I
always thought that Singapore was an insignificant ‘sleeping village’ before it
gained its independence in 1965. The trail has definitely proven that whatever
I knew previously about Singapore was wrong.
I am
very glad to have participated in this heritage trail. Walking around Singapore
River stopping by at each designated stop to learn about its history and
significance was so amazing. It was like revisiting the areas’ glorious past.
For example, Singapore River used to be the lively trade centre. The Read
Bridge has always been a lively gathering place since the old days, a purpose
which the bridge is still serving today. The upstream of Merchant Road near the
Read Bridge was once a busy fuel hub. Although it was just a few hours of
trailing around Singapore River, I realized that there were so many things to
learn about the area’s past. But, how many people know about all this knowledge
in details?
There
are obviously some government movements to preserve Singapore’s historical
heritage. Establishing museums and putting up plaques near the historical sites
and buildings, definitely endeavors to commemorate their significant pasts and
preserving the historical heritage. The question is how many people actually
explore the museum or even have the interest or curiosity to read the
information inscribed on the plaques? Even if there are people who do read up
the plaques, I feel that the information is not enough to provide a general
idea about the historical sites and buildings. For instance, there is some
background on who established the Whampoa’s Ice House and why it was built.
But, the public would not have known that the building is actually a replica
and it was not built on its original site.
There
were some significant buildings that were totally forgotten too. The premises
of No. 31 and No. 45C along Boat Quay, used to be the former premises of
the Gambier and Pepper Society and headquarters of the Rubber Trade Association
respectively. Today, the No. 31 building has become the night pub while the latter
is now the offices for the solicitors.
I would not have known about
all these histories had I not gone for this heritage trail. This trail has
given me the ‘eye opener’ to discover the region’s hidden and forgotten rich
heritage. So, personally I feel that conservation and commercial reuse of historical
sites in Singapore has somewhat successful in preserving our historical
heritage. However, unless the trail is made compulsory for both locals and
foreigners to participate, it is not that easy to arouse their interest in
pursuing this trail or even draws their attention to read the historical
plaques at least. As what has been discussed among our teammates, we believed
that government and local historians could have done more to pass down the
knowledge of the historical legacies to the students and public.
0 comments: