It could be you and I A new museum, Hua Song, brings alive the story of the overseas Chinese. Overseas Chinese now have their very own museum which tells the story of all Chinese who left their families and homeland in search of new opportunities. Hua Song, the museum celebrating the strength and unflagging spirit of Chinese Overseas, which opened last month, was built at a cost of S$7.8 million and covers an area of 0.8 hectares.  It is located within Haw Par Villa at Pasir Panjang. Mrs Pamelia Lee, Senior Consultant, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), said, "Hua Song, which means in praise of the Chinese Overseas, is unique because it tells the story of not just one Chinese community but of all Chinese who left their families and homeland in search of new opportunities overseas. “It brings alive the dreams, sacrifices, fortitude and achievements of Chinese individuals such as the gold miners in South Africa, laundrymen in Australia, railway workers in Canada, “black and white” amahs in Malaysia and samsui women in Singapore.” The development of Hua Song was led by the STB, together with the National Heritage Board along with consultants such as the Chinese Heritage Centre and individuals such as Prof Wang Gungwu, Director of the East Asia Institute of the National University of Singapore. Singapore makes an ideal location for such a museum given that its population comprises a significant number of Chinese who are descendents of these early Chinese migrants. South-east Asia also has the largest concentration of the Chinese diaspora around the world. “As a nation largely descendent of migrant forefathers, we can easily appreciate what makes these Chinese and other pioneers, whatever their race, so worthy of praise,” said Mr Lim Neo Chian, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive, STB. He added that Hua Song “brings to life stories of everyday heroes in our midst. You and I can easily identify with the stories of these unassuming individuals. In fact, they could easily have been stories of our great-grandfather, grand aunt or brother…. whether one comes from Singapore, India, America or China, one will always come away from Hua Song with a real sense of what migrant life was like in the past.” The Hua Song museum is expected to attract at least 100,000 visitors a year. Hua Song is managed by Singapore Explorer Pte Ltd, which specialises in heritage tours such as the Labrador Park Secret Tunnels, The Singapore Trolley Sightseeing Bus and The Singapore River Boat Tour. Individuals and tour groups can visit from Tuesdays to Sundays from 12pm to 7pm. Admission prices are SGD8 per adult and SGD5 per child. For more information on Hua Song, visit www.huasong.org