Friday, August 23rd to Tuesday, August 27th, 2024 - Singapore - City of the Future?

Supertree Grove

When I first visited Singapore in 1966, it had only been an independent nation for a year. It had declared it's independence from Britain in 1963 to become a state of its northern neighbor, Malaysia. Deep differences in political and economic ideology between them quickly became apparent and in 1965 the physically small nation of Singapore was formed. Although it is only 290 square miles (about half the size of Rhode Island), with a population of 5.6 million, the GDP of this tiny nation ranks 32nd in the world and it is fourth in the 2024 Global Innovation Index.

The Supertree Grove, pictured above is an example of such innovation. In addition to being a striking feature of the cityscape, the artificial 'trees' provide an innovative way to grow plants vertically - they are home to over 160,000 plants such as bromeliads, ferns, orchids and other tropical climbers. The 'trees' also house solar panels that provide cooling and generate electricity for light shows. They also harvest rainwater for irrigation and fountain displays and they act as exhaust towers to regulate temperature and humidity. You can see people at the top, as they are also a tourist attraction - one that I did not manage to get to.

Singapore - A Thoroughly Modern City! (Photo by Sarah Lamp)

On my first visit, nearly 60 years ago (a frightening fact to admit to!), there were few buildings over two stories high. The typical architecture was colonial white, with shuttered windows and wide pavements, to accommodate the deep gutters that handled the heavy tropical rains. In another brief visit in the late 1970's not much had changed. I was struck by seeing a a man, clothed completely in white, sleeping on a high cot that had been set up outside his home, to catch the cooler temperatures. I was astonished that the street was a safe enough place to sleep. 

Only pockets of that old city remain, the gleaming, modern world you see above, has replaced it.

Safety Barrier on MRT

The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) system is clean, affordable, extensive, uncrowded and easy to navigate. Trains are frequent, signage is in English and one only needs to tap on and tap off with a credit card to use it. 

Typical Bus

The buses were equally user friendly. With Google Maps as my guide, I had free reign of the city, feeling safe the entire time. I wish it were so in many of our cities.

Marina Bay Sands - Integrated Resort

The iconic Marina Bay Sands structure was opened in 2010 as an integrated resort, which means there's lot's of stuff in those three towers - including hotel rooms, suites, restaurants, convention center and at the very top a three acre 'Skypark' and casino. It's almost worth reading about it on Wikipedia it is so substantial. While the horizontal casino on top evokes a ship, the three towers were intended to represent stacks of playing cards to highlight its primary function as a casino. 

As is so often the case with modern Asian architecture, the gaps in the buildings could be 'dragon gates' as part of of feng shui design. These gates allow the dragons to fly through the area with out obstruction. You might think that the dragons carry bad energy, but in fact the opposite is true - their energy is considered to bring good fortune (associate it with their love of gold) and a solid building might block them, which would result in misfortune.

Cloud Forest

Near the Marina Sands Bay Casino are several other attractions in the Gardens by the Bay, which were our destination for the day. According to Wikipedia "Gardens by the Bay was part of the nation's plan to transform its 'Garden City', to a 'City in a Garden' with the aim of raising the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city". In addition to the supertrees we saw in the first photo, there are two huge domes that contain gardens. The first we visited was the Cloud Forest, a two acre space enclosed in glass with a 138 foot 'mountain' and the world's second tallest indoor waterfall at 115 feet high. 

Left to Right - Robyn, Sarah and Me At the Base of the Cloud Mountain Waterfall 

It was a wonderful space, full of people enjoying the delights of the falling water, the coolness inside and the proliferation of vegetation that would typically grow in cool mountain regions higher than 1,000 feet. The path spiraled around the 'mountain' in a most pleasing way.

Orchid

We took oodles of photos of the flowers and plants, delighting in seeing them 'up close and personal'.

Hina, Personification of the Moon - Maori Carving - Gift From New Zealand

Scattered among the vegetation were a variety of art installations. I particularly liked this face from New Zealand, which was donated during a 2020 visit from Julia Ahern, the New Zealand Prime Minister at that time. The face of Hina represents the importance of light in Maori culture, which symbolically denotes awakening and enlightenment.

'Ethereal White Persians' Chihuly Glass

Another installation that many might recognize was this arrangement of glass flowers from the artist Chihuly. It was donated by a philanthropic organization, the Tanoto Foundation. I associate Chihuly's work with vivid colors, so I was particularly drawn to this collection of Etheral White Persians, and spent some time trying to capture reflections in the pond.

A Popular Place - Looking Down From the Height of Cloud Mountain

While these attractions draw many tourists, locals are encouraged to attend with lower pricing and the delight of experiencing cooler temperatures of a mountain environment.

Baobab Trees in the Flower Dome

Next to the Cloud Forest, is the Flower Dome, three acres of enclosed garden, with a cool-dry Mediterranean climate. In 2015 it was listed as the largest greenhouse in the world in the Guinness Book of World Records. While it's called 'flower' dome, as you can see above,

there were mature trees in there as well......

Tiny Succulents

....along with beautifully arranged collections of tiny succulents.

Creation of Earth?

Like the Cloud Forest, there were installations of artwork throughout. I couldn't find any information about this one, but it reminded me of Michelangelo's 'Creation of Adam' from the Sistine Chapel....only the hand is reaching out to hold the earth, instead of Adam, and the central figure is surrounded by animals instead of humans. I loved the way the tree roots had been used to create the figures.

