Raffles and the arrival of the British

This time of year holds important links to Singapore's history. In late January 1819 Stamford Raffles arrived in Singapore. He anchored off St John’s Island and this landing site is today marked with a statue of raffles, located by the Singapore river, behind parliament house. In early February the Malay Sultan, who was thought to have rights over the island, agreed to a treaty and thereafter the British flag was planted on Singapore shores. This meant that the British East India Company had the right to set up a trading post in Singapore and it became a British settlement. A second statue of Raffles stands proudly outside the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, an apt backdrop of Victorian British architecture.

With January heralding the arrival of the British to Singapore, I thought I'd a take look at some heritage, as well as some more recent additions, with links to my homeland.

 Cafe Colbar - It’s hard not to fall in love with Café Colbar despite the lack of luxury. It’s the history of the place that grabs your attention and draws you into the past. In 1953 this was a canteen serving up comfort food for British Soldiers. In 2003 the road where Colbar stood was being widened and with its imminent destruction there was outcry and numerous petitions set up to save it. Fortunately the authorities listened and they relocated the cafe just a short distance from the original site. Every brick and plank was moved and what couldn’t be moved was replicated exactly. You can still enjoy traditional British fare here as well as the addition of Singaporean style food.

Central Fire Station – This is Singapore’s oldest surviving fire station. Singapore did not have a proper fire brigade until the late 1800s and the early brigades were made up of policemen, soldiers, volunteers and even convicts. The brigade was a little inadequate and it wasn’t until the arrival of Montague William Prett from England in 1904 that significant improvements were made. Prett was Singapore’s first professional firefighter and he was instrumental in modernising Singapore’s fire brigade and implementing changes to strengthen the force.

Gardens By the Bay – Although this might not be obvious British architecture did you know that two UK based firms designed these stunning gardens? The gardens were conceptualised in 2003 as a key component of the governments ‘City in a Garden’ vision. Singapore’s NParks envisioned a garden that would rival iconic green spaces like Central Park and Kew Gardens and they wanted to evolve Singapore’s reputation as a garden city. In 2006 NParks launched a competition for the master plan and design of the gardens. This drew in more than 70 entries by 170 firms from 24 countries. An 11-member international jury chose British landscape consultancy Gran Associates to design Bay South and Bay East was to be designed by London based firm Gustafson Porter. In November 2007 the groundbreaking ceremony was held and the gardens opened their doors to the public in June 2012.

Former Supreme Court – The Former Supreme Court building is currently undergoing a large renovation and will be re-opened in 2015 as the National Gallery of Singapore.  Tucked back off the river it can be easy to overlook this handsome piece of architecture, with the riverside buildings of the civic district drawing your attention instead. Modelled on the Old Baily in London this building is going to make a stunning addition to the Singapore Art scene.

Red Post Box – Standing outside the Philatelic Museum, this is the last functioning red pillar box in Singapore (one still exists in the Fullerton but it is not a functioning public post box).

MICA Building – Now dressed in multi-coloured shutters this is currently the home of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts. Originally however, it was the Hill Street Police Station and Barracks. It was designed by the British architect Frank Dorrington Ward and was the only police station in the pre-war years to have its own living quarters.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

I had no idea Singapore had a wetlands until I read about it in the paper recently. As it turns out it is actually part of the East Asia-Australasian Flyway Partnership. This essentially means that Singapore is committed to maintaining the area as a wintering ground for migratory birds.

Mangroves, ponds, mudflats and forest fill this corner of the Singapore island. Star of the show for me are the Mud-skippers which can be seen in abundance during low tide. There are even some fun giant ones on the kids trail, at least then you know what your looking for on the mud flats.

The resemblance seems pretty good!

They create these holes by spitting out the mud, caught this guy mid spit.

Lots of crabs in the mudflats also.

Surprised to the crocodile warning sign, but as it turns out saltwater crocs live in the straights of Johor. It's rare for them to be spotted by the public but one was found dead nearby in the straights in May 2014, he was 3.6 meters long. I'm quite pleased I didn't know that before we went down there. 

During September to March many shorebirds and waders from the north winter here. With 202 hectares they have plenty pace to settle down. 

This monitor lizard is just chilling out.

Great green space in Singapore and completely free to visit.

