Exit B leads toward the Padang, from which the Esplanade’s distinctive domes are clearly visible across the bay. This route offers a pleasant waterfront stroll, particularly enjoyable during cooler evening hours.
Raffles Place MRT Station (North-South and East-West Lines) – Located in the heart of the Central Business District, this station is about a 12-minute walk from the Esplanade. The route passes through Raffles Place Park and along the scenic waterfront.
By Bus
Several bus services stop near the Esplanade, providing additional flexibility for visitors. Bus numbers 36, 56, 70, 75, 77, 97, 106, 111, 133, 162, 171, 195, 196, 960, and 961 all have stops within walking distance of the venue. The closest bus stop is ‘Esplanade Bridge,’ served by buses 56, 57, 80, 97, 131, 162, 171, 195, and 970.
By Taxi or Private Hire Vehicles
For those preferring private transport, taxis and ride-hailing services (Grab, Gojek) can drop passengers at the Esplanade’s main entrance along Raffles Avenue. A designated drop-off point ensures convenient access to the venue’s entrance.
Accessibility
The Esplanade is fully wheelchair accessible, with barrier-free access from all MRT stations and bus stops. Designated parking spaces, accessible restrooms, and assistive listening devices are available upon request. Visitors requiring special assistance are encouraged to contact the Esplanade’s customer service team in advance of their visit.
Featured Performances: Themes and Cultural Significance
The four highlighted productions of Huayi 2026 each offer distinct perspectives on Chinese culture, identity, and artistic innovation. Together, they create a multifaceted exploration of both heritage and contemporary expression.
1. ‘Being’ The Freshman Concert 2026
Artists: Chen Diya and Carrie Yeo
Theme: Nostalgia, Musical Evolution, and the Journey of Self-Discovery
Singapore Mandopop duo The Freshman brings two decades of musical partnership to the Esplanade stage. Chen Diya and Carrie Yeo, who first crossed paths during the 2006 edition of singing competition Project Superstar, have evolved from aspiring contestants to established artists whose music has soundtracked countless personal moments for their devoted fanbase.
This concert promises a nostalgic journey through their musical catalog, featuring beloved hits such as ‘Holding On’ (2016), which explores themes of perseverance and emotional resilience; ‘It’s Love, Harry’ (2017), a playful exploration of unexpected romance; and ‘Throw’ (2023), a more recent reflection on letting go and moving forward. The setlist will also showcase tracks from their latest album ‘Being,’ released in late 2025, which represents their most mature and introspective work to date.
Cultural Lessons: The Freshman’s journey embodies the contemporary Singaporean artistic experience—navigating multiple cultural influences while maintaining authentic self-expression. Their music demonstrates how Mandopop has evolved in Singapore, incorporating local sensibilities and addressing universal themes of love, loss, growth, and identity. For audiences, this concert offers insight into how popular music can serve as both entertainment and a chronicle of personal and societal change.
Values to Learn: Persistence in artistic pursuit, the importance of authentic creative partnerships, and the courage to evolve while honoring one’s roots. The duo’s 20-year collaboration exemplifies dedication, mutual support, and the power of shared creative vision.
2. The Sun
Creator: Tomohiro Maekawa (Japan)
Performers: 4 Chairs Theatre (Taiwan)
Theme: Division, Otherness, and Post-Pandemic Social Reflection
In this dystopian science fiction narrative, humanity faces a catastrophic division: mutants who cannot tolerate sunlight have emerged as the dominant class, subjugating the remaining human population. Originally created by acclaimed Japanese playwright Tomohiro Maekawa and first staged in 2011, this production has enjoyed numerous adaptations and has resonated across cultures due to its powerful allegorical potential.
Taiwan’s 4 Chairs Theatre brings a fresh interpretation to ‘The Sun,’ recontextualizing it through the lens of post-pandemic society. The production explores how fear, difference, and perceived threats can fracture communities, create hierarchies of power, and justify oppression. The metaphor of sunlight—something once universal and life-giving—becoming a weapon of division carries particular poignancy in our contemporary moment.
