Along the Esplanade

Bendemeer Station

Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) code of polite behavior

Back down along the Singapore River to the

Boat Quay

A historical quay in Singapore which is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River on its southern bank. It spans from the shophouses near UOB Plaza, stretching along one bank of the Singapore River, all the way to Elgin Bridge.

It was the busiest part of the old Port of Singapore, handling three-quarters of all shipping business during the 1860s. Because the south of the river here resembles the belly of a carp fish, which according to Chinese belief is where wealth and prosperity lay, many shophouses were built, crowding the area. The shophouses on the boat quay have been carefully conserved and now house various bars, pubs and restaurants.

(source: Wikipedia)

A close up of the MICA building

Shophouses

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel in the background

You are HERE

Across the river from the shophouses is the Asian Civilisations Museum

(Yes, 'civilisations' is spelled correctly)

On this historic site

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles

first landed in Singapore

on 28th January 1819

and with genius and perception

changed the destiny of Singapore

from an obscure fishing village

to a great seaport and

modern metropolis

(so reads the plaque)

Right next door to the museum is the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall

Completed in 1862 as the Town Hall

People enjoying the lawns around the museum

Christian Art in Asia

Christian art, despite the religion's Middle Eastern origin, is often regarded as a Western art form. Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic art are more typically regarded as Asian.

These works of art bridge many cultures and religions. The patrons and audiences were not always Christians themselves, nor were the makers. Some of the objects in (the museum) were made for people who took an interest in the ideas and art of Christianity—perhaps because of shared spiritual values.

Many Asian rulers took an interest in the religion and collected Christian images, even though they did not convert. Rulers in the Islamic courts of Syria, Iran, and Mughal India owned Christian images, and so too did the Chinese imperial court and warlords in Japan.

Conversion = Modernity

By 1900 conversion was regarded by the European colonial administrators as a tool that could transform societies, and bring "modernity”—and greater state control—to isolated groups in the interior who had long practised indigenous beliefs rooted in animism and ancestor veneration.

In Singapore, the first Christian mission arrived in 1819, the same year British colonialist Stamford Raffles landed on the island. In 1836, the Armenian community opened Singapore's first Christian church, dedicated to Saint Gregory the Illuminator. Both Protestants and Catholics set up schools, ran orphanages and shelters for the poor, and pushed for social reform.

Female missionaries advocated for the education and social advancement of women. Throughout Asia, education was a crucial strategy for conversion. Immigrants and locals enrolled their children in these schools to acquire an education that they hoped would lead to better opportunities under the British colonial government.

(source: Asian Civilisations Museum)

Power and Protection

Warriors in Southeast Asia adorned themselves with ornamental garments, wielded machetes, and carried shields in combat. This equipment was also worn for rituals associated with battle. Avenging grievances, territorial disputes, and head hunting for funeral rites were some of the main reasons for attacking a neighbouring enemy. Women assisted in encouraging and celebrating success in battle, and the men returned with old beads, gongs, and brassware as spoils.

Prowess in battle brought fear and respect. Weapons and war clothes were adorned with decorations that indicated victory, such as shells, beads, and feathers. The designs of these objects also had a purpose: Tree of Life images on shields invoked the protection of ancestors, while large, intimidating faces scared enemies and protected the bearer.

Weapons and battle garments, once treasured heirlooms, were passed down through generations. Many have transcended their original purpose.

Weapons like the palitai of Mentawai communities are important objects in formalised gift-exchange traditions, such as marriage customs. Today, when their importance no longer lies in warfare, these objects are employed in ceremonial practices, particularly traditional dances.

(source: Asian Civilisations Museum)

The museum had a special exhibit that was most interesting to Aaron and I, living on Guam:

MANILA GALLEON

FROM ASIA TO THE AMERICAS

From 1565 to 1815, enormous ships carried luxury goods and other products from Asia across the Pacific Ocean to the Americas. These Spanish galleons sailed annually from the port of Manila in the Philippines and, after a long and dangerous journey across the Pacific, arrived at Acapulco on the west coast of Mexico, then called New Spain. From there, goods made their way to the rest of Mexico, the Americas, and Spain.

