[Art] Singapore's $50 note: A work of Art

Do you realise that many of us have been carrying around works of art in our wallets and purses and yet not know it? Well, I came to realise this truth only after visiting the National Gallery Singapore.

Opened in 2015, the gallery is located within the Old Supreme Court building and the City Hall. The gallery houses the largest collection of Singapore and Southeast Asian art collection.

Now let's get back to the crux of the matter - our $50 note.

If you were to take a look at the reverse side of the Singapore $50 note, you will see two very distinct work of art. One is of gibbons by artist Chen Wen Hsi, and the other are of people in the market with hanging dried fishes by Cheong Soo Pieng. Both of these paintings are now housed in the National Gallery Museum.

Chen Wen Hsi's Gibbons. Picture source: arthop.co (1)

Cheong Soo Pieng's Drying Salted Fish. Picture source: Straits Times (2)

References

1. Hong, G. April 1, 2015. Lee Kuan Yew: The man and his art. http://www.arthop.co/blog/lee-kuan-yew-man-and-his-art

2. Ong, S. F. November 30, 2015. 7 things to know about Singapore pioneer artist Cheong Soo Pieng. The Straits Times. http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/7-things-to-know-about-singapore-pioneer-artist-cheong-soo-pieng

[Hong Kong Heritage] Ping Shan Trail

Calm Before the Storm

Landing in Hong Kong!

I'm here in Kong Kong and it's great to be able to continue my walking trail in this bustling metropolis. 

This is my sixth trip to this Special Administered Region (SAR) but by far the most interesting one as I had the opportunity to achieve many 'firsts' on this trip and the first amongst which started with my flight into Hong Kong. As our Airbus A380 started it's descent, the aircraft started to rock. The pilot voice crackled over the public announcement informing us that there would be a series of turbulence. The aircraft took a beating and only landed after one failed attempt.

Only when I exited the departure hall that I found out that the aircraft was battered by gale wind from Typhoon Mujigae. I've truly never felt such turbulence and for such a long period of time. Anyway, what's more important is that the skillful Singapore Airlines pilots did well in landing the aircraft.

Visiting New Territories

Rental flats in Fu Tai Estate

Previously, the lure of the fast-paced life in Hong Kong saw me staying and travelling in and around Kowloon or Hong Kong Island. But for this 12-day trip, I'd spent most of my time in New Territories close to Fu Tai Estate.

Ping Shan Heritage Trail

Tsui Shing Lau Pagoda

 I was most excited to do this trail as this was Hong Kong's very first Heritage Trail that the Antiquities and Monuments Office and the Architectural Services Department had put together in 1993. First stop - Tsui Shing Lau Pagoda. This more than 500 year-old pagoda is the oldest in Hong Kong. (1) It's said that scholars once walked around the Pagoda seven times clockwise so that they could ace their examinations. 

Sheung Cheung Wai Walled Village

Next up, a 200-year old walled village. The walls coupled with a moat that has since been covered, provided residents a good protection from their enemies. (2) The guide was able to show us what was previously holes in the wall. Those were used by the defenders to point their weapons at the enemy. There were other historical buildings such as the old well, Yeung Hau Temple, Tang Ancestral Hall and many more for visitors to explore.

View from The Hilltop Visitor Centre

We ended our tour at the Heritage Trail Visitor Centre. The building, perched up on the hill, was once a British police station that was constructed in 1899. The building houses a number of historical and cultural artifacts that showcased what Ping Shan was like in the past.

Doors that lead visitors into the visitor centre

What was most inviting about the visitor centre after more than an hour walk in rainy and humid weather was the air-conditioning in the building. Well, such weather in Hong Kong is a first for me too as all my other visits were in December and where the temperature stayed a cool 17-23 degrees celsius. Still, this trip was extremely beneficial for me as I saw a side of Hong Kong that I'd previously not seen.

References

1. Discover Hong Kong. Accessed on October 25, 2015. http://www.discoverhongkong.com/seasia/see-do/culture-heritage/historical-sites/chinese/ping-shan-heritage-trail.jsp

2. Antiquities and Monuments Office and the Architectural Services Department. Accessed on October 25, 2015.  http://www.amo.gov.hk/en/trails_pingshan1.php?tid=2

Singapore's City Hall and the Former Supreme Court

The main rotunda of the former Supreme Court

Two buildings steeped in history - the former Supreme Court and City Hall. Both buildings have witnessed history first hand.

