On a business trip to asia i got the opportunity to visit Singapore. This was my first visit in Asia but i think it was not the last one.
Most of the time i was busy with professional purposes but i also had a few days to explore the city.
In this blog post you can see a selection of the pictures. If you are interested in all pictures then please have a look on my website: Photos on my website
But now let us start with the view from my hotel room. It was a typical business hotel and i got a room in the 19th storey.
As this hotel was located at the Singapore river i also shot some pics of the riverside at day and night.
But now, let us go to chinatown. The history of chinatown begun with the fuondation of the city in 1819. Most of the chinese people settled in this area. Today you can find the modern and the traditional way of chinese life in this area.
Chinatown
Chinatown (Chinese: 牛车水; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Gû-chia-chúi, Malay: Kreta Ayer, Tamil: சைனா டவுன்) is a subzone and ethnic enclave located within the Outram district in the Central Area of Singapore. Featuring distinctly Chinese cultural elements, Chinatown has had a historically concentrated ethnic Chinese population.
As the largest ethnic group in Singapore is Chinese, Chinatown is considerably less of an enclave than it once was. However, the precinct does retain significant historical and cultural significance. Large sections of it have been declared national heritage sites officially designated for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
Sri Mariammam temple
When visting chinatown you also have to visit the Sri Mariammam temple. This is also one of the most frequently visits of tourists.
The Sri Mariamman Temple (Tamil: ஸ்ரீ மாரியம்மன் கோவில்) is Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple. It is an agamic temple, built in the Dravidian style. Located at 244 South Bridge Road, in the downtown Chinatown district, the temple serves the majority Hindu Singaporeans, Tamilians, in the city-state. Due to its architectural and historical significance, the temple has been gazetted a National Monument and is a major tourist attraction. Sri Mariamman Temple is managed by the Hindu Endowments Board, a statutory board under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.
The Sri Mariamman Temple was founded in 1827 by Naraina Pillai, eight years after the East India Company established a trading settlement in Singapore. Pillai was a government clerk from Penang who arrived in Singapore with Sir Stamford Raffles on his second visit to the island in May 1819. Pillai went on to set up the island’s first construction company, and also entered the textile trade. He rapidly established himself in business and was identified as a leader of the Indian community.
And now back to the pulsating life of chinatown. In the china town complex you can find everything for the daily lives. Food, dressing, furniture and more.
Marina Bay Sands
Where are most of the tourists? You are right, they are at Marina Bay Sands. The hotel, the skyline of the financial district and the Esplanade are the most famous touristic places in this area.
And now some panoramic views
This is the view from the top of the Marina Bay Sands:
Marina Bay at night is a must for every tourist.
Gardens by the Bay
is a nature park spanning 101 hectares (250 acres) of reclaimed land in central Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden. The largest of the gardens is Bay South Garden at 54 hectares (130 acres).
Supertrees are tree-like structures that dominate the Gardens‘ landscape with heights that range between 25 metres (82 ft) and 50 metres (160 ft). They are vertical gardens that perform a multitude of functions, which include planting, shading and working as environmental engines for the gardens.
A night view of the Supertrees.
The Supertrees are home to enclaves of unique and exotic ferns, vines, orchids and also a vast collection of bromeliads such as Tillandsia, amongst other plants. They are fitted with environmental technologies that mimic the ecological function of trees – photovoltaic cells that harness solar energy which can be used for some of the functions of the Supertrees, such as lighting, just like how trees photosynthesize; and collection of rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays, exactly like how trees absorb rainwater for growth. The Supertrees also serve air intake and exhaust functions as part of the conservatories‘ cooling systems.
There is an elevated walkway, the OCBC Skyway, between two of the larger Supertrees for visitors to enjoy a panoramic aerial view of the Gardens. A food and beverage outlet is planned atop the 50-metre (160 ft) Supertree. At night, the Supertrees come alive with a light and music show called the OCBC Garden Rhapsody.
Katong
, also known as Tanjong Katong, is a residential neighbourhood in the Eastern Region of Singapore, located near the seafront. It used to be located by the sea. Land has been reclaimed all the way to East Coast Park to provide more land for housing and recreational purposes due to shortage of land in the late 1960s after Singapore gained independence.
Katong was the location of many villas and mansions of the wealthy elite in the late 19th to the mid 20th centuries. They made their fortunes in the Far East and built seaside resorts, villas and manors along the beachfront of Katong, beginning from Katong Park to the end of the East Coast.
Katong’s rich cultural mix has contributed to its unique cuisine. Katong is well known for its restaurants serving Peranakan cuisine and particularly, a spicy Straits Chinese noodle soup called Katong Laksa.
Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple
(Tamil: ஶ்ரீ செண்பக விநாயகர் ஆலயம்) is a temple for the Hindu god Ganesha who is the presiding deity. It is located in Ceylon Road in Singapore.
In the 1850s, a statue of Lord Vinayagar was discovered by the side of a pond. A Chempaka tree, Senpaga in Tamil, stood on the bank of the pond. As the Vinayagar statue was found besides the Chempaka tree, the temple came to be known as „Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple“.
A Ceylon Tamil, Mr. Ethirnayagam Pillai pioneered the building of the first structure as a modest shelter with an attap roof with the help of the nearby Indian workers. This humble abode under the Chempaka tree became the temple of Sri Senpaga Vinayagar.
Orchard Road
a 2.2 kilometre-long boulevard, is the retail and entertainment hub of Singapore. Often known colloquially as Orchard, the area is a major tourist attraction. It is also known as Tang Leng Pa Sat Koi (Tanglin Market Street) and Vaira Kimadam (Fakir’s Place) by the Singaporean Chinese and Singaporean Tamils respectively.
The Orchard Planning Area a planning area as specified by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. It is part of the Central Area located within the Central Region. Orchard is bordered by Newton in the east and north, Tanglin in the west, River Valley in the south and Museum to the southeast.
Orchard Road underwent a $40 million revamp in 2009, with the addition of new street lamps, planter boxes, urban green rooms, street tiling and flower totem poles, which have since been removed.
The first shop of note on Orchard Road was Tangs founded in 1934 and established on Orchard Road in the 1950s.
Orchard Road is flanked by pedestrian shopping centres. Orchard Road contains numerous upmarket restaurants, coffee chains, cafés, nightclubs and hotels. It is the site of the official residence and office of the President of Singapore, the Istana.
Tanglin Mall is located at the junction of Tanglin Road and Grange Road. Its customer base is made up of expatriates, yuppies and professionals. Anchor tenants include Tanglin Market Place, a gourmet supermarket and bakery, and Tasty Food Court where up to 15 varieties of local cuisine can be found.
Orchard Central distinguishes itself from other shopping centres on Orchard Road with architectural and design forms. Fronted by an exterior featuring local artist Matthew Ngui’s digital art membrane, the shopping centre offers cluster concept shopping by grouping complementary offerings for shoppers. The shopping centre houses the world’s tallest indoor Via Ferrata climbing wall, a large collection of public art installations by international artists and a 24/7-operational Roof Garden and Discovery Walk. The Roof Garden offers dining options on an open-air veranda.
313@somerset is directly linked to the Somerset MRT station and features a concentration of mid-range retail and dining outlets. Retail options are made of a mix of local and global fashion labels including Zara, Uniqlo, New Look, Esprit and a Forever 21 flagship store that spans four floors.
Visitors in Singapore (from 27 May to 24 July 2011) qualified for Great Singapore Sale tourist privileges and discounts at shopping complexes along Orchard Road. During this period, a number of shopping centres extend their opening hours till 11pm.
American fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch opened a flagship store on Orchard Road on 15 December 2011. The store was marked by controversy over an ad during its construction phase.[9]
Every first Saturday night of each month, a section of Orchard Road will be closed and the road will be used as a temporary pedestrian street between Scotts Paterson Junction and Bideford Junction between 6pm -11pm from October 2014 to May 2015 and extended bit by bit. Known as Pedestrian Night on Orchard Road, this six-month pilot initiative aims to inject street vibrancy into the precinct by creating an integrated community space with activities such as street tennis and mass yoga.
Orchard Road’s shopping centres will never face death of tenants every year. Broken tenants (which in the case of losing business or the shift of demand) are replaced into proper tenants. Most of the demand began to fluctuate with the newer shopping malls since 2009 (such as Westgate/JEM/JCube, Waterway Point, Seletar Mall, Tiong Bahru Plaza, Nex, Bedok Mall, Clementi Mall, Changi City Point and Tampines)
Tiong Bahru
is a housing estate located within Bukit Merah Planning Area, in the Central Region of Singapore. Built in the 1920s, Tiong Bahru is the oldest housing estate of the city-state. It was the first project undertaken by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), a government body administered by the British colonial authority, to provide for mass public housing in Singapore. The main estate consists of about 30 apartment blocks with a total of over 900 units and also high-rise HDB flats and condominiums along Boon Tiong Road, Jalan Membina and Kim Tian Road surrounding the main estate. The apartment blocks in the main estate are made up of two to five-storey flats and the units are assorted three to five-room apartments.
