Embargoed until 27January 2016, 3.30pm
MEDIA RELEASE
USHER IN LUNAR NEW YEAR AT SINGAPORE PHILATELIC
MUSEUM’S “MORE THAN MONKEYS” EXHIBITION
Fable: Monkey and Crocodile
India, 2001
Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection
Monkey and Crocodile – the Broken Friendship
One day a monkey was sitting on a fruit tree overlooking a river. A
hungry crocodile swam by and asked for food. The monkey plucked
some fruits and threw them to the crocodile who gulped down the fruits
in one mouthful.
Every day, the crocodile swam to the tree and the monkey plucked him
fruits. One day, the crocodile told the monkey that his wife would like to
thank the helpful monkey. As the monkey could not swim, the
crocodile told the monkey to hop on his back and he will bring
him. Monkey did that.
Along the way, crocodile told monkey the truth. His wife was planning
to eat the monkey’s heart. On hearing this, monkey replied that he had
left his heart hanging on the fruit tree and he has to get it from the tree.
Crocodile started to swim back. As soon as they reached the tree,
monkey jumped off crocodile’s back. Safely up in the tree, monkey told
the foolish crocodile that his heart is always in him. As crocodile
wanted to harm him, they could never be friends again.
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Singapore, 27 January 2016 – Go ape this Chinese New Year! Explore
the fascinating world of monkeys; from pop culture to fine arts, from
endangered primates to fables and folklores, at the More Than Monkeys
exhibition organised by the Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM)! Specially
designed for children and families, the exhibition will run at SPM from 29
January to 25 September 2016.
Through the self-exploration of stamps, philatelic materials and interactive
exhibits, visitors to the exhibition can discover more about monkeys, and,
more than just monkeys. This includes tidbits of information relating to
pertinent world issues such as deforestation, poaching and conservation,
to fun and lesser known facts about these primates and their everyday
habits. Over 300 stamps mostly from Asia, Africa, Central and South
America, dating 1947, narrate this storyline.
Monkeys and Apes
Old World Monkey - proboscis monkey
Malaysia, 2003
Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection
New World Monkey - golden lion tamarin
Jersey, 1984
Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection
There are over 260 types of monkeys living around the world and are of
different shapes, sizes and colours. “Old World” monkeys live in Africa and
Asia, while “New World” monkeys live in Central and South America.
Come discover the difference between an “Old World” monkey and a “New
World” monkey.
Endangered
Monkeys and primates face many dangers. Besides being prey to other
animals, they are also losing their homes and lives to deforestation and
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poaching. Wildlife organisations around the world are trying to save them
and stem the disappearance of many species of primates.
Mountain gorilla Minisheet
Guernsey, 2007
Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection
Golden langur
Bhutan, 2007
Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection
Common squirrel monkey
United Nations, 2008
Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection
Many primates, such as the golden langur and common squirrel monkey,
are on the endangered list because they are being hunted as souvenirs or
pets.
Pop Culture & Fine Arts
“The monkey who lost his tail”, 2010,
“Helping mama scratch”, 1983,
Children’s Books stamp series, Portugal
Children’s Drawings stamp series, China
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Monkeys and apes have inspired art, entertainment and recreation. This
can be seen in the stamps showcased in the exhibition.
Highlights of the exhibition:

Admire the latest Year of the Monkey stamps from Singapore and
Japan.
Zodiac monkey
Singapore, 2016
Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection
Each stamp illustrates the creative, witty and agile monkey. Designer Leo
Teck Chong has successfully captured the liveliness of these agile
primates on the stamps.
Zodiac monkey
Japan, 2016
Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection
One of the four stamps issued by Japan in 2016 to celebrate the new
zodiac year of the monkey.
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Japan was the first country in the world to introduce the zodiac theme on
stamps. This was year of the tiger in 1950.
Year of monkey
China, 1980
Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection

View China’s “Red Monkey” stamp issued in 1980, which is one of the
most sought-after zodiac stamps. Designed by Chinese master painter
Huang Yongyu, and lithographer and sculptor Shao Bolin, it was the
first zodiac stamp issued by China. The stamp is also known as the
“Red Monkey” as it shows a black monkey on a dark red background.
Interactives accompanying the exhibition:

Listen to the call of the loudest monkey – the howler monkey.
Howler monkey
Honduras, 2000
Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection

Ants are one of the chimpanzee’s favourite foods! Help the
chimpanzee catch ants from the ant hill.

Test your ability at the jigsaw tree and spot for monkey-related terms at
the word search puzzle.