Cultural Lessons: This production demonstrates how Asian theatre companies are increasingly engaging with global science fiction narratives to explore contemporary social anxieties. The collaboration between Japanese creation and Taiwanese interpretation reflects the cross-pollination of artistic ideas within East Asian theatrical traditions. It showcases how speculative fiction can serve as a powerful vehicle for examining real-world issues of prejudice, social stratification, and the construction of ‘the other.’
Values to Learn: Critical examination of social divisions, empathy across difference, the dangers of fear-based governance, and the importance of questioning power structures that normalize inequality. The play challenges audiences to consider how easily societies can rationalize oppression when difference is perceived as threat.
3. Wukong’s 72 Transformations
Performers: Singapore Chinese Orchestra
Conductor: Quek Ling Kiong
Visual Artists: Paper Monkey Theatre
Theme: Cultural Legacy, Transformation, and Multimedia Storytelling
Few figures in Chinese mythology capture the imagination quite like Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. Born from stone, blessed with supernatural abilities, and forever seeking redemption, Wukong embodies rebellion, cleverness, loyalty, and transformation. This immersive concert experience examines the legendary character from a unique vantage point: Wukong himself, now aged, reflecting on his multifaceted life and his countless representations across media.
The Singapore Chinese Orchestra, under the baton of principal conductor Quek Ling Kiong, creates a rich sonic landscape that traverses traditional Chinese orchestral music and contemporary compositional techniques. The musical narrative is enhanced by puppetry from Paper Monkey Theatre, a home-grown company known for its innovative approach to traditional puppet theatre, and multimedia elements that reference Wukong’s appearances in everything from classical opera to modern anime and video games.
The concert’s framework—an aging Wukong looking back on his life—adds poignant depth to the exploration. It transforms what could be a simple celebration of a legendary character into a meditation on legacy, memory, and the ways in which stories evolve through retelling. The ’72 transformations’ of the title refers both to Wukong’s mythical ability to shape-shift and to his transformation through countless cultural adaptations.
Cultural Lessons: This production demonstrates how classical Chinese literature continues to inspire contemporary artistic creation. It shows how traditional stories can be reinterpreted through modern media while maintaining their essential cultural resonance. The collaboration between orchestra, puppetry, and multimedia reflects a distinctly 21st-century approach to cultural preservation—one that embraces innovation rather than treating tradition as static.
Values to Learn: Respect for cultural heritage combined with creative innovation, the power of storytelling across generations and media, the importance of reflection and self-awareness (embodied in the aging Wukong’s retrospective), and the understanding that identity is not fixed but continually transforming. The Monkey King’s journey from rebellious troublemaker to enlightened being mirrors universal human growth.
4. LauZone – A Multilingual HK-style Cabaret
Performers: Anna Lo and Rick Lau
Theme: Linguistic Heritage, Cultural Memory, and Generational Connection
Language carries culture. When languages fade, entire worlds of expression, humor, and human connection risk disappearing. ‘LauZone’ is a passionate, playful, and deeply moving tribute to the multilingual tapestry of Hong Kong, particularly the dialects spoken by older immigrant generations that are rapidly fading from everyday use.
Performers Anna Lo and Rick Lau, who captivated Huayi audiences in 2023 with their sold-out ‘Tri Ka Tsai’ cabaret, return with an expanded linguistic repertoire. ‘LauZone’ celebrates Cantonese, Putonghua, Chiuchow, and Shanghainese—each dialect carrying distinct histories, migration patterns, and cultural flavors. Through song, storytelling, and theatrical performance, the duo brings these languages to vibrant life, showcasing their unique musicality and expressive power.
Beyond celebration, the cabaret grapples with a bittersweet reality: younger generations of Hong Kongers often have limited connection to these dialectal traditions. As Cantonese dominates contemporary Hong Kong and Putonghua grows in influence, the linguistic diversity that once characterized the city’s immigrant neighborhoods is diminishing. ‘LauZone’ asks crucial questions about cultural preservation, generational responsibility, and the meaning of linguistic heritage in a globalized world.
