Kicking off a week of world-class tennis in Singapore, the evening was a celebration of the players at the heart of the tournament and the ability of tennis to unite communities across countries and cultures.
With players travelling from around the world, the evening also gave them an opportunity to experience the culture and heritage of their host city, including donning Peranakan Nonya kebayas from The Intan, which specialises in Peranakan culture.
What a wonderful evening at the WTA 500 Welcome Dinner, where some of the world’s top tennis players had the opportunity to experience a little piece of Singapore’s Peranakan culture — by wearing Peranakan kebayas from The Intan.
It was such a joy to see these incredible athletes embracing the beauty, colours and craftsmanship of the kebaya, bringing a piece of our heritage onto an international stage.
Very proud to see The Intan – Celebrating all things Peranakan! play a small part in welcoming these amazing players to Singapore. 
Tonight, the kebaya travelled beyond The Intan and onto an international stage.
When I reminisce about a place I have visited, what I remember most vividly are not so much the attractions and experiences but the people I met there. For instance, I will always associate Singapore with Alvin Yapp, the colourful owner of The Intan, a private museum of Peranakan heritage.
We were late for the tour of the Intan organised by the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, and there was Yapp in a colourful printed shirt, red trousers, and a jaunty hat at the doorway of his Joo Chiat Terrace home. With a joke and anecdote a minute from the moment we met, I knew that the evening would be an interesting one.
At first glance, The Intan looks like any other private residence tucked away in Singapore’s Joo Chiat neighbourhood. Step inside, however, and it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary museum.
There are no glass display cases, audio guides or QR codes. Instead, guests are welcomed into Alvin Yapp’s home as though they were old friends dropping by for tea. “It was never meant to be a museum,” he says. “It was my private collection. Then people started asking to visit, and it grew from there.”
The Culture Curator – Faces of Passion
A passionate collector who transfored his home into a living celebration of Peranakan Heritage –
The Intan is a private home that houses one of Singapore’s most impressive collections of Peranakan (a group descended from Chinese settlers) artifacts. Owner Alvin Yapp has spent 30-plus years collecting 1,500 objects from Peranakan culture, most notably kasut manek (ornate beaded slippers worn by Straits Chinese women) and enamel tiffin carriers hand-painted in delicate floral patterns. Yapp’s post-war home is a labor of love, and it shows in the meticulous way that he has arranged every square inch of it. Visits are strictly by appointment only.
