Lost and Found in Singapore

[ GETTING ]

LO ST IN

A ND

F O UN D

S IN GA P OR E I .

by Elly

D ED IC AT E T O

M Y T R AVE L B UDDIE S w i s h y o u r d a y s a re f i l l e d w i t h w o n d e r f u l a d v e n t u re s .

1°17’N 103°50’E - The Red Dot - The Lion City - The Garden City

a lit t l e

C O VE R S T O RY While researching, I came across many pictures of the “old� Singapore; including images of the Samsui women and street Hawkers. In mid 1930s, thousands of teenage girls from southern part of China left their hometown to seek new opportunities in the British colony. They were mostly engaged in hard labor works at construction sites, which had contributed greatly to the development of modern Singapore. The red bandana they wore became a signature symbol of them. Many girls wrote letters and sent money to support their family in China, but didn’t get to return home till decades later.

Come, fellow Singaporeans Let us progress towards happiness together May our noble aspiration bring Singapore success Come, let us unite In a new spirit Together we proclaim Onward Singapore Onward Singapore

1965 - 2015

C E LE B R AT IN G

G O L D E N J UB IL E E 2015 is the 50th year anniversary of Singapore; it is the last destination of our Southeast Asia trip and a relatively young country compare to some of the other places we’ve been. While its culture is the youngest, it is probably the most diverse or distinct among all. You can see influences from different cultures like Chinese, Malaysian, Indian, Middle Eastern, and European everywhere, blended into a unique Singaporean identity. Religious centers such as temples, mosques, and churches would stand along each other in harmony. Singapore might have the least lands and natural recourses to start with, but people there are eager to learn from the uniqueness of each other and are not afraid of reaching out to the world.

Therefore, the opportunities it presents are limitless.

T R A D I TIO N ,

M E M O RY, A N D S PACE S

Old Malay Houses

Shophouses

Black and White Bungalow

Religious Centers

Commercial & Civic

Art Deco to Skyscrapers

Architecture in Singapore displays characteristics and

influences from different cultures; it is a fusion style in general. Malaysian, Chinese, Indian, and Western immigrants brought in their traditions, then exchange ideas to evolve into a new Singaporean identity. It could be allocated into three main periods: pre-colonial, British colonial, and post-WW II to independence of the country. During the British colonial time, buildings flourished in the city-state with opening of the port. Many of them showcased the diversity of its people and ethnic groups, reflected in colorful shophouses, religious centers, black and white bungalow for government officials and more western/classical style government buildings. After independence, public housing projects became a unique icon of the new nation and have played an important part in lots of Singaporeans memories till these days.

British Colonial

This

is a unique and common housing type in Southeast Asian towns and cities. The houses are usually two to three stories high, with a public walkway in front of the commercial spaces on the ground floor then private residence above. Besides the regular composition, shophouses in Singapore are also distinctive in different areas. For example, in Little India they are usually in bright primary colors compares to the more general pastel scheme.

&

British Colonial

D uring

the British Colonial period, lots of bungalows were built in Southeast Asia for the upper class Europeans. It is a building type that’s populated in colonial India then spread out to other regions. In Singapore, these mansions were painted in white and usually with black detailing; sometimes tropical colors were added to give a twist to classical orders. The design focuses on air ventilation and eliminating the amount of sunlight that reaches the interior.

British Colonial - Present

Buddha

Tooth Relic Temple and Museum is a relatively young Buddhism temple built in the style of Tang dynasty architecture. The dominant colors are red, white, and gold and this theme is carried throughout the whole building from the exterior to interior. Buddhism and Taoism are the biggest religions in Singapore because of its Chinese cultural background. Almost half of the religious population is in this category, although often times the definition between these two believes are unclear to the public perception.

Christianity is the second larg-

est religion in Singapore, and most of the followers are actually Chinese practicing Roman Catholic. Recently, the percentage of Christians has gone up while the number of Taoists has decreased which is surprising when you can see Taoism temples almost around every corner of the streets.

Masjid Sultan is recognized as the oldest

Mosque in Singapore, although several reconstructions have been done over the original site. The latest structure was built by a British architecture firm Swan and Maclaren (who also designed the famous Raffles Hotel), when it was highly disrepair in early 1900. Almost all the Muslims in Singapore are Malays.

When the country was taken over

by Great Britain in 1819, Stanford Raffles assigned the nearby area where the mosque is located now to be residence of the former island’s chief.

Sri Mariamman is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, located right in Chinatown area. It is set on a site near Telok Ayer Bay where lots of the early immigrants were landed, and it was also a common location for many worshiping centers of different religions.

The temple was built and decorated in Dravidian style, which is popular in the Southern India region including Sri Lanka. Besides serving as a place for worship, the temple also became a shelter for many new comers who hadn’t found a job or accommodation.

SK Y SC R AP E R S

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I NT E R E ST I N G S HAP E S 1970 - Present

Art & Science Museum

Helix Bridge

Marina Bay Sand

From the late 1970s to modern days, many of

the building structures were created to become landmarks of the country, especially around the bay at the waterfront. Since the culture has strong Chinese influences, buildings were laid out to reflect good feng-shui in order to bring great fortune to the financial district.

Garden by the Bay

CBD ( Financial Dist. )

Merlion

Emplanade

Singapore Flyer

(Street) Food Market

Looking for authentic and unique Singaporean flavors?

A hawker center is where you should be. Street food has always been an important element of Southeast Asian cultures, however, due to rapid urbanization and hygienic issues during the 1950s and 1960s, the government in Singapore decided to build one open air structure in each neighborhood to house and organize these unlicensed street hawkers. They can be found pretty much everywhere around the island, my favorite spots are Tiong Bahru Market, Maxwell, and Albert Centre at Bugis. It is often combined with a morning market for fresh produce. *Illustrations show top eats for hawker food. *A hawker is a person who travel around to sell goods on the street.

So wha t e l s e ...?

Checklist from an insider.

Here are some of my personal favorites of Singapore, it might be a place, a dish, or a thing but not going to spoil the story here :) Just research and create your own adventure!

Tiong Bahru

Pulau Ubin

Keong Saik Rd.

Car Free Sunday

Satay Street

Haji Lane

Zam zam

Joo Chiat/Katong

Outdoor Theatre

Bugis Street

Bengawan Solo

Swee Choon

National Gallery

Golden Mile

East Cost Park

Be sure to check it out when you get a chance.

HAVE FUN !