The first rubber was introduced to Singapore in 1819 when it arrived from Indonesia. On June 11, 1877, a shipment of 22 rubber seedlings was made from England’s Kew Gardens, one of the world’s greatest botanical gardens, to the Malay Peninsula. This was Singapore’s first known attempt to cultivate rubber. The Singapore Botanical Gardens, under … Read more

Dragons’ origins are uncertain, but they first appeared in our public housing world in the early 1970s – in the form of monuments and fountains, for example. The first dragons were created in HDB flats built in the 1970s and 1980s. They spiced up an otherwise drab estate with personalities ranging from the magnificent to … Read more

The Primary Boyanese Race Other than the four primary races of Singapore, Boyanese people are also recognized as a different race. The people of Singapore are descended from immigrants from Pulau Bawean, an Indonesian island 120 kilometres to the north. The Boyanese people’s name is sometimes mistaken for a mispronunciation of Baweanese, which originated as … Read more

Hop on a bumboat with the Singapore River Cruise Singapore is a country with limited road infrastructure and no extensive rail network. Singapore’s public transportation is primarily based on land. The bus, train, and taxi are the three primary modes of transportation in Singapore. Boats and river transport were important for the transportation of goods … Read more

The air is light, and the grass is moist from dew. In elegant rows, thousands of grey tombs dot the gentle slope. The lawn is neatly kept, owing to the caretakers’ constant attention and the lack of human footprints. Only a few visitors sign the register near the entrance. A cross and a large building … Read more

Street Cobbler in Singapore – The Disappearing Trade, cobbler square. Outside People’s Park Complex, a line of mostly elderly cobblers huddled over in their makeshift booths, protected from the sun and rain by only foldable umbrellas. This tiny hamlet has transformed it into a Cobber Square of sorts. While the number of sidewalk cobblers in … Read more

You are immediately drawn to Sing Hon Loong (新丰隆面包厂) by the unmistakable scent of freshly baked bread. Ghee Leong is a Singaporean baked good that has been around since the early days of Singapore’s history. This old-style bakery in Whampoa is one of the final traditional bakeries to exist in Singapore. Old Place is a … Read more

When you think of Singaporean icons, the following things come to mind: Chicken Rice is as popular as Katong Laksa. To some, Chicken Rice is as iconic as Katong Laksa. It’s also conceivable that the Singapore Zoo, Lion City Tower, or numerous other attractions are what attract them. Places like Bukit Brown Cemetery or Joo … Read more

The majesty of Queenstown is evident. She is also the prototype housing for a large portion of public housing in Singapore. She was also the first to build affordable public housing, such as flats in the Housing and Development Board (HDB) system. She was also one of the first to develop point blocks and curved … Read more