Monthly Archives: April 1992

Sentosa Island – Pioneers of Singapore/Surrender Chambers Museum (Singapore)

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Upon arrival at the ferry terminal, we strolled along the Fountain Garden to the eclectic Pioneers of Singapore/Surrender Chambers Museum (opened in 1983).

Fountain Gardens

The Pioneers of Singapore offers a chronological history of the city-state, from the 14th century to the early 20th century, recreated via an animated and narrated tableaux in wax depicting the pre-British period of Malaysian rule, British colonialism, the founding of colonial Singapore by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the Japanese Occupation and the post-colonialist era under Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first Prime Minister.

Pioneers of Singapore

The Surrender Chambers, which depicts Singapore during the World War II years (1941-1945), captures the humiliation of defeat and the joy of victory through the use of rare audio and visual archive material such as photographs and footage, with realistic wax works recapturing the historical moments of the signing of both the British’s humiliating surrender on February 15, 1942 and the Japanese surrender to the Allies on September 12, 1945.

In 1994, the Pioneers of Singapore/Surrender Chambers Museum was extended to include a section called Festivals of Singapore and the attraction was rechristened “Images of Singapore.” The popular wax tableau Surrender Chambers has now been relocated, from Sentosa’s Images of Singapore Museum, to Fort Siloso.

Surrender Chambers

Enroute to Sentosa Island (Singapore)

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After our city tour and lunch, we again availed of another RMG Tours Pte. Ltd. tour, this time to the resort island of Sentosa (S$22 each). We were transported to the Mt. Faber Station where we boarded a 6-pax gondola of the Singapore Cable Car System (actually a bi-cable, detachable-grip gondola lift system), traversing 2 supporting towers and the World Trade Center & Ferry Terminal, to Sentosa.

Mount Faber Cable Car Station

Opened on February 15, 1974, it was the first aerial ropeway system in the world to span a harbor. Traveling the 1,650 m. distance at a speed of 4 m. per second, it took us about 12 mins. to get from Mount Faber to Sentosa, including the short interval at the World Trade Center.

World Trade Center and Ferry Terminal

Opened on February 15, 1974, it was the first aerial ropeway system in the world to span a harbor. Traveling 1,650 m. distance at a speed of 4 m. per second, it took us about 12 mins. to get from Mount Faber to Sentosa, including the short interval at the World Trade Center.

The Mount Faber Station has now been renamed as Jewel Box Station while the World Trade Center was renamed as the HarbourFront Centre in 2000 and its cable car station as the HarbourFront Station.

Sentosa

City Tour – Botanic Garden (Singapore)

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Lastly, from Mt. Faber, we then proceeded to the 74-hectare (183-acre) Botanic Garden. This combination of 4 hectares of primary jungle and elegantly planned and manicured gardens and greenhouses is home to 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of orchids, including many rare specimens. Malaysia’s rubber industry had its origins here in the 19th century when Henry Ridley successfully propagated and tapped Brazilian rubber trees from London’s Kew Gardens in 1877.

Botanic Garden – Vanda Miss Joachim

A high point of our visit here is the Victorian-style Orchid Pavilion with its 1,200 orchid plants, including the Vanda Miss Joaquim (honoring the daughter of a respected Armenian family), Singapore’s national flower, and a lilac bloom named after Singapore’s four millionth visitor, Jane Deny of Australia. A lake, home to waterfowl, ducks and kingfishers, adds to the serenity of the gardens. We also browse around at the RISIS Souvenir Shop.

Botanic Garden – RISIS Souvenir Shop

After our city tour, we had lunch along Victoria St.

Botanic Garden: 1 Cluny Rd. cor. Napier St., Singapore 259569.  Tel: 6471 7361. Open daily, 5 AM-12 midnight. Admission is free.

City Tour – Mt. Faber (Singapore)

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View of City From Mount Faber

From Chinatown, we moved out of the city to the 105 m. (344 ft.) Mt. Faber (actually just a hill), the highest point in the southern part of Singapore and a frequent tourist destination.  Located near the Bukit Merah planning area in the Central Region, it overlooks the Telok Blangah area, and the western parts of the Central Area.

