W102781 Size: W208 x H280mm Mac 9 S.Fong 1st JULY - SEPTEMBER 2010 Vol 3 Issue 03 ISSN: 1793-5261 EXPLORE. DREAM. DISCOVER Heritage in Our Backyard: Rediscovering Our Community and Natural Heritage JULY - SEPTEMBER 2010 i W102781 Size: W208 x H280mm Mac 9 S.Fong 1st In Memory of Dr Goh Keng Swee: Architect of Singapore’s Economic, Defence and Education Policies page 92 ii JULY - SEPTEMBER 2010 W102781 Size: W208 x H280mm Mac 9 S.Fong 1st JULY - SEPTEMBER 2010 1 W102781 Size: W208 x H280mm Mac 9 S.Fong 1st JULY - SEPTEMBER 2010 contents 36. learning ThROUGh 62. pictures fROM ThE PAST: looking: ThE natural thE ORIGINALS Of 10. I WANT TO LIVE ANOThER hISTORY COLLECTION Of g.R. LAMBERT Visit the Singapore Philatelic Museum ThOUSAND YEARS thE fORMER RAffLES library AND MUSEUM to view scenes of old Singapore at the Using charcoal, oils and tobacco stains, turn of the 20th century by G.R. Lambert Clement Onn of the Asian Civilisations Indonesian artist Agus Suwage created & Co. Lucille Yap shares some highlights Museum surveys the birth and a series of portraits with a story as from this collection donated by Koh development of the former Raffles intriguing as that of their subjects. Seow Chuan. Library and Museum and the relevance 14. a SURE draw: of natural history collections from the Renaissance to this day when both 68. Sumatra: ISLE Of GOLD thE istana ART EVENT biodiversity and natural history The great civilisations of China, India, Come to the Istana this 8 August to museums faces an uncertain future. Southeast Asia, the Muslim World and enjoy a full day of fun for the family the West have at various times in history through arts and heritage activities at 46. LIVING TREASURES IN ThE arrived at Sumatra, seeking goods from the Istana Art Event. the island’s interior and leaving in TREETOPS: A fRESh LOOK return a cultural legacy that can be seen 18. STREET Hawkers Of at SINGAPORE’S in artefacts at an upcoming special SINGAPORE’S PAST BANDED LEAf MONKEYS exhibition at the Asian Civilisations From a mere handful of survivors, Museum. The lives, struggles and resilience of Singapore’s endangered banded leaf Singapore’s street peddlers are revealed monkeys have staged a comeback in a new exhibition at the National 74. tags & treats: of sorts and are a living symbol of local works Of VINCENT LEOW Museum of Singapore curated by biodiversity and the need to preserve David Chew of the Singapore Art Vidya Murthy. our natural heritage. Museum celebrates the creative vision 24. A GUIDE TO MEMORY LANE: of Vincent Leow, a Singapore artist 52. RAINfORESTS BY ThE SEA: whose works employ living symbols and DISCOVERING SINGAPORE Celebrating SINGAPORE’S timeless icons to explore the themes of ThROUGh NhB’S MANGROVE fORESTS life, death and human vanities. COMMUNITY TRAILS Once they spanned much of Singapore’s Pleasant surprises and startling coastlines. Today, mangrove forests 80. supermighTY! discoveries await those who venture into cover a tiny fraction of their range. MEET AND MARVEL at Singapore’s heartlands to chart the Despite these losses, researchers thE hEROES Of ASIA landmarks and landscapes of are still making fresh discoveries in Heroes and heroines who battled their neighbourhoods as diverse as Jalan these saltwater forests and learning how way into immortality and the memories Besar, Yishun and Bukit Timah. Marcus to conserve these habitats in harmony of Asian cultures are celebrated in a new Ng takes you on a tour of community with humanity. trails with much to savour and treasure. exhibition at the Asian Civilisation Museum. Nicola Kuok shares some highlights. 2 JULY - SEPTEMBER 2010 W102781 Size: W208 x H280mm Mac 9 S.Fong 1st 84. fOOTBALL fEVER! 104. 06. KICK-Off @ SINGAPORE News from NHB museums and Philatelic MUSEUM ShANGhAI WORLD EXPO institutions in Singapore, plus a new Since time immemorial, people have 2010: ShANGhAI at ThE title in MuseViews. enjoyed kicking around a ball for sport. CONfLUENCE Of OLD Football is now the world’s favourite 08. sport and the Singapore Philatelic WORLD ChARM AND NEW Museum celebrates this World Cup WORLD GLAMOUR Highlights from recent acquisitions by season with a special exhibition Fresh from a visit to the Shanghai our museums. combining soccer with stamps. World Expo, Amanda Chan shares her impressions of a city that has 116. 