Singapore's hawker culture inscribed on UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list

Singapore's hawker culture has been inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, according to a Facebook post by Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday night.

Singapore's President Halimah Yacob also posted the news on Facebook and said that hawker culture has shaped the Singaporean identity in many ways, and contributed to the diversity of Singapore's multicultural society.

"For many Singaporeans, hawker centers serve as accessible community dining spaces where people from all walks of life get to enjoy a wide variety of affordable, multicultural food offerings - a distinctive feature of our rich food heritage," the president added.

The Straits Times reported that a 24-member committee unanimously accepted Singapore's application in virtual proceedings on Wednesday night, and the successful nomination means Singapore now has its first item on the intangible cultural heritage list.