Singapore Joins Three Countries In UNESCO Bid For Zapin

Singapore will join Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia in nominating zapin for UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, marking its first joint nomination of a performing art form.

Announced by the National Heritage Board (NHB) on September 24, the nomination is targeted for submission in March 2027.

It will be Singapore's fourth nomination to the list, following hawker culture, kebaya and the pending joint nomination of Chingay with Malaysia.

Combining music, song and dance, zapin is a living tradition shared across the region. Commonly performed at weddings and festivals, its movements draw inspiration from nature and everyday life.

In Singapore, it continues to be taught through school co-curricular activities and practised by local dance groups.

The tradition has also evolved to reflect Singapore's own history.

Zapin Telok Blangah, choreographed by Cultural Medallion recipient Som Said, reflects the area's port heritage, while Osman Abdul Hamid's Zapin Sungei Kallang commemorates communities that lived along the river in the 1970s.

In the accompanying announcement, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo said the nomination celebrates practitioners who have sustained and passed on zapin, while bringing Singaporeans of different backgrounds together.

Preserving that knowledge will be central to the bid.

NHB will consult practitioners and document local forms of zapin, with UNESCO assessing how participating countries support its continued practice and transmission to future generations.