We make the "boring" Chinese classics fun and memorable.

We introduce kids to the older, classical aspects of Chinese culture such as its literature, legends and philosophy, via a unique experiential learning pedagogy. Featured on the South China Morning Post, Channel 8 and Channel NewsAsia.

Small group workshops (10 to 20 students, 1.5 to 2 hours)

Large group workshop (~150 students / 1 to 1.5 hour)

Deepen your students' gratitude (恩) for our forefathers via an interactive story-telling of the legend of Ma Zu, the Sea Goddess to whom Singapore's early migrants looked to for protection as they embarked on the perilous sea journey from China to Singapore, to create the lives we enjoy today.

What makes us different.

  • Highly qualified educators

    Conducted by Singaporeans trained at the Intercultural Theatre Institue, NAFA, Berries World of Learning School, Drama Box, Haque Centre of Acting & Creativity, Singapore Repertory Theatre, and MOE.

  • Experiential learning

    We introduce children to the forgotten Chinese classics and the traditional life values they embody via immersive story-telling, role-play, original games, unique props, music & movement, and personal reflections.

  • Non-religious and multi-lingual

    Suitable for students of all religions and races. Can be delivered in Mandarin, English, or bilingual modes.

Who we are

We are the contemporary education arm of one of Singapore's oldest heritage businesses, the 4th-generation Say Tian Hng Buddha Shop established in 1896.

We set up the Academy because we believe the Chinese classics contain a wealth of wisdom.

But children nowadays struggle to access it due to lower language abilities, shorter attention spans, and wider choices of entertainment (think Marvel and Disney!).​

At our Academy, we use experiential drama-based workshops to help your students fall in love with with the legends, literature and philosophies from one of the world's oldest cultures.

Instead of simply using these as tools for vocabulary-building as is often done nowadays, we will delve into the universal life values embodied by these legends, such as integrity, perseverance, courage, filial piety, compassion, and forgiveness.

We will use original games, unique props, immersive story-telling, music and movement, as well as your students' personal reflections to bring these stories to life.

For eg., we will use Hershey's chocolates to bring children into the world of the 14th-century novel, Romance Of The Three Kingdoms. We will use forum theatre to deconstruct the "24 Exemplars of Filial Piety", a Yuan Dynasty text once widely used to impart Confucian values. We will reimagine the Journey To The West as a massive board game.

Our goal is not for your students to understand the plots of these legends from A to Z (which is actually not difficult), but rather to gain a deeper appreciation of the legends' metaphors, moral questions and, ultimately, relevance to their lives and future.

By doing so, we hope to develop a unique form of cultural capital in your students, preparing them for the future.

Limited slots. Please Whatsapp or email us for availability.

hello@classicalchineseculture.com