The buildings went through a major makeover and are now joined together by two bridge connectors and an overhead shelter. The National Gallery Singapore are into its final stages of completion, that is to transform the place into the largest gallery of South East Asian's art. (1)

We were given an exclusive tour of this unique museum called the Naked Museum. Our wonderful museum docent, Sheila, was herself a former lawyer from the Arbitration Courts. I enjoyed her candid quips and also her in-depth knowledge of the place as she had worked in the Supreme Courts of a number of years.

City Hall (Formerly known as the Municipal Building)

The side entrance to the all important hall

Singapore's City Hall - Built between 1926 and 1929, the building was formerly known as the Municipal Building. (2) This building holds two monumental blocks of history. This was where the Japanese officially signed the surrender papers, effectively returning the rule of Singapore back to the British in 1945.

Japanese surrender tables were lined across the hall - between the second and third pillars

The Japanese hung their heads low, walked up the 23-steps of the City Hall and into this magnificant hall. The massive pillars and wooden pane doors looked pretty much untouched by time. In this same hall in 1959, the first fully independent Singapore government held their first swearing-in ceremony. (3)


Former Supreme Court

The main courtroom

Built on the site of another former great - Hotel L'Europe, the Supreme Court was the place where lawyers battled it out; where judges say "guilty" or "not guilty". The former Supreme Court, built between 1930 and 1939, had many more verbal narrative than the City Hall as the latter saw criminals, commoners and legal professionals walking through its doors, each of them with a story to tell. (2)

Looking up from the Former Supreme Court Balcony

Sheila then brought us out to the balcony to have a look on the outside. The weather was pretty good and we had a good view of the Padang, though much of the grass field has been laid over in preparation of Singapore's 50th National Day.

Rattan chair as good as new

Many things of old within the two buildings have been nicely refurbished. For example, the rattan chair
held up many people of the past. They must have waited patiently for their cases, or the cases of their loved ones to be read.

The Supreme Court's grand library

Sheila had more to share about the Supreme Court. This library holds bitter-sweet memories for her. This was where she was sent to by senior lawyers requiring quick information. There were just row after row of leather-bound books and she had to look through thick stacks of law books to locate the information.

Underneath the hexagonal plaque lies a time capsule that was buried in 1937

One of the lock-ups sited within the Supreme Court

It was a truly an eye-opener of an outing and meeting dedicated docents such as Sheila truly bring to life the rich history of the place.

 

References

1. Shetty, D.  April 24, 2015. National Gallery Singapore has Naked Museum tour. The Straits Times. http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/visual-arts/story/national-gallery-singapore-has-naked-museum-tour-20150424#6 Accessed on May 2, 2015.

2. National Gallery Singapore. About the Buildings. http://www.nationalgallery.sg/buildings/ Accessed on May 2, 2015.

3. National Gallery Singapore. City Hall and Former Supreme Court at a glance. http://nationalartgallery.sg/wp-content/uploads/6_OpenHouse_Guided_Tour_Brochure_101110.pdf Accessed on May 2, 2015.

Singapore Air Force: 10 Interesting Facts

I've just finished reading the book "Full Spectrum Force" and the author Mr Goh Yong Kiat has truly put together an interesting book that captures every aircraft that Singapore has, both past and present. A number of these aircraft can also be seen at the Air Force Museum.

Well, I thought that it would be good to pull together 10 interesting facts about RSAF that are seldom heard. So here goes.

1. In September 1968, the Singapore Air Defence Command (Currently known as The Republic of Singapore Air Force) was formed. Singapore had no choice but to set up its own air force as the republic was no longer a part of Malaysia. At the same time, the British had declared that they will be pulling out all its forces by 1971. (1)

2. The first aircraft that came under the "wings" of SADC were a pair of Cessna 172H that was acquired in September 1968. Nicknamed the AF100, the aircraft was sold off in 1979. (2)

3.The helicopter that SADC purchased were the Aeroespatiale SA316B Alouette III. Operating under 120 Squadron, the helicopters participated in the first ever National Day flypast in 1970. The lead helicopter was flying the national flag. The helicopters were retired from service in 1978. (3)































