SINGAPORE, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) was officially opened on Friday to promote Singapore's Chinese culture.
Speaking at the official opening of the SCCC, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted that Singapore is a society with racial, cultural and religious diversity.
While Singapore's diversity is of fundamental importance to the nation, it allowed each race to preserve its distinct culture and traditions, while appreciating that of others.
Lee referred the opening of the SCCC as a new milestone in Singapore Chinese culture.
The SCCC thus helps to strengthen Singapore Chinese arts and cultural scene, and make sure Singaporeans remain engrained in their multicultural identity.
"We want to be rich in spirit," said Lee. "Our aim is integration, not assimilation."
"Being Singaporean has never been a matter of subtraction, but of addition, not of becoming less, but more, not of limitation and contraction, but of openness and expansion," added Lee.
