Singapore - Cover Story

PSA Journal, June, 1998 by Jeffrey Lee

This tiny island, 137 kilometers north of the equator, has in recent years acquired a reputation that precedes herself. Singapore is also called "Singapura" or "Lion City," names which have their genesis from a Sumatran prince who landed with his entourage on the shores of this island in the last century and espied a robust lion bolting through the rain forest. He promptly declared that this was "Singapura," the Sumatran term for "Lion City."

Since the encounter with the beast, Singapore, 647.5 square kilometers, a mere dot on the world map, has continually received and integrated influences from the rest of the world into a fascinating hybrid of Singapore culture. Today, out of a population of 2.99 million, there are 77.4% Chinese, 14.2% Malays, 7.2% Indians and 1.2% other ethnic groups. The challenge for photographers is to discern the components of this hybrid and their origins.

Singapore architecture speaks most vividly about her colorful past and her modem present. Her central business district boasts ultramodern skyscrapers as well as the world's tallest hotel, the Westin Stamford, at 72 stories high. The view at the hotel restaurant, Compass Rose, at its summit, is breathtaking. In contrast, there is the humble "attap" house, a wooden dwelling place, raised on stilts, of the Malays, an indigenous race of southeast Asia. Pre-war two-story shop houses have distinctive windows, decorative carvings and sheltered walkways known as "five-foot ways." The pre-war houses, historical government buildings and courts, many schools and museums bear the mark of British colonial architecture--grand and generously proportioned. A 15-year-old conservation and restoration campaign has produced a dichotomy between old and new historical and heritage buildings.

The mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian and European cultures provide endless opportunities for people watching. The physiognomy of the Asian face is richly complex and a delight to the camera-buff interested in photographing people. The cultural and religious festivals such as Thaipusam (Hindi festival), Deepavali (Indian Festival of Lights), Lunar New Year and Hari Raya Puasa (Malay New Year) are occasions where the respective races celebrate traditional customs and don traditional costumes, the variety and color of which can be staggering!

The "Keep Singapore Green" campaign, which started in the 70s, long before environmental issues took center stage in politics and cultural consciousness, has yielded a wealth of flora and fauna everywhere the visitor goes--along the highways and roads, parks and botanical gardens. Bougainvillaeas, casuarinas (otherwise known as "flame of the forest"), frangipanis and travelers' palms are some of the more exotic species found in Singapore. A special place has been reserved for the orchid as the country's national flower. The equatorial and wet climate favors the orchid gardens at the Botanic Gardens and Zoological Gardens which showcase a profusion of orchid hybrids including Vanda Miss Joaquim, Oncidium "Golden Shower" and Grammatophyllum speciosum.

The Botanic Gardens, established in 1859, is comprised of large parks and a rain forest area which houses ancient trees. The Zoological Gardens' special attraction must be the night safari, a first in the world. It is a recreation of a safari trip where nocturnal animals can be observed at night in simulated natural habitats, with no cages or obvious barriers. The visitor need not be alarmed as the design of each habitat is designed with unseen traps and natural barriers such as streams and rocky ridges to prevent the animals' escaping.

On the cultural side, Singapore is host to many annual festivals including the Festival of Asian Performing Arts, the Singapore Festival of Arts, Young People's Theater Festival and Singapore Writers' Week. The Singapore Film Festival, in its tenth year this year, showcases international and Asian films and continues to be a draw for many Asian visitors.

The National Museum and the Asian Civilization Museum are home to historical and cultural exhibits of Asian origin while the Singapore Art Museum displays art works and sculptures of traveling art exhibitions from around the world, including most recently, the renowned Matisse collection.

As a parallel development to the greening of Singapore, more sculptures by local and international artists are being installed in parks and pedestrian and shopping malls in order to bring art to the public. Botero's depiction of an oversized bird resides in the central business district by the riverside next to UOB Plaza and is most certainly worth a visit. Presently, Fort Canning and the Istana Park are the locations for traveling sculpture exhibitions.

Singapore's many restaurants and eating outlets is ample testimony to the versatility of the cuisine of her races. Continental, Middle Eastern and American foods are also easily available in the form of kebab shops, hamburger joints, cafes, American-styled family restaurants and fine dining restaurants. The river scene at Boat Quay used to be the port of call for many bum boats unloading their goods and the site of warehouses. It has now been dramatically transformed into a bustling watering hole of pubs and restaurants where customers can have their drinks and meals with a river view.