The rainforest is home to many kinds of creatures – flying, climbing,
crawling, slithering. Spot the other creatures in the rainforest.
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Ms Tresnawati Prihadi, General Manager of SPM said, “Stamps are
excellent educational tools to learn about the world around us. SPM’s
zodiac animal series of exhibitions is one way through which we convey
more about local and international traditions, while also giving visitors the
chance to learn more about the zodiac animals. This year, through stamps
and interactive exhibits, discover more about the monkey, the Chinese
zodiac animal for 2016.”
Details of More Than Monkeys exhibition
Venue:
Singapore Philatelic Museum
23-B Coleman Street, Singapore 179807
Date:
29 January – 25 September 2016
Opening hours:
Monday – Sunday
10.00am – 7.00pm
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Admission charge: Admission to the exhibition is free. Usual museum
admission charges apply.
Free admission for Singaporeans and Permanent
Residents
Admission charge for foreigners:
Adult $6
Child (3 – 12 years) $4
Tel:
63373888
Website:
www.spm.org.sg
Chinese New Year Celebrations
Members of the public are invited to enjoy the Chinese New Year festivities
at SPM on 8 and 9 February 2016. It will be free admission for all.
On 9 February, visitors can enjoy fun and cultural activities such as a
Chinese lion and dragon dance performance, guzheng performance and a
feng shui talk conducted in Mandarin.
School and Holiday Programmes for Children
Pre-school and primary school children can explore interesting facts about
monkeys through a series of programmes. Museum staff will share
folklores from different cultures, teach young children about the differences
between monkeys and apes, as well as share the importance of being
environmentally friendly.
During the June school holidays, children aged seven to 10 can learn
about the values of recycling, the negative impact that some of our daily
habits have on our planet, and make their own craft using recycled
materials.
Details for the Chinese New Year Open House and School and Holiday
Programmes for children can be found in Annex 1.
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Acknowledgements
Singapore Philatelic Museum would like to thank the following individuals
and organisations for supporting the exhibition.
Corporate Sponsor
Singapore Post Limited
Sponsors
Mr Ong Yew Huat
Mr Loh Lik Peng
For more information, please contact:
Sherman Wong
Michelle Leong
6221 5651
6221 3808
[email protected]
[email protected]
ABOUT SINGAPORE PHILATELIC MUSEUM
Singapore Philatelic Museum showcases Singapore’s philatelic heritage
and postal artefacts since the Straits Settlements era. Throughout the year,
the museum organises changing exhibitions that feature rare collections of
world-class philatelists, and contemporary collections that explore heritage
and cultures of Singapore and beyond. The museum also hosts a range of
educational activities including guided tours, camps, talks and workshops.
The mission of the Singapore Philatelic Museum is to stimulate interest in
philately. The museum is a fully-owned subsidiary of National Heritage
Board. It has Institution of Public Character (IPC) Status from 14 July 2015
to 13 July 2018.
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Annex 1
Chinese New Year Celebrations at Singapore Philatelic Museum
Date: Monday, 8 and Tuesday, 9 February 2016
Time: 10.00am – 7.00pm
Free admission for all
Tel: 6337 3888
Website: www.spm.org.sg
Families and children can take the opportunity to view the museum’s
exhibitions and take part in interesting programmes.
Explore the fascinating world of monkeys through stamps and philatelic
materials at the More Than Monkeys exhibition. View rare stamp artworks,
stamps and first day covers featuring the Peanuts comic strip at With Love
from Snoopy, Charlie Brown & the Peanuts Gang Exhibition. Journey
through Singapore’s progress with specially selected stamps, philatelic
materials and rarely seen original stamp artworks at The Singapore
Journey: 50 Years Through Stamps exhibition.
Activities on Tuesday, 9 February 2016. Charges for programmes apply.
Family Fun Station
Time: 10.00am – 5.00pm
Swinging
from
tree
to
tree
is
no
monkey
business!
Join us for a day of primate fun as we usher in the Year of the Monkey!

Giant Stamp Jigsaw Puzzles: Free
Piece together the jigsaw puzzles to see beautiful Singapore stamps.

Monkey Craft Kit: Charges apply
Put your creativity to work and get crafty with these monkeys!

Fun Quiz: Free
Win special museum prizes in the fun quiz lucky dip.

Pin the Monkey’s Tail: Free
Monkey’s missing his tail and it’s up to you to help him fix it.
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Talk by Feng Shui Master
Time: 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Join Master Tong Noong Chin as he shares zodiac tips for a bountiful year.
Talk will be conducted in Mandarin.
Chinese Lion and Dragon Dance
Time: 3.30pm – 4.00pm
Herald the Lunar New Year with an exhilarating Chinese lion and dragon
dance.
Guzheng Performance
Time: 4.00pm – 4.30pm
Enjoy a special performance by the first Malay professional guzheng
player Mohammad Faizal as he presents an exciting repertoire of Chinese
New Year classics and evergreen tunes.
School Programmes
Children aged five to six years old can go on the “World of Stamps”
programme, while seven to eight year olds can register for the “Colourful
World of Stamps” programme. At the exhibition, children will explore
interesting facts about monkeys. Museum staff will share folklores from
different cultures, teach young children about the differences between
monkeys and apes, as well as share the importance of being
environmentally friendly.
Bookings are necessary and are subject to availability of dates/time-slots.
The programme charge is $7.00 per student.
June School Holiday Programme – Save Our Planet
Children aged seven to 10 years old will find out about the values of
recycling, learn about the negative impact that some of our daily habits
have on our planet, and make their own craft using recycled materials.
Date & Time:
1 June 2016, 10.00am – 12.00pm &
9 June, 2016, 2.00pm – 4.00pm
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Charge:
$15 per child
For bookings of school and holiday programme, please contact Lily
Samuel, Senior Manager, Education & Programmes at Tel: 65137347
(DID); 63373888 or Email: [email protected].
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