4. The cutest transport aircraft has to be the Short Skyvan 3M. The aircraft is also known as the flying coffin. (4)

5. The most reliable and longest serving aircraft is the Lockheed C-130.

6. There were four aircraft that Singapore had in possession but did not proceed to purchase more of these platforms:- EC-47P, Meteor F.8, Sea Vixen FAW.2 and a Hunter F.4. In 1979, all these aircraft were donated to Sentosa as static display. They were later disposed of in January 1989. (5)

7. Singapore's first tandem-seat trainer aircraft was BAC Strikemaster MK.84 in 1969.

8. The Hawker Hunter was Singapore's first jet fighter. The aircraft arrived in 1970 and was based in Tengah Air Base. (6)

 

9. The Northrop F5 was the first supersonic fighter to be in service with the air force. The aircraft arrived in 1979. The aircraft is also the longest serving fighter aircraft as its still currently in service. (7)

10. Singapore most advanced fighter, the Boeing F15SG is based at Paya Lebar Airbase (8)

Address


RSAF Museum
400 Airport Road
Singapore 534234


Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 8.30am to 5.00pm (Closed on Monday & Public Holidays)

How to get there 
Buses: SBS 90 and 94 (SBS 94 not available on Sunday)





References

1. Goh, Y.K. 2014. Full Spectrum Force: Aircraft of the Republic of Singapore Air Force. 9VSPOTTER: Singapore.  P9

2. ibid. P28

3. ibid. P36

4. ibid. P56

5. ibid. P58

6. ibid. P61

6. ibid. P82

7. ibid. P94

8. ibid. P106

Singapura: 700 Years

The National Museum has recently taken some flak for typo errors seen on their exhibition boards. (1) The new exhibition - Singapura: 700 Years brings together archeological finds from as early as the 1920s till recent. 

A large number of historical findings in Singapore can be found in this definitive book - Early Singapore 1300s - 1819. Published in 2004, the book brings together papers written by Singapore history scholars. It goes out to prove that Singapore was not a sleepy village before pre-Raffles.

Through various excavations, gold ornaments, glass sheds and vessels, and Chinese bowls have been found. All these are shown in this book and the current exhibition is based largely on the findings.

As early as 1320, it was said that a prominent place in Singapore was mentioned in the Yuan Dynasty's record, the "Yuan-Shih". The unique stone feature that  was then known as "Long ya-men" Or Dragon's tooth gate.

In 1349, a Chinese businessman named Wang Da Yuan was said to have visited Singapore. So with all these factors coming into play, Singapore was not just an island.

There were also maps to show that Singapore was a known island before Sir Stamford Raffles. The map above was taken from a section of Captain J. Lindsey's 1798 "The South part of the Straits of Malacca". (2)

Interestingly, the map also shows other nearby island such as Salat Booro (Pulau Ubin?), Tooly (Pulau Blakang Mati), and Pedra Branca.

Reference:

1. Zaccheus, M. December 1, 2014. Showcase of S'pore marred by typo, errors. The Straits Times. http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/showcase-spore-history-marred-typos-errors-20141201

2. Miksic, J. & Low, C. M. G. 2004. Early Singapore 1300s - 1819. Singapore History Museum: Singapore. P96.

[Hospital] Woodbridge Hospital - Are You Mad?

Institute of Mental Health (IMH) - formerly known as the Mental Hospital, was established in 1928. It was later renamed as Woodbridge Hospital in 1951. Today, nobody wants to be associated to the names. Even the road leading to the hospital, Jalan Woodbridge, is now known as Gerald Drive.

So why would anyone want to visit this place? Well, the hospital is no longer the dreary place that it was once known to be. 

In 1993, the hospital moved from the old Jalan Woodbridge to Buangkok. There's a quaint food court that faces the Heritage Garden. There's also the Woodbridge Museum that is open to public.

Main Entrance

Greeting you at the entrance is this antiquated bell. Built in England, this 1928 bell was installed in the old clock tower that has since been demolished. The bell rung thrice a day, reminding the patients that it was meal time. It was also rung on special occasions such as Christmas and New Year.

Heritage Garden

I was actually stopped by the security guards as photography of the wards is not allowed. However, I assured the guard that my intent was pandering towards history and heritage. With that, you want along his way as I continued my visit to the hospital. Walking through the lobby, you will come to the "Heritage Garden".

Photo courtesy of National Library Board (1)
 

As from the newspaper cutting above, one can see the distinctive star burst concrete ventilation that allowed for fresh air to enter the ward. IMH has salvaged one of these ventilation.