Cultural Lessons: This cabaret illuminates the deep connection between language and identity, demonstrating how dialects carry not just words but entire cultural worldviews, values, and ways of being. It highlights the immigrant experience in Hong Kong, showing how multiple Chinese linguistic communities coexisted and created the city’s unique cultural character. The production also reflects broader global trends of linguistic homogenization and the challenges of maintaining minority languages in the face of dominant lingua francas.
Values to Learn: The importance of linguistic preservation and cultural memory, respect for immigrant histories and elder generations’ experiences, the richness that diversity brings to communities, and the responsibility to understand and honor one’s heritage even as society evolves. The cabaret encourages audiences to consider what is lost when languages disappear and what can be gained by actively engaging with linguistic diversity.
Overarching Themes of Huayi 2026
While each performance stands as a distinct artistic statement, several common threads weave through the festival program:
1. Heritage and Innovation: Every featured production engages with tradition while embracing contemporary forms. Whether through multimedia orchestral concerts, post-pandemic reinterpretations of science fiction, or cabaret celebrations of linguistic diversity, the festival demonstrates that cultural preservation and artistic innovation are not opposing forces but complementary impulses.
2. Cross-Cultural Dialogue: The festival features artists and productions from Singapore, China, Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong, reflecting the interconnected nature of contemporary Chinese culture. These collaborations challenge simplistic notions of cultural borders, showing how artistic ideas, stories, and traditions flow between communities.
3. Generational Reflection: From The Freshman’s 20-year musical journey to the aging Wukong’s retrospective to LauZone’s meditation on fading linguistic traditions, the theme of generational change and memory recurs throughout the program. These works encourage audiences to consider their own relationships with past, present, and future.
4. Social Commentary: Even performances not explicitly political engage with contemporary social realities. ‘The Sun’ addresses division and othering, LauZone examines linguistic marginalization, and all the productions reflect on identity in rapidly changing societies.
Dining Options Around the Esplanade
A cultural experience is enriched by culinary exploration. Fortunately, the Esplanade’s location in the heart of Singapore’s civic district places it within easy reach of diverse dining options, from casual cafes to upscale restaurants.
Within the Esplanade Complex
Esplanade Mall Food Court – Located on the lower levels of the Esplanade, this food court offers affordable local favorites including chicken rice, laksa, roti prata, and various Chinese, Malay, and Indian dishes. Perfect for a quick meal before or after performances. Operating hours typically extend until late evening to accommodate theatre-goers.
Makansutra Gluttons Bay – An open-air hawker center located along the Esplanade waterfront, offering some of Singapore’s most famous street food stalls. With views of Marina Bay and the Singapore skyline, this is an ideal spot for those wanting to combine local cuisine with scenic ambiance. Signature dishes include satay, barbecued seafood, carrot cake, and oyster omelette. Best visited during cooler evening hours.
Nearby Fine Dining
Odette (National Gallery Singapore) – A Michelin-starred fine dining establishment specializing in modern French cuisine with Asian influences. Located about a 12-minute walk from the Esplanade, Odette offers an elegant pre-theatre dining experience. Reservations are essential and should be made well in advance.
Yan (National Gallery Singapore) – For those seeking refined Cantonese cuisine, Yan presents modern interpretations of traditional dishes with panoramic views of the Padang and City Hall. The restaurant’s dim sum selection is particularly noteworthy. Also located in the National Gallery, approximately a 10-minute walk from the Esplanade.
The Clifford Pier (The Fullerton Bay Hotel) – Celebrating the culinary heritage of Singapore’s early Chinese immigrants, this restaurant serves traditional Cantonese and Teochew cuisine in an elegant waterfront setting. About a 10-minute walk from the Esplanade along the bay.
Casual Dining and Cafes
Lau Pa Sat Festival Market – A historic hawker center located in a beautifully restored Victorian-era building, about a 15-minute walk from the Esplanade. Lau Pa Sat offers an extensive selection of local dishes at affordable prices. In the evenings, the adjacent Boon Tat Street transforms into a ‘Satay Street,’ where multiple vendors serve this quintessential Singaporean barbecued dish.
Boat Quay – The Singapore River’s historic trading district, now lined with restaurants and bars offering everything from Italian to Thai cuisine. The riverside setting provides pleasant ambiance for pre- or post-show dining. About a 15-minute walk from the Esplanade.
