What Does UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage Listing Actually Mean for Singaporean Hawkers?
Prestigious, but who benefits?
Singapore has done it. After its government made a proclamation a few years ago that they would nominate Singapore's hawker culture to be put on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, UNESCO accepted the nomination and placed Singapore's hawker culture on it's prestigious list in 2020. But what does being on the list actually mean for hawker culture? And despite all the hoorah over the successful addition of hawker culture to the list, are there any real impacts to hawkers and hawker centres?
A number of hawkers felt pride over the news of their trade being put on the list. Undoubtedly, the success of the nomination is a big deal. It demonstrates that Singapore's hawker culture is recognised by an international committee comprised of different country officials to be an important part of humanity's cultural heritage and its diversity.
Regrettably, the announcement came in the midst of a global pandemic, curtailing the boost in tourism which would have no doubt come with the award. It’s been three years since then, and travel has only resumed more frequently within the past year. Can anybody truly say that the listing has brought more customers to the local hawkers then? Or is Singapore still riding on its' (inaccurate) street food reputation?
Ironically, with only international recognition but no actual huge boost for business for hawkers, the listing of hawker culture on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list hasn’t seemed to offer much tangible benefits to hawkers.
This isn't to say that there isn't any accountability required with the success of this inscription. According to UNESCO, states that have successfully inscribed a practice onto its Intangible Cultural Heritage list has to submit a report every six years on the current status of the inscribed elements and steps that have been taken to safeguard it. So come around 2026, Singapore has to submit a report on whether it has documented hawker culture, ensured the transmission of existing hawker practices, protecting the interests of hawkers, and raise awareness of food and hawker culture.
So far the common threat faced by hawkers (and by extension, the UNESCO listing) is having a successor to their business. The hawker trade is hard work and it's unappealing for the newer generation with it's physical labour and long hours. Unless there are bigger incentives for older hawkers to continue their trade in the case that they can't find a successor, or for any Singaporean to take over a hawker business, the existing hawker foods we love might not last long in the coming decades. Dishes such as chicken rice, laksa, fried kway teow, roti prata, wanton noodles, and fried carrot cake can be difficult to prepare, let alone master.
With this, new generation hawkers are choosing to bring something else to the table. Already we're seeing fusion burgers, Japanese donburis, and even specialised fries as new dishes in hawker centres. The work it takes for traditional dishes probably doesn't seem as appealing because those have no shortcuts but also a sense of entrepreneurship might be pushing creative boundaries. But economic factors such as increasing rents and a rising cost of living add pressure to everyone, regardless of age or cuisine.
Maybe in the end, it’s better if we simply bring hawkers and their dishes overseas. With the increased pace of global development, challenges to heritage will only continue to mount. Time will only tell if hawker culture will be strengthened or at the bare minimum, kept the same within the next three years.