Shu Yi's Reflections

a. What was your impression of Singapore history and cultural heritage before going on the trail?

To be honest, I do not know much about the culture heritage in Singapore history. All I knew was the famous Chinatown for the Chinese, Kampong Glam for the Malays, Little India for the Indians and perhaps the Singapore River and Clark Quay having significant architects of the British. I had the impression that Singapore History from the heritage point of view was just all about Raffles and Singapore Independence. On the other hand, cultural heritage was just about the history of the 4 main races in Singapore residing in different parts of Singapore. I actually find cultural heritage very boring because all I see were statues and old structures that has no meaning to me. Hence, I wasn't too excited about the whole idea of a heritage trail. When our group is assigned to go to Joo Chiat, I did panicked for awhile because I have no idea where Joo Chiat is despite being a Singaporean. I thought Joo Chiat was just another random district part of a Singapore's town council.

  

b. How has your experience of the trail changed your perception of Singapore

history and her cultural heritage?

During the trial, I do observe that some architects and landmarks are uniquely Peranakan. However, as I walk pass the shop houses and roads, they do not give me a very special feel that I am at a Peranakan district. Other than the landmarks, the rest of the areas are actually quite typical to other districts in Singapore such as Geylang. I came to a realization that cultural heritage is actually not just about the famous places for the 4 main races but it is about every part of Singapore. Every district in Singapore has a history and the district names could hint about the main activities in that area in the past. That reminds me of the increasing number of districts being labelled as heritage areas by the Singapore government. Contrary to my expectations, I actually had fun during the heritage trail. This could be because there were now more information boards at the heritage areas to explain the history of the place. There are also lotus marks on the ground signifying that the area is considered a heritage area. Since we are armed with maps and are walking around the district with a purpose, I feel that the trail was more guided and meaningful compared to my past experiences. The mixture of old and modern districts in one area can tell us a lot about how the type of activities and culture of the area has evolved. Joo Chiat today was not just about a place only for Peranakans. I observe people of different races and religion living at the same area. There were Eurasians living in one of the private housing and there were Hindus having ceremonial worship in their Hindu temple. There are also foreigners lurking around the area. Neither of them signify the Peranakan culture that we expect out of a Peranakan area. I learnt that cultural heritage was not just about the study of the past but also about how the culture of the place have evolved over time to the modern day. It is an important knowledge of how we the present generation have benefited and have built upon what the ancestors have given us.  

c. Share some insights (if any) about Singapore’s past and the way it is represented

(symbolically and physically) that you have gained from the trail.

Although many places are deemed as 'heritage sites', it is obvious that  the internal of the buildings has been renovated and the exterior refurbished in an effort to preserve the building and use it to attract tourist. Although the Peranakan buildings, architects and shops are in place for people to see, touch and feel, it feels like an empty shell because people in the area no longer practice the traditional way of life Peranakans do and there is no sight of anyone wearing a Peranakan costume.  I could not seem to feel the culture of Peranakans like how I feel the Chinese and Indian culture present in Chinatown and Little India respectively. Cultural heritage was supposed to be a legacy left behind for future generations to carry on. I think it is a pity that the Peranakan culture in Joo Chiat was left with more about structures and architects for display rather than culture that people still practice today. Perhaps there are still traditional families around, but I personally did not get to observe or find any of them during my heritage trail.