National Secondary School Chinese Creative Writing Competition

The National Secondary School Chinese Creative Writing Competition (or 新蕾奖) is an annual inter-school Chinese essay writing competition jointly organised by Nan Chiau High School, Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, Singapore Literature Society and ZB-Comma (a publication of Singapore Press Holdings). The competition, which was launched in 2003 with over 80 participating schools yearly, aims to promote Chinese writing culture among secondary school students, and to encourage students to read, write, observe and appreciate their lifestyle. The essay writing competition is set for 2 hours, and topics for the competition yearly are set in a different manner compared to classroom assignments that encourages for vivid imaginations, allowing students to elaborate freely in various writing styles such as proses, poems or narratives. The competition continues to serve as a platform for secondary school students to explore creative and imaginative ways of writing apart from a busy lifestyle.