92. IN MEMORY Of DR GOh undergone massive transformation from a sleepy countryside to the Paris Peter Ng of the Raffles Museum of KENG SWEE: ARChITECT of the East, and finally today’s Biodiversity Research offers his of SINGAPORE’S powerhouse of international trade and thoughts on the value of natural heritage in Singapore and prospects ECONOMIC, DEfENCE AND Chinese culture. for its future. Education POLICIES The National Archives of Singapore 112. pays tribute to the achievements of the 118. late Dr Goh Keng Swee, a former ThE VILLAGE VIEW: Current and upcoming events and Cabinet minister whose vision and exhibitions you can expect from our humanity earned him the respect of RECALLING ThE LOCAL museums and institutions. friends from all over the world and even Farm hOUSE his political foes. Kelvin Ang of the Urban Redevelopment Authority revisits the kampong houses 120. of yesteryear and point out the two The Names of the Game traditional styles – Malay and Whimsical musings on the mascots Chinese – that once dominated the of the upcoming Youth Olympic Games rural landscape. and Singapore’s first Olympians by Marcus Ng. JULY - SEPTEMBER 2010 3 W102781 Size: W208 x H280mm Mac 9 S.Fong 1st Volume 3, Issue 3 A visiting heritage consultant from Australia recently told me that he loved Thangamma Marcus Ng coming to Singapore as there were so many interesting heritage places to visit Karthigesu EDITOR and world-class museums to enjoy. He was not far from the truth. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF We have so much to be proud of and enjoy in Singapore where heritage is concerned, be it our architectural heritage, natural heritage or community heritage. Just like our society, our heritage is also multi-cultural and diverse, but in that diversity, there is also a bridge that connects us all and that is our shared memories, experiences and aspirations for ourselves, our families and our society. Tan Bee Leng Norman Lai And this issue of BeMuse celebrates this diverse heritage of ours and PROJECT MANAGER ART DIRECTOR / DESIGNER highlights the many hidden treasures lying in our backyard waiting to be discovered. You will soon realise that the tree biodiversity found in Bukit CONTRIBUTORS Timah Nature Reserve is comparable with that of the entire North American Andie Ang Vidya Murthy Kelvin Ang Marcus Ng continent! And did you know that Balestier has some hidden treasures that Amanda Chan Ng Yan fei you can discover? No, not food outlets and coffee shops, but real treasures Geraldine Cheang Clement Onn of vanishing trades still in business, a monument that tells the story of love, David Chew heidi Tan Joanne Khew Tan Siu Li patriotism and valour and an old film studio which used to produce P Ramlee Kevin Khoo Lucille Yap movies, right here in Singapore – and yes, it is still standing. Nicola Kuok Jean Yong Mischelle Lim I hope that this bumper issue – yes, there are 124 pages all in all, will add to COVER your reading pleasure and will rekindle your curiosity to become a domestic Detail from traditional shophouse at Balestier Road. tourist. Grab your camera and sunglasses, slap on your sunscreen, bring along Copyright: National Heritage Board your water bottle and wear comfortable clothing and shoes and yes, bring BACK COVER along a notebook and you are set to discover Singapore as you have never Picture postcard of Sri Mariamman Temple by G.R. done before. And, if you survive the great Singapore outdoors with our high Lambert. Courtesy of the Singapore Philatelic Museum. humidity levels and temperatures, then why not blog about your experience at PRINTER www.mystory.sg. You can even share with us your heritage trails that you may alsoDominie Press have created along the way. BeMUSE magazine is published by the Education and Till October, here’s wishing our readers plenty of excitement with the exciting Outreach Division of the National Heritage Board. If you have any feedback or would like to contribute an article, 45th National Day celebrations, the Singapore HeritageFest and the inaugural please email: [email protected] Youth Olympics Games. © National Heritage Board, 2010 All right reserved. Views of writers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, without prior permission in writing from the Publisher and copyright owner. Whilst every case is taken to ensure accuracy of the Ms Thangamma Karthigesu information in this publication, the Publisher accepts no liability for damages by misinterpretation of information, expressed or implied, within the pages of the magazine. 4 JULY - SEPTEMBER 2010 W102781 Size: W208 x H280mm Mac 9 S.Fong 1st A view of the Hunters & Collectors exhibition displaying the natural history collection, 2009. JULY - SEPTEMBER 2010 5 W102781 Size: W208 x H280mm Mac 9 S.Fong 1st Kindergarden: Art for the Young at SAM Art Garden: Children’s Season at the Singapore Art Museum opened with a bang on 14 May, allowing young visitors explore and appreciate the world in new and different ways through contemporary art. SAM at 8Q has been transformed into a magical ‘art garden’ filled with artworks inspired by nature, encouraging children to learn about art-making through play. To date, over 17,000 children, students and young-at-heart adults have hopped into this fun and interactive exhibition.