The Istana Open House on 29 January 2017
Haven’t visited Istana before or looking for a place to wind down this Chinese New Year long weekend? Good news because the official residence and office of Singapore’s president will be open to the public this Sunday, 29 January 2017 from 8:30am to 6pm.
Apart from the Open house, visitors can look forward to music performances and activities at the Istana grounds including lion dance and opera performances, bird display by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, and a calligraphy booth.
The public can also sign up for the Nature Guided Walk to discover the Istana’s flora, fauna and biodiversity. Visitors can also download the Istana Garden Walk mobile app for a self-guided tour of the place.
Admission is free for Singaporeans and PRs. All other visitors are required to pay an entrance fee of $2 per person.
Lineup of Activities for The Istana Open House
| Time | Activity | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 8.30 am – 6.00 pm | Display of Birds by Wildlife Reserves Singapore | Centre Gate |
| 8.30 am – 5.30 pm | Arts and Crafts Booth by Cognizant Singapore | Centre Gate |
| 8.30 am – 5.30 pm | Istana Merchandise and Drinks Booths by NCSS | Centre Gate and Main Tent |
| 8.30 am – 5.30 pm | Chinese Calligraphy Booth by the Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore | Main Tent |
| 8.30 am – 5.30 pm | Istana Main Building Guided Tour by National Heritage Board | Main Building |
| 8.30 am – 5.30 pm | Istana Main Building Self-guided Tour | Main Building |
| 10.00 am – 4.00 pm | Nature Guided Walk organised by NParks | Spice and Ginger Gardens |
| 11.30 am – 12.00 pm | Lion Dance Performance by Yuan Ching Secondary School Lion Dance Troupe | Ceremonial Plaza |
| 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm | Band Performance by Punggol Primary School | Main Tent |
| 3.15 pm – 3.30 pm | Rooster and Instrumental Dance performances by Cixi City Celadon Ou Music Troupe | Ceremonial Plaza |
| 3.30 pm – 3.40 pm | Spring is Here! Dance by the Singapore Soka Association | Ceremonial Plaza |
| 3.45 pm – 4.30 pm | Band Performance by Maha Bodhi Primary School | Main Tent |
| 3.45 pm – 4.45 pm | PA Talent’s Roaming Gods of Fortune | Main Tent/ Ceremonial Plaza |
| 4.05 pm – 4.20 pm | Performance by Yi Quan Athletic Association’s Lion Dance Troupe. | Ceremonial Plaza |
| 4.25 pm – 4.35 pm | Opera Performance by the Quanzhou Gaojia Opera Troupe | Ceremonial Plaza |
| 4.35 pm – 4.45 pm | Train Monkey Puppet Show by Quanzhou Gaojia Opera Troupe | Ceremonial Plaza |
| 4.50 pm – 5.00 pm | Youthful Spring! Dance by the Soka Youth Dance Crew | Ceremonial Plaza |
