Cycle in a mall or party with fossils: Meet the organisations reinventing to draw Gen Zs
A heartland mall converting its interior into a racetrack for a day-long cycling race.
Science Centre Singapore holding a silent disco event.
And perhaps the most surprising of all: A century-old Taoist temple giving away blind boxes containing prizes related to Taoist deities.
It is all part of a trend of stereotypically “stuffy” organisations reinventing themselves to draw younger audiences, and catering to an appetite for unique activities.
“Attracting a younger audience can ensure the longevity of Taoism, and give us new ideas on how to grow the religion,” said Eugene Choy, a volunteer priest at temple Hiang Tong Keng.
For Hiang Tong Keng, reinvention is rooted in the faith’s beliefs that change is inevitable — reflecting broader hopes that a younger generation can inject new vigour into stagnating fields and businesses.
Temple quizzes and TikTok clips
During the Chinese New Year, Hiang Tong Keng, located in Tampines, gave away 300 blind boxes to participants who correctly answered questions about the faith. Each box contained one of 13 deity-related prizes, such as a figurine of the Goddess of Mercy Guanyin and a phone amulet.
Participants had to complete three tasks to collect stamps on a $2 challenge card to redeem a blind box. This was inspired by Japan’s stamp rally culture, where visitors can accumulate designs related to a specific theme, and then redeem prizes after completing the rally, said Mr Choy.
Though Mr Choy and fellow volunteers expected younger visitors who were simply following their families to the temple and did not know much about Taoism, they were surprised to see middle-aged and senior visitors equally invested in earning themselves a blind box.
Mr Choy, an engineer by trade, began spearheading efforts to attract younger visitors two years ago, against a backdrop of official data showing a significant decline in the number of Singapore residents who identified as Taoists from 2010 to 2020.
Seeing a wave of Taoist practitioners on TikTok, Mr Choy started an account for the temple. Compared to the temple’s Instagram and Facebook posts which are in Chinese, Mr Choy specifically created English content on TikTok to target a younger audience, where guidance videos on how to pray in English proved to be a hit.
“Most youths say their Chinese is not very good, so they struggle to pray in Chinese. We’ll give alternative suggestions like you can use this particular script in English if needed, or if your Chinese is okay, you can use this script,” Mr Choy told Stomp.
In addition, the temple held its first pet salvation event last year for devotees whose animals have passed. Mr Choy generated AI images to illustrate the significance of the ritual, showing pets crossing a rainbow bridge, and was surprised to see a wide range of devotees.
Increased appetite for after-hours activities
The likes of Seletar Mall and Science Centre Singapore have also gotten creative in a bid to stay relevant. From Feb 28 to March 1, the former held the Downmall Challenge in collaboration with the Singapore Cycling Federation, drawing 58 competitors for the three-day competition.
The mall’s interior was converted to a racetrack where 58 cyclists competed between 10pm to 6am, Ms Jacqueline Tan, the cluster head of JB City Square and The Seletar Mall, told Stomp.
Videos uploaded by participants showed bikers racing down escalators and whizzing through narrow walkways and past shops, flanked by hundreds of spectators, and quickly went viral.
The event kickstarted Seletar Mall’s extended operating hours — from now till Jun 28, the mall will operate for 18 hours every day, with tenants such as Hai Di Lao Hot Pot and FairPrice Finest opening till 3am.
The initiative aims to “cater to flexible schedules and a growing appetite for new after-dark experiences beyond traditional nightlife”, said Ms Tan.
Party with dinosaurs
Last month, Science Centre Singapore gave visitors a chance to party with dinosaurs.
On March 21, the centre kicked off its Sundown Science programme with Dino Disco, a silent disco event aimed at wrapping up the centre’s six-month dinosaur exhibition titled The Dinosaurs | Extinctions | Us.
During the four-hour event, attendees flipped through three music genres via wireless headphones provided by event organisers Wild Pearl Studios. Tickets, priced at $15 each, included a free non-alcoholic beverage.
Of the 1,000 attendees, many were not from the centre’s typical demographic of student groups and young families, said Tan Yi Lin, Science Centre Singapore’s assistant director of community and placemaking.
“We are specifically targeting young adults, working professionals, and culturally curious individuals looking for unique entertainment options that blend socialising, music, and science in a dynamic and cultural environment,” added Ms Tan.
New audience, new considerations
In trying to draw new demographics, both the Science Centre and Taoist temple had to consider their differing needs. For example, Dino Disco was held from 8pm to 11pm to accommodate both families who arrived and left earlier, as well as adult participants who visited with friends and partied till late.
At Hiang Tong Keng, there has been an increase in younger volunteers and participants in the past two years. And in 2023, Mr Choy was the only member under 40. Now, he has four peers as fellow volunteers.
He told Stomp that transparency with elderly temple volunteers is key. While he aims to make the temple an intergenerational place and involve elders to engage new visitors, he has to balance the tightrope of tradition and fresh initiatives.
“When working with seniors in the temple, they want to see progress but also are very particular about accountability,” said Mr Choy.
“It’s very normal to have disagreements sometimes. But what I’ll usually do is show them examples and research, explain why it’s relevant to the religion and point out relevant scriptures, then explain what steps we’ll take.”
Ultimately, every volunteer at the century-old Taoist temple has a role to play. The experience of older volunteers allows them to relate more easily to devotees, he explained, while younger volunteers are inclined to suggest and experiment with new ideas. Middle-aged volunteers, in turn, serve as a bridge, helping to bring plans to fruition.
“Balance is important, everyone is important. I don’t prioritise anyone. Everyone should be treated equally,” Mr Choy said.
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