Formerly known as Telok Blangah Hill, it was renamed after Capt. Charles Edward Faber of the Madras Engineers.  The hill’s slope includes a tower that is part of the Singapore cable car system.  Here, we had a panoramic view of Singapore Harbor, the Central Business District and, over the  horizon, the islands of the Riau Archipelago of Indonesia.

City Tour – Sri Mariammam Temple (Singapore)

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Sri Mariammam Temple – Gopuram

Also within Chinatown is the Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple. Originally built in 1827 in wood and attap, a major part of the present structure is believed to have been built in 1862-1863.  Built in the Dravidian style, this temple mainly serves  the South Indian Tamil community. On July 6, 1973, due to its architectural and historical significance, the temple was gazetted as a National Monument.

Sri Mariammam Temple – Ceiling

The impressive 6-iered gopuram (entrance tower), the most outstanding feature of the temple, was built in 1925 and tapers up towards to a moulded ornamental ridge.  It was repaired, restored and richly embellished with an elaborate proliferation of sculptures of Hindu deities, other figures and ornamental decorations, in the 1960s.

Sri Mariammam Temple – Ceiling

The scale of each tier  of the gopuram and its sculptures, slightly smaller than that of the tier immediately below it, helps to create the illusion of height and adds to the symbolic importance of the building. On the right of the gopuram, as we entered the temple, is a sculpture of Murugan  while on the left is one of Krishna, all made with plaster (allowing for fine detailing) and are painted in a variety of bright colors (adding to the visually spectacular quality).

Sri Mariammam Temple: 244 South Bridge Rd., Chinatown, Singapore.

City Tour – Thian Hock Keng Temple (Singapore)

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Thian Hock Keng Temple (Temple of Heavenly Happiness) – Entrance

From Merlion Park, we next moved on to the Chinatown area were we visited the Thian Hock Keng Temple (Temple of Heavenly Happiness), one of the oldest and most important Hokkien temples in Singapore.

Thian Hock Keng Temple (Temple of Heavenly Happiness) – Courtyard

Built in traditional southern Chinese architectural style from 1839-1842 by Mr Tan Tock Seng and Mr Si Hoo Keh, it was visited by Chinese immigrants giving thanks to Ma Chu P’oh or Ma Zu (the Chinese Goddess of the Sea) for their safe voyage.  The temple replaced a humble joss house established here in 1821 by Hokkien immigrants from Amoy (China).  In 1973, it was gazetted as a National Monument.

Thian Hock Keng Temple (Temple of Heavenly Happiness) – Courtyard

This architectural masterpiece of stone, tiles and wood, assembled without nails, is embellished with dragons and phoenixes, amazing carvings, intricate sculptures and imposing columns.

Thian Hock Keng Temple (Temple of Heavenly Happiness) – Courtyard

Granite tablets on the wall inside the Entrance Hall record the details of the temple’s history.  There is also a plaque, presented by Qing Dynasty Emperor Guang Xu in 1907, inscribed with the words Bo Jing Nan Ming (Gentle Waves over the South Seas), evidence of the temple’s stature.

Thian Hock Kieng Temple: Telok Ayer St., Singapore.

City Tour – Merlion (Singapore)

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After breakfast at the hotel, we left on our city tour ( RMG Tours Pte. Ltd., S$21 each).  A surprise was our first destination – the bustling Serangoon Central Wet Market along Serangoon Rd. (Little India’s main thoroughfare), well stocked with the freshest vegetables, meat, fish, spices, etc.  and surprisingly fly-free.

Merlion Park

From Serangoon Rd. we made a short photo-op stopover at Merlion Park which houses the 8.6 m. high, 70-ton statue of the merlion, a mythical creature with the body of a fish and the head of a lion. The statue, made from November 1971 to August 1972 by the late Singapore sculptor Lim Nag Seng, was installed on September 15, 1972 at the mouth of the Singapore River, with the Anderson Bridge as its background.

