Finding Old In New : Singapore River
Through the recent years, Singapore has been constantly advancing, making changes to countless things from buildings to places and even names! With such rapid changes, one may forget the beauty of what the early days of Singapore was like, as they say ‘Old is Gold’ - here’s to rediscovering the never changing in an ever-evolving environment.
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Ebb and Flow
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The Singapore River has been through several incarnations throughout its existence but always playing an integral role in the history of Singapore.
A Line Of Changes
Before the clean-up, the Singapore River was heavily polluted with waste by families and farmers who were living in bumboats along the river edge. Costing nearly $300 million, at least 26,000 families and 2,800 cottage industries were relocated during the clean-up. Today, the river is surrounded by pubs and a breathtaking view of Singapore’s skyline.
Taste Of Sweetness
Mr Tee Yeo Yeo, 81, has been selling ice cream along the Singapore River for more than 7 years. Witnessing the rapid evolution of the surrounding, Mr Tee serves as just a nice reminder of the early days in Singapore. With the old school ice cream sandwich along with his warm smile, Mr Tee leaves more than just a sweet memory to his customers.
The Lion Mermaid
The Lion Mermaid: A blend of mermaid and lion, the Merlion is an iconic symbol in Singapore. The mermaid represents “Temasek”, the fishing village that Singapore was once called, also known as “Sea Town”. While the lion represents Singapore’s old name, “Singapura”, which means lion city. The Merlion was built from November 1971 to August 1972 and relocated in 2002 to the opposite side of the Esplanade bridge, facing the east.
The River's Newest Jewel
The Marina Bay Sands reflected through a construction worker’s sunglass. Opened in 2011, the integrated resort is the most expensive building in the world, costing over six-billion dollars.
Lights In The Sky
In the past, it used to be a place for people to make a living. Now it is being used as a place for tourism and entertainment every night. Here you are able to witness the colourful laser light that creates a contrasting effect against the dark skies. The shows begins at 8pm and 9pm on weekdays, and on weekends there is an additional show at 11pm, each show lasts about 13 minutes.
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Photo-Essay – Curriculum-based industry
The photo essay was done as a part of the M314 module. The photo-essay was angled in such a way to promote the Singapore river, and to raise awareness about the similarities and differences between the Singapore river of the past and present.
A product of : Or Yong Fang