Charmaine's Reflection



Charmaine’s Reflections
For a long time, I have seen the history of Singapore through a rather superficial lens. It mainly consisted of significant milestones that shaped Singapore to what it is today. History lessons were also about using negative examples in the past to caution us on what might Singapore become should people allow history to repeat itself.  I did not find Singapore’s history particularly interesting in my Secondary school days and I wanted to learn that something extra apart from the usual narrative that we have been told repeatedly. Through this trail, I am glad to have learnt more about people’s history through the lanes of namely Chinatown district, Ang Siang Hill and Telok Ayer Street. Though the area has been urbanised, the historical buildings and shophouses interspersed between the malls, skyscrapers and cafes have aroused my imagination as to the kind of simple yet vibrant lives those living in 19th century Chinatown had.
Tracing back the history behind these street names also allowed me to have a better understanding of the way of life and trades of the people then. For instance, Club Street got its name due to the many Chinese (in particular, Hokkien) clubs set up there in the 1800s. It was a popular leisure destination as it is now with many bars and cafes lining the street. Another interesting fact is that the old well at the foot of Ann Siang Park which used to serve the residents in the area is still standing today. Our last stop at the Chinese Heritage Centre was also an eye-opening one. The replica of a shophouse brought us a step closer into the lives of the Chinese in early Singapore. I saw for myself the narrow wooden corridor that connected the rooms of different families, as described by grandmother. It was a place familiar to my grandparents who grew up then but one so unfamiliar to me and my friends. It is a pity that not many shophouses have maintained their original interior structure but I am heartened to see the experiences of our grandparents’ generation living on through the Heritage Centre.
      
Coming from a SAP primary school, there was a fair bit of focus on the contributions of Chinese immigrants in Singapore. I remember more clearly the accounts of the coolies, the night soil workers and the Samsui women than the occupations of fellow Indian immigrants and Malay locals. However, one observation that stood out to me during the trail was the presence of religious buildings of other ethnicities in Chinatown. There was the Al-Abrar Mosque, the Thian Hock Keng Temple and the Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre all lining the Telok Ayer Street.

 Caption: Nagore Dargah Heritage Centre next to a tentage from Thian Hock Keng temple, against the backdrop of a skyscraper.
Racial harmony was already evident in the different religious buildings coexisting side by side as opposed to the supposed construct of harmony through the implementation of the Raffles Town plan in the 1820s. These religious buildings were also a form of identity and a place of community for the immigrants from abroad. Religion, as represented by the places of worship, was a part of their heritage back home that they could bring with them as they sojourned this foreign land. I would think that it played a big role in the lives of the early immigrants, for it provided solace, reminded them of their roots and connected them with their loved ones back home through prayers and well wishes.
The Chinatown trail was a memorable one that showed me a different side of Singapore – one that is easily forgotten with the hub and bustle of life but should nonetheless, be appreciated and cherished. 


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