In 1997, the completion of the Esplanade Bridge blocked the views of the Merlion from the Marina Bay waterfront.By then, its original location was also no longer the entrance of Singapore River. In 2002, the statue and its cub were relocated, from April 23-25, 2002, 120 m., to the current Merlion Park, fronting Marina Bay, where it stands on a newly reclaimed promontory in front of the Fullerton Hotel.

Indonesia: Batam Island

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Mom and I finally arrived at Finger Pier, at the end of Prince Edward Rd., and I got us fast ferry tickets (S$28 round trip).  Ferries for Sekupang Pier, the main entry point in the 715 sq. km. Batam Island, leave every half hour.

Later in the year, the regional ferry operation at Finger Pier was relocated to the S$50 million International Passenger Terminal (IPT) at the Harbourfront Cruise Centre (formerly World Trade Center).

On Board the Fast Ferry Sea Flyte of Dino Shipping Pte. Ltd

We left on board Dino Shipping Pte. Ltd.’s streamlined and airconditioned  Sea Flyte, leaving the pier by 3:40 PM.  The trip took a little over 30 mins. and was uneventful. Along the way, we weaved through Singapore’s southern islands, most of which are small and uninhabited. We docked at Batam Island’s Sekupang Pier by 4:15PM.

Sekupang Pier, Batam Island

After securing our arrival clearance at the Batam Customs & Immigration Area, I hired the services of a local taxi driver to tour us around the island.  Batam Island, a duty-free island, is about two-thirds the size of Singapore and is an economic development zone of Indonesia with emphasis on tourist development. Nagoya City, formerly known as Lubuk Baja which means “Pirates Waterhole,” has shops that offer local handicrafts and Asian food delicacies.

Nagoya City

Beginning in the 1970s, the island underwent a major transformation, from a largely forested area, into a major harbor and industrial zone. During our tour, land was being cleared for new roads and many factories, many operated by Singaporean companies, were being built. Evidently, with its lower labor costs and special government incentives, the island’s economy benefits from being close to Singapore.

However, we weren’t shown any old government buildings, mosques, churches or temples as there didn’t seem to be any.  After our tour, our taxi driver brought us back to Sekupang Pier where we again boarded our fast ferry back to Finger Pier, arriving there by 10 PM. Upon arrival, we had a late dinner at a Burger King outlet before returning to our hotel.

Enroute to Finger Pier (Singapore)

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After my Johor Bahru (Malaysia) tour, I returned to the Cockpit Hotel to pick up Mom for our Batam Island (Indonesia) tour.  Located 20 kms. from Singapore, this island of the Riau Archipelago is the closest Indonesian island to Singapore. To get there, we had to get a fast ferry from Finger Pier along Prince Edward Rd..

Raffles Place MRT Station

From the hotel, we had lunch at a Pizza Hut outlet then walked all the way to the Dhoby Ghaut Station where we took the MRT up to the Raffles Place Station.  From here, we walked all the way to the pier.  Along the way, we passed by a number of tourist attractions at the downtown area (the Dalhousie Obelisk, the Cavenagh Bridge, Victoria Theater, Empress Place) and the Padang (the Supreme Court and City Hall Buildings).

Singapore River and Cavenagh Bridge

Cavenagh Bridge, a suspension bridge (the only one in Singapore) spanning the lower reaches of the Singapore River, was opened in 1870 and is one of the oldest bridges in Singapore and the oldest bridge in Singapore that exists in its original form.

Dalhousie Obelisk

The Dalhousie Obelisk, located on the north bank of the Singapore River, is situated at Empress Place and near the Victoria Theater and Concert Hall. Designed by Government Surveyor John Turnbull Thompson, it commemorates the second visit of Marquis of Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India in February 1850.  It was originally located at Dalhousie Pier but was transferred to its present site in 1886.

Empress Place

Empress Place, built in 1834 as a courthouse, was later used as offices for the government departments until the late 1980s.  On April 7, 1989, it was converted to a museum after a 14-month, S$25 million renovation. On February 14, 1992, it was gazetted as a National Monument.  Its imposing Neo-Palladian facade has wooden louver windows and pitched, clay tile roof.