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

In complete contrast to the 1842 temple featured in my last post is the Buddha Tooth Relic (BTR) temple, built in 2007. In 2002 when Singapore was gifted the sacred Buddha Tooth relic they put it on display in Suntec city and the queues of people snaked all the way down the building and out into the car park. This set in motion the idea of a large Singapore Buddhist temple that could accommodate the popularity of this extremely important relic. The chief monk did a lot of research into the new temple design. Everything contained within needed to be authentic and he focused his design around the peak of Buddhism in China, the Tang dynasty (7th-9th century).

If you enter the BTR, stand on the inside of the central gate and look inwards you will see that the golden Buddha inside fits perfectly in the space that you can see. This is by traditional design, so when the Emperor entered the temple through the central gate he would see the Buddha. Due to the limitation of the land available this temple has been built upwards rather than as nested levels as would have been traditionally used.

On the ground floor you can take in the beautiful surrounds of the Hundred Dragons Hall with the fifteen foot gold Buddha as the central attraction. Here you can watch quietly as the monks carry out their ritual chanting and prayers, these are known as mantras. At both sides of the hall the walls are filled with statues of one hundred Buddhas. Each Buddha holds their hands in a unique gesture, known as a mudra and holds a different Buddhist symbol. They represent virtue and power. Each of the larger Buddhas was made at a cost of $100,000. The Buddhas and visitors are protected from above by one hundred dancing Dragons, hence the name of the hall.

A beautiful gold tapestry hangs behind the central Buddha, this shows 5 dragons, 5 bats and 5 golden carp. This represents a classic Chinese fable where the carp have to overcome danger and leap through the dragon gate in order to be transformed into a dragon. This is symbolic of the need to overcome hurdles to achieve success. It is made from gold and silver silk threads and took a team of 38 talented women to complete, the youngest of which was 65 years old!

After leaving the Hundred Dragon Hall you will enter the Universal Wisdom hall. Here you can have some fun finding your Chinese zodiac protector, as defined by your year of birth. In the centre is a Buddhist diety of compassion. She has many arms so that she can help everyone and she holds symbols of Buddhism in each hand. One very popular symbol you will see is that of the lotus flower. This represents mental and spiritual purity, a beautiful flower born from muddy waters. She is another representation of Guan Yin that we saw at the Thian Hock Keng Temple.

On the second floor is a reference library, BTR history gallery, culture shop and a worship chamber for those devotees seeking wisdom. On the third floor you can look round the museum to see some Buddhist symbols and art.

The fourth floor is where you will find the sacred tooth. You will be expected to remove your shoes, refrain from taking photographs and you should remain quiet out of respect for the worshippers. The outer chamber is lit by many gilt lanterns and worshipers may be using the surrounding meditation platforms. The inner chamber houses the sacred Buddha tooth relic. The floor of the inner chamber is lined with gold tiles and twenty guardians line the walls watching over the relic.  A large gold stupa is the centre of attention, housing the sacred relic. A stupa in an ancient Indian burial mount which typically contains Buddhist relics, these are places of worship and meditation.

Finally up on the temple roof is the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda. In the centre is the prayer wheel, each full turn of the wheel will ring a bell. Turning the wheel would be done whilst repeating a mantra and all other thoughts should be cleared from the mind. It is believed that doing so will earn the worshipper merit, considered a good deed.

If you stand just outside the prayer wheel door and look to the temple roof spires you will see a little glass ball surrounded by spikes. Within this ball is an image of Singapore’s Central Business District turned upside down. This is an example of the incredible level of detail that has gone into building this temple.

Lining the walls of the roof terrace are 12,300 small Buddhas representing the Buddha of Infinite Life. You can actually choose to sponsor one of these Buddhas on an annual basis and your name will be added to the small plaque below. Again this is an act of merit and on the first day of each lunar month the monks will hold a ceremony to offer prosperity and longevity to the people who sponsor the Buddhas. 

This amazing temple was built at the cost of 75 million Singapore dollars and all of this was from donations. 

The Three Teachings of China

To write about Chinese religion is not exactly straightforward. In fact many believe the word ‘religion’ is not strictly accurate. Instead we should think about a way of life, a philosophy, a set of moral standards and obligations. Approximately 75% of Singaporeans are of Chinese descent and many of their customs and beliefs are still reflected in their everyday lives here in Singapore.

Confucianism, Daoism (also known as Taoism) and Chinese Buddhism were, once upon a time, three very distinct philosophies. Confucius was a real man who taught of moral obligation and the concept of filial piety. These teaching were not popular during his lifetime, it was only many years after his death that his moral teachings were picked up and elaborated by others. Filial piety is the concept of paying respect to ones elders and the elderly respecting the young. This respect and support should continue into the afterlife. Upon death one should continue to revere and present offerings to their ancestors. Filial piety is alive and well in Singapore, just watch the locals jump from their MRT seat when an elderly person boards the train. Or consider that you receive priority for an HDB apartment if your parents already live in the building.

Daoism is, by contrast, full of mythical figures. Feng Shui, the power of the forces of nature (wind & water) and the concept of Yin and Yang (opposite forces) both come from Daoism. Popular in Daoism is the concept of immortality and the 8 immortals are often seen in Daoist art. These 8 immortals collectively represent 8 different conditions in life: poverty, wealth, aristocracy, age, youth, the common person, masculinity and femininity. They are believed to have magical powers which allow them to heal the sick, predict the future and transform themselves and objects around them.

Buddhism travelled from India to China along the ancient trade route known as the silk road. In Buddhism there is a belief in a never ending cycle of birth, death and rebirth and in fact the ultimate goal is to escape this cycle and reach a place free from suffering.  Buddhism also believes very strongly in the concept of Karma. Karma is the belief that all actions, mental and physical, have a consequence. If you are a bad person in this life you might find yourself in one of the 10 courts of hell in the next life. These 10 courts and other figures from Chinese culture can be seen in detail at Singapore’s Haw Par Villa. 

Over time these three philosophies were adapted and modified to suit the cultural needs of China and, despite their very different roots, they are now often referred to collectively as The Three Teachings of China. One of the best places to see this in Singapore is at the oldest Chinese temple, built in 1842. Thian Hock Keng temple translates to ‘the temple of heavenly happiness’. 

This temple sits on Telok Ayer Street which used to be a coastal road and this is why this temple is dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu. The large statue of Mazu sits in the centre of the temple and if you look up to the roof space above you will see the 8 immortals I mentioned earlier, four on each side.

After visiting Mazu if you work your way clockwise round the temple, as is practiced by the Chinese, you will first meet the black and white gods of impertinence. You can consider these gods the constables of hell, they carry out law and order in hell and they also capture wondering spirits on earth. The Chinese also pray to these gods for success in gambling and you will often see offerings left for them in the form of coffee and cigarettes. 

Next is the sacred governor, he was popular when the temple was first built as people wold pray to him when they had come to Singapore to make their fortune. Following on we have Dizang, he is a Buddhist figure who you can ask for help if you, or a loved one, is trapped in one of the 10 courts of hell. Be sure to look at the cabinets behind him as you will see many ancestral tablets. These are placed here by people struggling to keep up with the offerings they are expected to make to their ancestors at home.  Instead they can have a tablet made and pay the temple to look after it. The temple will make offerings on their behalf and this allows them to still be filial. This is part of the Confucian values of filial piety and respecting and revering their dead ancestors. This is popular with the elderly (and perhaps the young and busy) who feel the constant burning of joss (incense) sticks in the house it getting too much for them. The tablets covered in red are for people still alive who have reserved a space.

At the back of the temple you will find Guan Yin, a Buddhist deity of compassion and then, continuing round, the Buddha. Next is Confucius, he is very popular at exam time as many parents working locally will come to pray that their children get good exam results. If they do well, they will return and hang banners to thank him. Finally we have another Buddhist deity this time with a Daoist twist, he is there as protector of the temple. If you look closely you will see each deity gets certain types of offerings and some are more popular with worshipers than others. The joss sticks are generally presented in sets of three representing heaven, earth and man. Be sure to remember to look up at the temple roof to see the dragons chasing the pearl, representing wisdom. Also on the ceiling at the back, above Guan Yin, you see a token to the Indian community that helped build the temple as their small carved images hold up the roof.

Kushana Buddha (India)

This seated Buddha is considered one of the Asian Civilisation Museums star pieces. To explain why let me first tell you that Buddhism has been around for about 2,500 years. For the first 500 years representing the Buddha in the human form was discouraged,so instead they used symbols to represent the Buddha and his teachings. From the inscription along the base we know that this Buddha is about 2000 years old.

This makes this sculpture one of the earliest representations of Buddha in the human form. He is quite different from any other we have in the museum. Firstly he is a little but curvy, he really looks strong and larger than life. He wears a very sheer robe over one shoulder. The sculpture is made from red sandstone, the smooth form of the hair is quite unique to the kushana period and he has this content smile on his face.

