The God of Wealth personally presented affinity gifts and New Year blessings to care recipients, bringing smiles to their faces. (Photo by Boey Cherk How)
With lion dances, Chinese New Year songs, calligraphy couplets, reunion meals, Yishun South Community Club was filled with a strong festive atmosphere. On 1 February 2026, Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore) held its annual Chinese New Year Festive Gathering (hereafter referred to as the “Festive Gathering”), inviting 112 renal patients, care recipients, and their families to celebrate the upcoming festivities together.
This year’s theme was “Gathering love, bit by bit, to support thousands of households and welcome a spring that warms every home”. As the event began, care recipients arrived one after another, accompanied by family members or volunteers. They collected spring couplets at the entrance, took commemorative photos, and were guided to their seats in an orderly manner. Soon after, as the “table leaders” (volunteers in charge of caring for each table) served the reunion dishes, the stage performances officially commenced.
Tzu Chi arranged buses and volunteer drivers to transport the care recipients and carefully planned the event layout, ensuring that those with limited mobility could leave their homes and experience the lively New Year atmosphere. (Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
Chief Coordinator Yaw Huey Xin shared that many care recipients seldom leave their home due to mobility challenges. Hence, the venue was specially chosen to be about a five-minute walk from the Tzu Chi Festive Eco Charity Fair. This made it convenient for participants to visit the fair after lunch to purchase New Year goods. In addition, each care recipient and renal patient received $200 worth of coupons.
Considering participants’ health and stamina, the programme was kept to about one hour, ensuring that everyone could comfortably visit the charity fair after their meal.
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Outside the hall, a temporary New Year-themed photo booth was set up for care recipients and their families to capture precious moments together. (Photo by Bong Kian Hin) -
Through a skit performance featuring the lion dance and big-head dolls, environmental messages were conveyed in an engaging way. (Photo by Bong Kian Hin) -
Dish after dish of festive delicacies was served, with table leaders lining up to present the reunion feast. (Photo by Boey Cherk How)
“Everyone is very friendly, the environment is comfortable, and the food is delicious,” said Teo Poh Ling, who attended the Festive Gathering for the first time. Three years ago, she experienced retinal detachment, which resulted in low vision, making her hesitant to visit unfamiliar places.
As someone independent who dislikes troubling others, Teo Poh Ling had reservations when first invited by volunteers, especially since she was unfamiliar with the venue. It was only after learning that volunteers could provide transport, and with the accompaniment of her mother and niece, did she happily decide to attend.
Warmth On and Off the Stage
While guests enjoyed their reunion meal below the stage, the performances on the stage were equally captivating. A skit by lion dancers and big-head dolls conveyed environmental protection messages. Volunteers also engaged the audience through a New Year song lyric relay game, drawing everyone closer together. With creativity, they even adapted the song “用马来西亚的天气来说爱你” (“Using Malaysia’s Weather to Say I Love You”) into “用新加坡的素食说爱你” (“Using Singapore’s Vegetarian Cuisine to Say I Love You”), promoting the benefits of plant-based diets.
Familiar New Year songs filled the hall, and care recipients joyfully participated in the lyric relay segment. (Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
Through festive songs and skits, volunteers creatively wove in messages about environmental protection and vegetarianism. (Photo by Boey Cherk How)
The lively atmosphere delighted 91-year-old Koh Teck Kiat. “I am very happy today. I heard many New Year songs that I used to know when I was young. Although I cannot sing them now, it feels wonderful,” she shared.
Single and unmarried, Koh Teck Kiat has been undergoing dialysis for a year. This was her first time attending a Tzu Chi Chinese New Year celebration event, accompanied by her niece Goh Kian and her niece’s daughter. She said earnestly that she planned to buy mandarin oranges at the charity fair to prepare for her niece’s family’s New Year visit.
Koh Teck Kiat (first from the left) and Goh Kian (second from the left) choosing their preferred spring couplets together. (Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
Goh Kian, who accompanied her aunt throughout the event, expressed gratitude upon seeing volunteers bustling around the lively venue. “Thank you for everyone’s love. The volunteers all have their own families, yet so many were mobilised to organise this celebration. It is very lively, and the service is excellent.” Speaking of the vegetarian CNY dishes, she added, “I never expected vegetarian food to taste this good!”
Gifting Spring Couplets that Bear Well-Wishes
Spring couplets are one of the most representative decorations of the Lunar New Year, as they carry people’s hopes and blessings for the year ahead.
Calligrapher Eliza Zhu, originally from Shanghai and residing in Singapore for over thirty years, was invited by volunteers to write couplets on-site. She had prepared many works related to the Year of the Horse and customised couplets according to the needs of care recipients.
Calligrapher Eliza Zhu inviting care recipients to choose their desired spring couplets. (Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
Eliza Zhu shared that one care recipient, whose father was hospitalised, requested a couplet reading “Joy, Peace and Good Health” to be pasted in the hospital ward. Reflecting on the experience, she noted that she would prepare more health-related couplets for similar events in the future.
When asked why she accepted the invitation, Eliza Zhu said, “I feel that I have this ability to spread love, and it makes me happy.” She laughed, recalling that she initially worried about preparing too many couplets, but most were eventually given away. “It feels very meaningful to be able to spread love.”
A successful Festive Gathering requires many dedicated volunteers and well-meaning individuals like Eliza Zhu working hand in hand.
In fact, the predecessor of this event was known as “Relief Distribution,” which originated from Master Cheng Yen’s Winter Relief Distribution in Hualien, Taiwan, in 1968. Over the years, Tzu Chi has organised festive distributions for beneficiary families from Singapore’s three major ethnic communities during Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, and Deepavali. Beyond providing festive necessities, the aim has always been to offer companionship akin to that of family. Therefore, each event mobilises hundreds of volunteers, both on and off stage.
Since 2025, the distribution events have been renamed “Festive Gatherings,” better reflecting Tzu Chi volunteers’ heartfelt wish to share festive joy and blessings.
The Chinese New Year Festive Gathering featured 35 tables, with 112 care recipients and renal patients in attendance. (Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
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