Found in the Heritage Garden are other parts of the old building that sought to keep the mentally ill patients in - the metal gates and the solid metal tubes windows.

Woodbridge Museum

To further capture how the Woodbridge Hospital operated in the past, IMH dedicated a portion of space to set up a museum. This is on the second level of the main building.

Seeing some of these rudimentary tools on display, I can just imagine the horrid times that these patients had to go through. 

The non-descript food container and the water jug added no joy to the Woodbridge patients. Everything was sterile; no colours on the wall to add life.

When things get violent and unruly, the staff will whip out their batons and wicket shield to defend the institution.

Visiting the Heritage Garden and the Woodbridge Museum has shown me how much the treatment of mental patients has changed. The current lodging condition of IMH is surely much better than before. Medical advances have also taught medical workers how they can treat mental patients with greater dignity. 

Reference

1. Singapore's New Mental Hospital in Singapore. September 24, 1927. Malayan Saturday Post. P36.

[Historical Site] WWII: Ford Motor Factory

A Japanese bayonet and cap as seen on display at the Ford Factory Museum

A bayonet and a cap sat quietly in a showcase. These items are more than 70 years old but they still strike fear in the hearts of those who have lived through those times. A bayonet, when affixed onto a rifle, was a harbinger of pain. Extinguishing lives before their due. While the cap shades the Japanese soldier from the sun, it also adds on to the fearsome demeanour of the Japanese soldier.

Both these items and more are currently being kept in the Old Memories at Ford Factory Museum along Upper Bukit Timah.  

Frontage of the old Ford Factory

History of the Ford Factory in Singapore

The factory's assembly plant was already running in July 1941 and the cost of the entire set-up came up to $1,000,000. (1) The British government was using this plant to build military vehicles and trucks for use in the war against the axis powers. The Singapore-based plant had also provided a source of income for more than 400 workers.

Photo of Ford Motor Company taken in 1942. Source: National Archives of Singapore

The Surrender Papers

 

This factory was also an important landmark as it was where the fate of Singapore was decided on 15 February 1942. After just eight days of fighting on local soil, Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival had no choice but to surrender as the island was running out of food, water and ammunition.

More lives would have been lost if Percival had chosen to fight on. He was then asked by the Japanese Imperial Army to surrender unconditionally at the Ford Factory, which the Japanese has made it their Imperial Army Headquarters. Victory was on the faces of Lieutenant-General Tomoyuki Yamashita and his staff, while Percival and his men looked forlorn. Both parties walked into the room location at the far left of the factory.

Lt. Gen Yamashita demanded the surrender of the British-led forces. Source: National Archives of Singapore 

Significance of the Table, Chairs and Clock

The dark wooden oak table was of great monumental significance as it saw the pounding of Yamashita's fist on it to demand that the British surrender immediately. It also held up the surrender papers that Lt. Gen Percival signed. The chairs that were used by both the British and Japanese to sign the surrender papers must have felt the strain with the unfurling of such an important event.

Miraculously, all these items survived the war and are now on display in the Old Memories at Ford Factory Museum. Symbolically, the timing on the wall clock shows that it is 6:20 - the exact time that Percival signed over British control of Singapore to the Japanese.

Original table and chairs used in the signing of the surrender documents

Grand Story Teller

To see if we can learn more about this historical place, my colleagues and I made a trip down to the Old Ford Factory. We met a museum staff, Mr Leung Keng Hong. Though he claimed that he was not an official guide, he was extremely kind to have brought us through the exhibits. He gave a very balanced view about why Percival needed to surrender and that war should be avoided at all cost.

Mr Leung in front of the Peace Sculpture

Nugget of Information

Through our entire tour, Mr Leung shared many interesting points which helped to give life to those artifacts that have been silenced for so many years. The tree trunk that was placed in the museum to which he said that the people were so hungry that they stripped the tree of their barks for food. Also, POWs crushed the lalang to extract starch and sugar for their survival.

One interesting point that Mr Leung had raised was that there was a railway track that ran behind the Ford factory. I further quizzed Mr Leung but he could not shed much light to this railway track.

If there was really a railway track at the back of the factory, where could it have been located?


References

1. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). 12 July 1941.

Military Trucks Run Off Assembly Line In Malaya. Page 7