He is sitting in the lotus posture and if you look closely you can see the wheel of the Buddhist laws depicted on his feet. This is actually one of those symbols that was used for the first 500 years. So you can see when they started creating the human form Buddha they just incorporated those symbols into the human sculptures. Another of those symbols can been seen around the back of the sculpture. It was under the Bodhi tree that the Buddha reached the point of enlightenment. This means he was able to escape the cycle of birth, death and rebirth and reach a place free from suffering. The Bodhi tree is an important symbol of this transformation.

There are only about 5 other Kushana Buddha statues like this in the world, making it very special.

The Dragon Kiln

At one time Singapore had 30 dragon kilns, today only 2 remain. These are long, wood fired kilns which were used widely across China in the 1900s to fire ceramics. At one end there is the dragon head, where the fire is started. The body of the dragon then flows up a gentle hill so that the heat will rise through the kiln. Wood is fed in through the stoke holes (the dragon eyes) along the side. At the end is a chimney representing the dragon tail which is also the highest point.

The semi circular roof ensures that the heat circulates.  Apparently an experienced potter could work out the temperature just by looking at the colour of the flames through the stoke holes. 

To give some idea of size, you can see you could easily stand up inside and the length is 36 meters. Apparently in China they would build kilns of up to 100m in length. The kiln is fired for 30 hours and then left for a week or more to cool.

The spots are reflections from the flash catching shinny spots on the kiln walls.

 We even got to make our own pots, my first ever attempt, I don't think I should give up the day job! We will get these back later once they have been fired.

The Singapore kilns are now only fired once a year and a whole celebration is carried out when and after it is lit. This is very much about harnessing the power of the fire and respecting it and in Singapore many school and community projects are involved in making items to fill the kiln.

 Really enjoyed seeing this unusually piece of Singapore history and getting my hands dirty on the clay.

Tiong Bahru

Nowadays Tiong Bahru is known for its Café culture and quirky shops but this is a part of Singapore with a very interesting past. Tiong Bahru estate, as well as the grounds of the Singapore General Hospital was once part of a sprawling Chinese cemetery. So next time you are in the area sipping your fairtade coffee or enjoying a refreshing craft beer keep your eyes peeled for those National Heritage Board markers and think about how life here has changed over the years.

·        Public Housing – The Art Deco buildings we see today were built when Tiong Bahru was being developed as one of the first public housing programmes and where meant to house residents from the overcrowded parts of Chinatown. The horse shoe shaped streets and five storey residential properties create a very different feel from the usual high rise HDBs around Singapore.  Block 78 on Moh Guan Terrace, built in 1939, still has a 1,500 square meter bomb shelter which could hold 1600 people, the only public housing to have been so equipped.

·        Grave of Tan Tock Seng – Perhaps it’s not surprising as this area used to be a cemetery that the grave of one of Singapore’s early pioneers can be found here, on a hill facing Outram road. Amongst other philanthropist works Tan Tock Seng donated $7000 towards the construction of a Chinese Paupers hospital in 1844. This hospital is still in operation today, known as Tan Tock Seng Hospital, near Novena.

·        Dancing Girl – Created by the same sculptor who created the Merlion, this Dancing Girl was unveiled on 1^st August 1970. It was erected by the national day celebration committee of Tiong Bahru in the Seng Poh Garden.

·        Community Centre – In 1948 plans were announced to build a community centre which included an open air cinema. In 1951 a stand-alone air raid shelter was converted into Singapores very fist Community centre and it is still there today. It was very active with films, dancing and entertainment and even successfully got permission to run a $10,000 lottery for its members.

·        Bird Corner – The funny metal structure on the corner of Tiong Bahru Rd and Seng Poh Road has a very interesting past. There was a pet bird shop near here in the 1980s and the noise of the singing birds used to draw the attention of passers-by. An astute businessman, Wah Heng, who owned the coffee shop opposite, saw how the bird song drew people’s attention. He erected this metal structure so that bird owners could show off their feathered friends and listen to them singing whilst sipping coffee at his café, hence why this became known as Bird Corner.

·        Tiong Bahru Market – Many of the stalls and vendors here have been in business for over 30 years. The original market called Seng Poh Road Market used to draw in people from all round Singapore for its variety and quality of goods and quite possibly still does. This is also probably one of the first food centres of its kind that was paid for by the Hawkers themselves. 

Tiong means ‘to die’ in the Hokkien dialect and Bahru means ‘new’. So the name translates to ‘new cemetery’.