Unique Singapore!

Today, we will be looking at some of the unique characteristics of Singapore's Arts, Culture and Heritage. Also the exisiting places that Singapore has and the things that Singapore might be lacking.

The Heritage District

The historical and literal heart of Singapore: Also referred to as the Colonial District due to the number of the buildings that date back to the 1800's British colonial era. Most buildings, churches and government buildings in particular, have been carefully preserved and are still in use today.

Location: It is the most centrally located area in downtown Singapore. Standing at the Singapore Art Museum, you are equal distance from Dhoby Ghaut and City Hall MRT stations and a 20 minute walk to pretty much anywhere else in the downtown area (Orchard Road to the west, Chinatown to the South, the Financial District to the East and Little India to the North). There is also an air-conditioned underground walkway lined with shops and restaurants connects the area to Suntec City and the Convention Centre in the Financial District.

For better image:http://mapsingapore.com/areas/heritage.php

Recommended war heritage sites
The Changi Museum
Fort Siloso Tours, Sentosa
Kranji War Memorial
Labrador Secret Tunnels
The Battle Box

Recommended Culture & Heritage Museums

(1)Chinatown Heritage Centre ($9.80- Adult,$6.30-Child 3 to 12 years old)
Location: 48 Pagoda Street
How to get there:
Buses:51,63,80,124,143,145,147,
166,174,197
Nearest Mrt station: China Town
Opening hours: 9am to 8pm daily, Guided tours are avaliable daily


(2)Malay Heritage Centre ($4- Adult, $3- Children and Senior Citizen 55 years & above)
Location: 58 Sultan Gate
How to get there:
Buses:7,32,51,63,80,145,197(from North Bridge Road)
or 10,14,16,70,100,107,196,401 (from Beach Road)
Nearest Mrt station: Bugis
Opening hours: Monday(1pm to 6pm), Tues - Sunday(10am to 6pm), 8am to 9pm (Istana Compound)







Design

It has a very unique design where it is made to block out as much sunlight as possible and due to that triangular pattern, it made it look very pointy just like a durain. Hence, people termed the Esplanade as the durain.

History
The idea of a performing arts center was suggested by Deputy Prime Minister Ong Teng Cheong recommended that an arts center be built for Singapore in the 80's.Work on the idea of a performing arts center began in the 90's and a steering committee was formed to plan the project. In 1992, the Singapore Arts Centre Co was established to lead the project. In 1994, the center was officially named Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, chosen as a result of its significant presence in the Esplanade Park. Esplanade's location is rich in historical significance. Since the 1800s, the original Esplanade Park on Connaught Drive has been synonymous with leisure and recreational activities, and today, it still evokes feelings of nostalgia and romance. On August 11, 1996 Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Tony Tan marked the start of construction through a ground breaking ceremony. In 1997, the company was renamed The Esplanade Co Ltd to better reflect the company's role in managing the new arts center. The substructure was completed in 1998 followed closely by the start of construction of the superstructure above ground. In February 2001, the superstructure was completed and Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay opened her doors to the world on October 12, 2002.

Recommended Art facilities



Location: 11 Empress Place, Victoria Memorial Hall, Singapore 179558
How to get there:
Buses:36, 56, 75, 77, 97, 106, 111, 133, 162, 171, 174M, 195, 700A, 857, 960, 961, NR1, NR2, NR6, NR7, NR8.



Location: 26 Seah Street
How to get there:
Buses:7,14,16,36,77,97,131,162,167,171,700
Nearest Mrt station: City Hall
Opening hours:
9:30am to 6:30pm daily





(3)Singapore Art Museum ($8- Adults, $4- children below 12 & senior citizen above 60 years) Location: 71 Bras Brasah Road




Location: University Cultural Centre Annex,50 Kent Ridge Crescent, National University of Singapore
How to get there:
Buses:96,151,188,33
Nearest MRT station: Clementi
Opening hours:
10:00am to 7:30pm(tues-sat),10:00am to 6:00pm (closed on Mondays and public holidays)



The above mentioned are not the only things we have in Singapore. Singapore has so many Arts, Culture and Heritage places that holds many different artifacts in each places, such that many people are unaware of how many museums Singapore actually has. Also, as our technology advances and as Singapore develops the places that we were once familiar with, we are surrounded with more and more shopping centres. Heritage and cultural places have been left aside and unnoticed of.

In such, many people do not have a strong foundation of their knowledge of Singapore and this will really affect the tourism industry as lesser and lesser people will be able to explain Singapore's history, let alone the Arts, Culture and heritage sites etc. Nonetheless, we are sure that most of the readers here are familiar with Singapore's unique way of speaking the English language which is know to be "Singlish". If us Singaporeans today do not speak in proper English, communication with tourist would eventually become a problem.

Hence, we would recommend that the Singapore government try as much to cut down the use of "Singlish" during the education of a student's life by making sure that the English teachers themselves do not use "Singlish". Also, during the education period, more school trips to various culture and heritage sites can help students to learn more about Singapore. Companies in the tourism related business can also send their employees for training to improve their speech as well as service skills.

That will be all for today! Do check out our next post which will be on Itinerary planning.