Marina Bay Sands Shoppes – Across Marina Bay, this shopping complex houses numerous dining options ranging from casual eateries to upscale restaurants. Accessible via a 20-minute walk along the waterfront or a short taxi ride. The food court offers diverse international options, while restaurants like CUT by Wolfgang Puck and Waku Ghin provide fine dining experiences.
Pre-Show Dining Tips
For those attending evening performances, consider dining at least 90 minutes before showtime to allow for a relaxed meal and comfortable arrival at the theatre. Many restaurants in the area understand the needs of theatre-goers and can accommodate requests for efficient service when informed of your performance schedule. The Esplanade’s waterfront location also makes it ideal for a post-show stroll and late-night refreshments at the various cafes and bars that remain open along the bay.
Practical Information for Festival Attendees
Ticketing
Tickets for all Huayi performances can be purchased through the Esplanade website, box office, or authorized ticketing partners. Early booking is strongly recommended, as popular shows—particularly The Freshman concert and LauZone—are likely to sell out. Various concessions are available for students, seniors, and groups, making the festival accessible to diverse audiences.
What to Bring
Singapore’s weather can be unpredictable, with sudden rain showers common even during the drier months. While the Esplanade provides covered walkways and the MRT connection protects against most weather, bringing a compact umbrella is advisable if walking from alternative stations. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended if planning to explore the surrounding areas before or after performances.
Photography and Recording
Photography and video recording are generally not permitted during performances to respect both the artists and fellow audience members. However, the Esplanade’s striking architecture and waterfront setting provide excellent photo opportunities before and after shows. The venue is particularly photogenic during the evening when its distinctive facade is illuminated.
Accessibility Services
The Esplanade is committed to ensuring all visitors can enjoy performances comfortably. In addition to wheelchair accessibility throughout the venue, services include designated companion seating for patrons with disabilities, assistive listening devices for the hearing impaired, and audio description services for selected performances. Those requiring specific accommodations should contact the Esplanade’s customer service in advance to ensure appropriate arrangements.
Conclusion: Embracing Cultural Richness
The 24th edition of Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts represents more than a series of performances; it is an invitation to engage deeply with the complexity, beauty, and ongoing evolution of Chinese culture in its many forms. Each production offers audiences the opportunity to expand their understanding, challenge their assumptions, and connect with artistic expressions that span traditional and contemporary, local and international, intimate and spectacular.
Whether you are drawn to the nostalgic melodies of The Freshman, the thought-provoking dystopian allegory of ‘The Sun,’ the multimedia spectacle of ‘Wukong’s 72 Transformations,’ or the linguistic celebration of ‘LauZone,’ the festival promises experiences that will resonate long after the final curtain call. These performances remind us that culture is not a static inheritance but a living, breathing entity that transforms through each generation’s creative engagement.
As you plan your visits to the Esplanade during these ten days in late February and early March, consider the broader themes that connect these diverse works: the relationship between tradition and innovation, the power of language and music to preserve memory, the importance of cross-cultural dialogue, and the ways in which art helps us navigate social change. These are not merely performances to watch but conversations to join, questions to ponder, and cultural experiences to carry forward.
The Huayi festival embodies Singapore’s position as a multicultural crossroads where Chinese heritage meets contemporary global influences, creating something both deeply rooted and remarkably forward-looking. In attending, you become part of this ongoing cultural conversation, contributing to the preservation and evolution of artistic traditions that have enriched humanity for centuries.
May your festival experience be filled with discovery, inspiration, and the joy that comes from connecting with art that speaks to both heart and mind. Welcome to Huayi 2026.
The Last Lantern Keeper
The old woman’s hands trembled as she lit the final lantern, the forty-ninth in a chain that wound through the mountain pass like a string of fallen stars. Each flame caught with a whisper, as if the wicks remembered her touch from all the years before.
“That’s the last one, Grandmother,” said Wei, shifting his weight from foot to foot in the gathering dusk. At seventeen, he had better things to do than watch an old woman light paper lanterns that nobody needed anymore. The highway ran through a tunnel now, blasted straight through the mountain’s heart. The old pass, with its forty-nine curves and ancient stone steps, stood empty except for ghosts and memories.