Tiong Bahru means „New Cemetery“ (thióng 塚 – Hokkien for cemetery, bahru – Malay for new). Till the 1920s, it was an area dotted with many cemeteries. They were new as opposed to the established cemeteries in Chinatown. The present day Tiong Bahru Rd. was at onetime called “ Burial Ground Rd“. In 1925 this area was declared unsanitary and designated for improvement. The SIT (S’pore Improvement Trust) cleared out the squatters and moved the graves and then filled in and levelled the area.[1]
The construction style of the estate is a mix of Streamline Moderne and local Straits Settlements shop-house architecture. The flats feature rounded balconies, flat rooftops, spiral staircases, light wells and underground storage and shelters. One notable feature of Tiong Bahru estate is that all its streets are named after Chinese pioneers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. For example, Chay Yan Street is named after rubber plantation merchant and philanthropist Tan Chay Yan; Peng Nguan Street is taken from Lim Peng Nguan, an early settler and father of famous merchant and community leader Lim Nee Soon.
It is apparent that a lot of effort was put into designing the estate with a series of flats that are visually pleasing. Thus the flats in the Tiong Bahru estate contrasted markedly with those of the much later post-war mass housing programs undertaken by SIT’s successor, the Housing and Development Board. In contrast with the aesthetic art deco theme of the Tiong Bahru flats, the flats built by the Housing Board in the 1950s and 1960s are starkly utilitarian in appearance and design; where flats are almost identical in their two-dimensional „matchbox“ style.
Not many people could afford to live in the Tiong Bahru Estate during the pre-World War II years. It was the choice place of living for the upper class and also the place where the rich and powerful kept their mistresses. For this reason, the estate used to be known as Mei Ren Wo („den of beauties“ in Chinese).
The population in Tiong Bahru estate tripled after the Second World War, and it gradually lost its exalted status as an exclusive upper class housing estate. However, it retained its close-knit Kampong (small village in Malay) spirit and became a bustling and lively little town where everyone knows and looks out for each other.
The new Tiong Bahru Market was completed in May 2006.
Tiong Bahru is renowned for its bird-singing aviaries, which has now been torn down and replaced by the Link Hotel. Bird lovers gather with their songbirds every morning to catch up with fellow bird lovers over coffee and tea amid the crisp, melodious chirps of Prinias, Robins, and Shrikes. The bird corner is now part of The Link Hotel that took over the former block of flats in the mid-2000s. Its attempts to revive the bird corner have yet to become fully successful.
Tiong Bahru Market, under the charge of the National Environment Agency, was, in fact, the first modern market to be built in a housing area, in 1955, by the SIT. Prior to the building of the Market, also known as Seng Poh Market, the hawkers were all street-hawkers, who were under constant threat of being chased off as street-trading was illegal. Tired of their uncertain lifestyle, the hawkers organised themselves and petitioned successfully to the Governor of Singapore, for a market to be built. The SIT thus, built an experimental modern market on the same spot as today’s market. Till date, the market is still well-known for its hawker foods like chwee kueh, pao, porridge, roast pork etc.
The market center in Tiong Bahru
Tiong Bahru Qi Tian Gong Temple, the eldest ape temple in Singapore
The history of Tiong Bahru Qi Tian Gong dates back to 1920, first located in the ‚taro garden‘, which is the present Tiong Bahru estate. The original site is an attap hut located across Eng Hoon Street. In 1938, the temple moved to the current location.
In 1979, in response to the policy of the government to preserve the historical monuments, Tiong Bahru Qi Tian Gong Temple Management Committee was set up to apply for retention of the temples and monuments. In 1985, the committee acquired ownership of the temple. It took a few years in fund-raising and to apply for permit from the government. At the end of 1992, it started to rebuild the temple by maintaining its original structure layout but with a new facelift. In1993, the temple celebrated the completion of the reconstruction. It also granted the approval by the government to register as a public temple.
Tiong Bahru Qi Tian Gong temple is dedicated to the monkey god, who is featured in the novel Journey to the West Monkey King ‚Sun Wu Kong‘. There are more than 10 monkey god statues in the temple, the oldest of which nearly one hundred years of history, is also the first statue in the temple. Tiong Bahru Qi Tian Gong temple can be said as the first temple in Singapore dedicated to the monkey god.
Monkey god is almighty, resourceful, mercurial, brave and vigorous, who can identify true and false, helping poor and needy, is deeply respected and loved by many generation of people. Believers worship monkey god hoping to get his blessing and protection, eliminate bad luck, gain prosperity and longevity. Businessmen worship monkey god to pray for a quick mind and know how to work around to get business booming and create wealth.