Owl?

I also liked this little guy - again, I did not find details, but it was very similar to others that had come from Zimbabwe. I loved his little shrug and slightly off balance look.

A Lush Environment

Both the Cloud Forest and the Flower Garden were lovely spaces to meander through - lots of pixels are removed in cell phones and cameras - perhaps they should charge by the megapixel?!

If you want more information about the Gardens by the Bay here is their website https://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/.

The Jelly Baby Family by Mauro Peruchetti at Plaza Singapura

Art installations are not exclusive to enclosed spaces. I was charmed by this collection of 'jelly'-like resin sculptures when I visited nearby Fort Canning Park.

Fort Canning Tree Tunnel

As I left Fort Canning, I decided to get to the bus through the Tree Tunnel, which sounded intriguing. As I walked down this spiral staircase surrounded by vegetation, I noticed this girl sitting on the side wall. I was curious.

Instagram Spot

As I went further down I saw why she was sitting there in such a composed manner. It was a place for people to pose for their instagram photos. You can see others patiently waiting in the tunnel for their turn.

A Pretty Picture

Once I got to the bottom and looked back up, I could see what a lovely backdrop the wall provided for posed photos. I fear I had disrupted their photography session as I descended. Here, art was in the hands of the people to create for themselves.

Many Were Waiting Their Turn

I laughed when I got in the tunnel to se the sheer number of eager photographers and was impressed with the respect they showed to each other as they waited their turn. I'm surprised they didn't hiss at me for holding things up! See how popular art is in Singapore!

Street Mural Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Bugis

Before I leave the art theme, here's one last piece of work I found on a long fence by the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, which was near our hotel in Bugis. It was nearly twice as long as the photo shows, but I was intrigued by it, as it looked very similar to some of the the street art I had found in Yogyakarta.

Fraser Street

I enjoyed exploring the city streets of Singapore. They were clean, devoid of motorbikes, street vendors, and debris, so were easy to navigate. The architecture is diverse. As you might imagine, much of it is commercial space. I know that most people live in high rises further out of the city and that the rate of homeownership is among the highest in the world. Unlike many other large cities I've visited, there was no evidence of poverty or homelessness, so I wanted to believe that this problem has been solved with social support. Sadly, when I checked Google with regard to this, I was disappointed to find out that my 'optimistic glasses' were incorrect and there certainly is poverty here - there is a large income disparity between the haves and the have nots. I guess the good news is that the government does provide a variety of social supports through a variety of programs for those who qualify as 'poor'. Another piece of good news is that homelessness is low - 1,036 in 2024 according to World Population Review. For a population of over 5 million, that is much lower than the rates experienced here in the US.

Bugis Junction Shopping Mall

For my years growing up in Australia, Singapore was regarded as a low cost shopping haven. Aussies would even make special trips for shopping sprees. It's history as a free trading port is long. It benefits from its location on the tip of the Malay peninsula, and a natural sheltered harbor. According to a taxi driver we met, there are no tsunamis, no cyclones and no earthquakes in the region - nice low risk living! (If you fact check his statement, it's not quite accurate, but I was impressed!)

Its economic success is built on a number of factors, including a business friendly environment, low corruption, political stability, and a system which involves significant government oversight (called dirigiste in case you want to look it up!).

This results in a place where not only tourists, but many locals can enjoy the many shopping malls scattered throughout the city. However, it did not strike me as a place where I would seek to stock up on much. Accommodation and food were both expensive - especially coming from Indonesia, I had sticker shock!

Crowd Control?

The transformation this city has gone through in its 60 years is remarkable, but is no accident. As you fly in to the country, an announcement is made on board the plane that penalties of death apply for trafficking drugs. (Does that mean you have to throw it out in the plane before landing?) Even lighter offences, such as importing chewing gum, smoking, littering or picking flowers in public places will be met with penalties. Public demonstrations are rare as they must be licensed by the authorities but public speaking without a license can be done at a 'speakers corner' in a city park, although ones 'personal details' must be registered with the National Parks Board ahead of time. 

I thought the prospect of being mowed down by a vehicle such as the one above would cause a person to check their commitment to whatever cause they hold dear to their heart!

The Modern Boat Quay

I generally ventured out early in the mornings to avoid the heat in hope that I would have the energy and interest to venture out at night, when the city lights transform it. One of those nights we went to Boat Quay on the south bank of the Singapore River.

Restaurants along Boat Quay

It was a vibrant, colorful scene, but one where the touts were busy, calling out to one to come in to their restaurant. We finally settled on one at the far end, because they hadn't hassled us, and because is was called Charlie's Place. Charlie is the name of Sarah's partner, who had joined our little group when we arrived in Singapore.

Fullerton Hotel

The view across the river to the Fullerton Hotel was vibrant. It dates back to the 1920's, so seeing it without the surrounds of tall buildings evoked the Singapore of old.

Bay Sands Casino Laser Light Show

We also made our way back out to the casino to view their nightly laser light show. It was a modest display, but the city behind it gleamed in its magnificence.

There were many other parts of the modern city I could have visited, but my heart yearned to see some of the older areas that have been preserved, to assure myself that it's rich history has not been eradicated. 

My next blog will share some of the old Singapore with you. 

Perhaps I'll have to make another trip to complete my curiosities about the new sights here. Perhaps then I could decide if this is the city of the future that I would like to live in.