“Not yet,” Grandmother Mei said, her voice soft as moth wings. “One more remains.”
Wei frowned. He’d counted. Forty-nine lanterns, one for each curve in the old road. He’d been counting them since he was small enough to ride on his father’s shoulders, before his father had left for the city and never come back.
“I counted right, Grandmother. Forty-nine.”
She smiled, the expression creasing her face into a thousand tiny rivers. “You counted what you could see. But the last lantern isn’t for eyes like yours.”
The old woman reached into her coat and withdrew something that made Wei’s breath catch. It was a lantern, but unlike the others. Where they were red paper and bamboo, this one seemed woven from something older—spider silk perhaps, or moonlight given form. Symbols covered its surface, flowing and changing like water.
“Every generation, one keeper passes this to the next,” Grandmother Mei said. “For three hundred years, someone from our family has lit the forty-nine lanterns. But this one, the fiftieth, we light only when we’re ready to pass on the duty.”
“But why?” Wei asked. “Nobody uses this road anymore. Nobody needs—”
“Don’t they?” His grandmother’s eyes fixed on him, suddenly sharp despite her age. “Look.”
Wei turned and gasped. Between each paper lantern, in the spaces where darkness should have pooled, he saw them. People. Hundreds of them, thousands perhaps, walking the old road. But they weren’t quite solid—he could see the mountain through them, the way you could see through colored glass.
“Who are they?”
“Everyone who ever walked this road,” Grandmother Mei said quietly. “The merchant who carried his daughter’s dowry to the next valley. The soldier returning from war. The bride who fled an unhappy marriage. The boy who went seeking his fortune and the old man who came home to die. This road remembers them all.”
Wei watched a young woman in old-fashioned clothes hurrying past, a bundle in her arms. She didn’t see him—or perhaps she did, and he was the ghost in her world.
“The lanterns guide them,” his grandmother continued. “Not the living—they have their highway, their headlights, their GPS. But the dead, the memories, the stories—they still need the old paths. Every night, someone must light the way.”
“But I…” Wei started, then stopped. He’d been about to say he was leaving too, like his father. The city had a university. A future. What did this forgotten mountain pass have except ghosts and duty?
Grandmother Mei held out the fiftieth lantern. “I won’t force you to take it. But know this: if no one lights the lanterns, the road forgets. And if the road forgets, then everyone who walked it—all their journeys, their hopes, their stories—they fade too. Become nothing. Is that the world you want to live in? One where the past can simply… disappear?”
Wei looked at the lantern, then at the ghostly travelers on their eternal journeys. He saw the young woman with her bundle, and somehow knew she carried her infant son, fleeing a flood that had taken her village. He saw an old scholar, scrolls tucked under his arm, seeking a monastery that no longer existed. He saw a thousand stories written in light and shadow.
“How long?” he asked quietly.
“Until you find someone to pass it to. Could be a year. Could be seventy.” His grandmother’s smile was sad and knowing. “Your father wasn’t ready. He needed to search for something else. But you… I’ve watched you, Wei. You’ve always been a keeper of things. Stories. Memories. Old photographs. You write them all down in those notebooks of yours.”
It was true. Wei’s room was full of notebooks—conversations with old villagers, half-remembered legends, even the recipe for his grandmother’s soup, written out in painful detail so it wouldn’t be lost.
“What if I want to go to university?” he asked.
“Then go. The lanterns need lighting only at dusk. You could come back each evening, if you chose. Or find another way. The duty shapes itself to the keeper, not the other way around.” She pressed the lantern into his hands. “But decide now. This is the last night I can hold the light.”
Wei held the lantern, feeling its weight—or perhaps the weight of all those watching presences on the path. Three hundred years of keepers, his grandmother had said. Three hundred years of making sure the past wasn’t forgotten.
He thought about the highway, straight and efficient, blasted through the mountain with no regard for what had been there before. He thought about his father, who’d left and never learned that some things were worth staying for. He thought about the stories in his notebooks, and how someday he’d be gone too, and who would remember them then?
“Show me how to light it,” he said.
His grandmother’s face transformed, years seeming to fall away in her relief. “You don’t light this one with a match,” she said. “You light it with a memory. The best one you have. The one you’d most want to keep if you could only keep one thing.”
Wei closed his eyes. He could choose the day his mother had taught him to write, her hand guiding his as they formed the characters for “home.” Or his first bite of his grandmother’s soup, so perfect it made him cry. Or the evening he’d found a cricket by the roadside and his grandfather had shown him how to keep it in a bamboo cage, feeding it apple slices until it sang.
But the memory that came was simpler. He’d been five, maybe six. His grandmother had brought him up to the pass for the first time, shown him the lanterns. He’d asked why they lit them, and she’d said, “So no one walks in darkness. Not even the ones who’ve already walked this way.”
“I want to help,” little Wei had said.
“Someday,” his grandmother had promised. “Someday, if you choose it.”
And he’d felt something then—a certainty that this was important. That keeping lights burning for travelers no one else could see was the most important thing in the world.
Wei opened his eyes and breathed that memory into the lantern. It caught like tinder, blazing with a light that was warm and cold at once, familiar and strange. The symbols on its surface stilled, rearranging themselves into new patterns—his patterns now, unique to him.
The ghostly travelers on the path stopped their endless walking and turned toward the new light. For just a moment, Wei felt them see him—really see him. And in their eyes was gratitude, recognition, and something else. A promise, perhaps. That as long as someone remembered, as long as someone kept the light burning, they would never truly be lost.
“Good,” his grandmother said, and her voice was fading now, growing distant. “You’ll do well, Wei. Better than I did, perhaps. You have questions in you, curiosity. Don’t lose that. The road has many stories left to tell.”
“Wait,” Wei said, but she was already walking away, her form growing translucent in the lantern light. Not disappearing—joining. Taking her place among the travelers, her own journey finally complete.
He wanted to call her back, to ask a thousand questions about what came next, how to do this, what the symbols meant. But he understood now that this was the way of it. You learned by keeping, by tending, by showing up night after night to light forty-nine paper lanterns and one that existed somewhere between dream and duty.
Wei hung the fiftieth lantern on its hook—a stone worn smooth by centuries of hands—and watched it sway in the mountain wind. Far below, headlights flickered through the tunnel, the living racing through their efficient darkness. But here, on the old road, the lamps burned steady.
A ghost merchant tipped his hat in thanks. A long-dead bride smiled as she passed. And somewhere in the line of travelers, Wei caught a glimpse of his grandmother, young again, walking beside a man who could only be his grandfather, gone before Wei was born.
They were going home, he realized. Or perhaps they had been home all along, walking the roads that meant something to them, guided by lights that refused to let them be forgotten.
Wei pulled out his notebook and began to write. He had stories to keep now. Forty-nine lanterns to light every evening. And one special lamp that burned with the memory of a little boy who’d wanted to help, and a grandmother who’d trusted him to choose.
The city could wait. The university could wait. Some duties were bigger than personal ambition. Some lights were too important to let go dark.
As night settled fully over the mountain, the fiftieth lantern blazed brighter, and Wei smiled. He was a keeper now. The last lantern keeper, or perhaps the first of a new line. Either way, the road would not be forgotten. Not on his watch.
He lit the first paper lantern for tomorrow evening, already planning his return. There was so much to learn, so many stories to preserve. And he had time now—all the time in the world—to make sure that everyone who’d ever walked this road in hope or sorrow, in joy or grief, would always find their way home.
The ghosts walked on, and Wei kept his vigil, and the mountains remembered.
The End
Lessons and Values to Learn from This Story
1. The Importance of Cultural Preservation
Wei’s decision to become the lantern keeper illustrates that preserving cultural heritage and traditions requires active choice and sacrifice. In our rapidly modernizing world, old customs and practices can easily disappear if no one takes responsibility for maintaining them. The story teaches us that progress (symbolized by the highway) doesn’t have to erase the past—both can coexist if we make the effort.