Subsequently, the Empress Place Building underwent renovations and, on March 2, 2003, it reopened as the second wing of the Asian Civilizations Museum exhibiting Southeast, South and West Asian collections.

Victoria Theater and Concert Hall

The Victoria Theater and Concert Hall, originally built in 1862 as Singapore’s town hall, is a complex of 2 buildings and a 54 m. high clock tower(completed in 1906) joined together by a common corridor.  The Victoria Memorial Hall, built in 1905, is the home of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), transferred here in 1979.

City Hall

The Neo-Classical-style Singapore City Hall and its sister building, the Supreme Court, both on St. Andrew’s Road and overlooking the Padang, are also some of my favorites and both are reminiscent of our own National Museum complex, designed in the Federal style of American architect Daniel H. Burnham, the planner of Baguio City.

The Singapore City Hall, formerly known as the Municipal Offices, was built in 1929. Its steps were the site of the formal surrender of Japanese armed forces, headed by Gen. Itagaki to Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of Southeast Asia. In 1952 the building’s name was changed when Singapore was finally made into a city by a deed signed by Britain’s King George VI and conferred by the Duchess of Kent.

Supreme Court Building

The impressive Supreme Court Building, on the other hand, was designed by government architect F. Dorrington Ward and was completed in 1939. It is the last Classical building to be so completed. What’s more, the building’s murals were designed by Italian artist Cavaliere Rodolfo Nolli.

Victoria Concert Hall: 11 Empress Place, Victoria Memorial Hall, Singapore 179558.  Tel: 6338 6125.

Johor Bahru (Malaysia)

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Upon reaching the Malaysian side, I cleared my entry to Johor Bahru at the Malaysia Customs and Immigration Office. Once past, I found myself along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak.  Here, a fenced historical marker with a plaque tells the story of the town.

Johor Bahru Historical Marker

Johor Bahru has a rich history that dates as early as the 16th century but its urbanization began in 1855. Sultan Abu Bakar (1862-1895), the 21st Sultan of Johor, transformed Johor Bahru from a fishing village into a thriving city.

Johor Bahru

Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and the adjoining  Jalan Trus has a number of shophouses, mostly built in the 1920’s,with great heritage value. Here, traders from Arab, India and China used to come to trade spices and tobacco. Also along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak is the Johor Bahru Railway Station.

On October 10, 2010, the spanking new JB Sentral railway station, along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan Jim Quee, was opened. The old train station, located just 200 m. south of JB Sentral, has been decommissioned, its platform 2 and its tracks dismantled.  Only one track and platform remain.  There are plans for it to be preserved for a future Mini Railway Museum for the Southern Region.

Johor Bahru Railway Station

The relatively old Plaza Kotaraya shopping center, along Jalan Trus, is only 5 minutes walk from the Malaysia Customs and Immigration Office.  Across the street is the Arulmigu Sri Raja Mariamman Devasthanam Hindu Temple.  Built in 1922, it is one of the town’s oldest Hindu temples and has an impressive gopuram (entrance tower).

The Arulmigu Sri Raja Mariamman Devasthanam Hindu Temple was rebuilt and was officially reopened in 1996. In 2009, the temple was embellished with an impressive mosaic of 300,000 pieces of red, blue, yellow, green, purple and white glass (completed in October 2009) and, on May 12, 2010, the temple was listed in the Malaysian Book of Records as the first and only glass temple in the nation.

Arulmigu Sri Raja Mariamman Devasthanam Hindu Temple and Plaza Kotaraya Shopping Center

After this relatively short walking tour of Johor Bahru, I retraced my steps back to the Malaysia Customs and Immigration Office to clear my departure and, this time, took a bus back to the Queen Street Bus Terminal in Singapore.

Arulmigu Sri Raja Mariamman Devasthanam Hindu Temple: 22 Lorong 1, Jalan Tebrau, Johor Bahru, Malaysia.