The monkey god of Tiong Bahru Qi Tian Gong temple has many believers. Men and women followers always been sincere in worshiping at the temple. Incense is flourishing. The devotees from all over the country. In addition to local devotees, they are from the Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, and even from the United States.
Little India
(Tamil: குட்டி இந்தியா) is an ethnic district in Singapore. It is located east of the Singapore River—across from Chinatown, located west of the river—and north of Kampong Glam. Both areas are part of the urban planning area of Rochor. Little India is commonly known as Tekka in the Indian Singaporean community.
Little India[1] is distinct from the Chulia Kampong area, which, under the Raffles Plan of Singapore, was originally a division of colonial Singapore where ethnic Indian immigrants would reside under the British policy of ethnic segregation. However, as Chulia Kampong became more crowded and competition for land escalated, many ethnic Indians moved into what is now known as Little India. (The Chulia Kampong district no longer exists as a distinct area.)
The Little India area is reported to have developed around a former settlement for Indian convicts. Its location along the Serangoon River originally made it attractive for raising cattle, and trade in livestock was once prominent in the area. Eventually, other economic activity developed, and by the turn of the 20th century, the area began to look like an ethnic Indian neighbourhood.
Although ethnic Indians no longer tend to stay solely segregated in one place as previously arranged under the modern People’s Action Party (PAP) policy of racial harmony, for the sake of cultural heritage, many of the ethnically Indian commercial or cottage industry usages are concentrated in Little India, although Indian-dominant commercial zones are also found in HDB estates. Contrary to stereotypes, Little India is not solely an Indian neighbourhood. Located in the neighbourhood alongside shops that cater predominantly to the Indians are Chinese clan associations, places of worship of different religions, and a variety of different business ranging from electrical supplies, hardware, second-hand goods alongside traditional spice grinders and grocers. One of the more prominent examples of cross-cultural patronage besides those regarding food is that many Chinese parents go to shops in Little India to grind rice to make congee for infants. The machinery utilised in this instance was initially flown in from India to grind spices into powder for use in Indian cuisine. Little India differs from many other neighbourhoods in Singapore in many ways. Tekka Market is also multi-cultural, with produce and sundries that cater to the many ethnic groups in Singapore.
Masjid Sultan
(Jawi: مسجد سلطان), or Sultan Mosque, is a mosque located at Muscat Street and North Bridge Road within the Kampong Glam precinct of the district of Rochor in Singapore. The mosque is considered one of the most important mosques in Singapore. The prayer hall and domes highlight the mosque’s star features.
When Singapore was ceded to the British in 1819, Temenggong Abdul Rahman, the island’s chief, and Sultan Hussain Shah of Johore, under whose jurisdiction Singapore fell, acquired small fortunes in exchange for their power. Sir Stamford Raffles also granted the Temenggong and the Sultan an annual stipend and the use of Kampong Glam for their residence.
The area around Kampong Glam was also allocated for Malays and other Muslims. Hussain built a palace there and brought his family and a complete entourage from the Riau islands. Many of the Sultan’s and Temenggong’s followers came to Kampong Glam from the Riau Islands, Malacca and Sumatra.
Sultan Hussain then decided to build a mosque befitting his status. He constructed a mosque next to his palace from 1824 to 1826 with funds solicited from the East India Company. With a two-tiered pyramidal roof, it was of a typical design. The original building was replaced with a new mosque.
The management of the mosque was headed by Alauddin Shah, the Sultan’s grandson, until 1879, when he passed the torch in to five community leaders. In 1914, the lease was extended by the government for a further 999 years and a new board of trustees was appointed, with two representatives from each faction of the Muslim community.
By the early 1900s, Singapore had become a centre for Islamic commerce, culture and art. Sultan Mosque soon became too small for this burgeoning community. In 1924, the year of the mosque’s centenary, the trustees approved a plan to erect a new mosque. The old mosque had by then also fallen into a state of disrepair.
Architect Denis Santry of Swan and Maclaren adopted a Saracenic style, incorporating minarets and balustrades. The mosque was completed after four years in 1928.
Sultan Mosque has stayed essentially unchanged since it was built, with only repairs carried out to the main hall in the 1960s and an annex added in 1993. It was gazetted as a national monument on 8 March 1975.
Today the mosque is managed by its own Board of Trustees and Management Board.
Most of the pics were shot with the Sony A6300, 1670z and the 1018.
Some texts are taken from Wikipedia. All pics are shot by myself.