2. Duty and Responsibility Over Personal Ambition
Wei faces a classic conflict between personal desires (university, city life) and inherited duty. The story suggests that true maturity comes not from abandoning responsibility, but from finding ways to honor it while still pursuing personal growth. Wei doesn’t have to give up university entirely—he can return each evening to light the lanterns, integrating duty with ambition.
3. The Power of Memory and Storytelling
The lanterns serve as a metaphor for how stories and memories keep the past alive. Just as Wei keeps notebooks full of stories, we all have a responsibility to preserve the experiences and wisdom of those who came before us. When we forget the past, we lose part of our collective humanity.
4. Respect for Ancestors and Elders
Grandmother Mei’s wisdom and the three-hundred-year tradition of lantern keepers demonstrate the value of intergenerational knowledge transfer. The story shows that elders carry important wisdom that younger generations need, even when it seems outdated or irrelevant to modern life.
5. Finding Meaning in Service
Wei discovers that lighting lanterns for travelers no one else can see is profoundly meaningful work. The story teaches that significance doesn’t come from recognition or practicality, but from the intrinsic value of the act itself. Some of the most important work we do may never be acknowledged by the wider world.
6. The Consequences of Abandonment
Wei’s father, who “wasn’t ready” and left for the city, serves as a cautionary example. Sometimes our rejection of tradition or duty leaves gaps that harm not just ourselves but entire communities and legacies. The story gently suggests that running away from responsibility often leads to regret.
7. Mindfulness and Presence
The act of lighting forty-nine lanterns each evening requires patience, ritual, and presence. In our fast-paced world (represented by cars rushing through the tunnel), the story values slowness, deliberation, and mindful practice. Some things cannot and should not be rushed.
8. The Coexistence of Different Worlds
The story beautifully illustrates that multiple realities can exist simultaneously—the highway and the old path, the living and the dead, progress and tradition. We don’t have to choose one or the other; we can honor both the practical needs of the present and the sacred obligations of the past.
9. Choice and Agency
Grandmother Mei doesn’t force the duty upon Wei—she offers it and allows him to choose. This teaches us that meaningful commitment comes from free choice, not coercion. True responsibility is taken up willingly, not imposed.
10. The Value of “Useless” Things
From a practical standpoint, lighting lanterns on an abandoned road seems pointless. But the story challenges our obsession with utility and efficiency, suggesting that some of the most important human activities—art, ritual, remembrance—have no “practical” purpose yet remain essential to our humanity.
11. Continuity and Legacy
Wei becomes part of a three-hundred-year chain of keepers. This teaches us that we are not isolated individuals but links in a much longer story. What we do today connects to what came before and what will come after. Our actions echo through time.
12. Recognition of the Invisible
The ghostly travelers represent all the unacknowledged labor, unremembered lives, and untold stories that make up human history. The story teaches us to honor and recognize what others cannot or will not see—to bear witness to the forgotten.
Reflection Questions
- What “lanterns” do you keep lit in your own life? What traditions, memories, or practices do you preserve?
- Are there duties or responsibilities you’ve been avoiding? What would it mean to accept them willingly?
- What stories from your family or community are at risk of being forgotten? How might you preserve them?
- How do you balance personal ambition with obligations to family, community, or tradition?
- What would the world lose if everyone chose efficiency and progress over preservation and memory?
These lessons remind us that while we must move forward into the future, we should never forget to light the way for those who walked before us—and for the parts of ourselves that still walk the old roads, seeking meanin
Quick Reference Guide
| Festival Dates | February 27 – March 8, 2026 |
| Venue | Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981 |
| Nearest MRT | Esplanade MRT (Circle Line) – Direct underground access |
| Alternative MRT | City Hall MRT (10-min walk), Raffles Place MRT (12-min walk) |
| Bus Services | 36, 56, 70, 75, 77, 97, 106, 111, 133, 162, 171, 195, 196, 960, 961 |
| Ticket Information | Available at Esplanade website, box office, and authorized partners |
| Accessibility | Fully wheelchair accessible with assistive services available |
| Nearby Dining | Makansutra Gluttons Bay, Lau Pa Sat, National Gallery restaurants, Boat Quay |