The Manila-Acapulco route expanded global trade. For centuries, Asian goods had flowed westward overland via the Silk Road. In the late 15th century, the Portuguese began to ship merchandise from Asia through the Indian Ocean, around Africa to Portugal.

The Manila galleons introduced a new eastward route to the Americas and Europe. The galleon trade was a multifaceted instrument of Spanish colonialism. It ensured Spain's control of the Philippines, brought profitable trade, and furthered the Christianisation of Asia. This trade led to economic exploitation and environmental degradation, but also fostered rich cultural exchanges. This exhibition explores the galleon trade and its complex legacy, which remains deeply felt in the Philippines, Mexico, and Spain.

Manila and Mexico City were emporiums for goods from all over Asia, including China, India, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

The galleon cargoes were made up primarily of Chinese silk and porcelain, but also included spices and finished goods from throughout Asia. This merchandise was paid for with silver mined in Mexico and Bolivia, which China greatly desired. Tragically, the galleons also carried slaves to Mexico, who brought with them customs that shaped the identities and cultures of every country involved in the trade. The Manila galleon trade ended in 1815, precipitated by the rise of the Dutch and British empires and the destruction of the Napoleonic Wars in Spain. The Philippines remained a Spanish colony until 1898.

(source: Asian Civilisations Museum)

This is where it gets interesting!

GALLEONS ACROSS THE PACIFIC

Because of the winds and currents, the galleons could only sail at specific times of the year. Early in the galleon trade, as many as four ships travelled together between Manila and Acapulco. The Spanish government attempted to limit the fleet to two ships, but this rule was not alwavs followed. Of a total of 400 sailings in the 250-year history of the galleons, there were 59 losses due to wrecks or piracy.

On the westward journey, the galleons departed Acapulco in February or March and used the trade winds to reach Guam, where they replenished supplies, and then travelled to the Philippines. In the early days of the trade the trip could take up to four months, but by the mid-17th century the average crossing was 40 days. The galleons entered and departed Manila through the San Bernardino Strait, between Luzon and Samar Island.

Traders from all over Asia gathered in Manila to sell merchandise for the galleons. The ships left Manila for Acapulco in late June or early July. The eastward journey was much more difficult, taking six to eight months. Changing winds altered the speed of crossing. Most galleons carried a cargo of between 1,000 and 2,000 tonnes. Merchants could earn huge profits on Asian goods. A roll of silk in Mexico was worth ten times what it was in Manila. The Spanish government and port brokers took a share of the trade, bringing great wealth to Spain.

(source: Asian Civilisations Museum)

We had no idea Guam was a stopover for trade!

It doesn't take much to entertain us!

Cavenagh Bridge, c. 1869

The only suspension bridge and one of the oldest in Singapore

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore is a five-star luxury hotel. The Fullerton Building was opened in 1928. The building had five founding tenants: the General Post Office, The Exchange, Singapore Club (now Singapore Town Club), the Marine Department, and the Import and Export Department (later the Ministry of Trade and Industry). It also housed the Chamber of Commerce, and various government departments dealing with agriculture, fisheries and forestry.

(source: Wikipedia)

Life is NOT perfect but your outfit can be.

(so reads the bag)

Emerald Hill

Located amidst the hustle and bustle of Orchard Road, Emerald Hill was previously the site of a former nutmeg orchard, and later developed into a fashionable neighborhood for the wealthy Chinese. The historical shophouses, old world charm and bustling watering holes make for a great place to kick back with a cocktail in hand, which is exactly what we did after looking around.

The Alleybar

Emerald Hill, once a cherished locale for Peranakan families in 1900s Singapore, became a conservation area in 1985, renaming six Orchard Road shophouses as "Peranakan Place." In the 1990s, the Ong family transformed an abandoned alley between two shophouses into Alleybar, opening in 1999. It stands as one of Singapore's oldest heritage bars.