In the lyrics of the theme song of the 1998 National Day Parade, direct references were made to the Singapore River as follows:
Whenever I am feeling low
I look around me and I know
There's a place that will stay within me
Wherever I may choose to go
I will always recall the city
Know every street and shore
Sail down the river which brings us life
Winding through my Singapore
Chorus:
This is home truly, where I know I must be
Where my dreams wait for me, where the river always flows
This is home surely, as my senses tell me
This is where I won't be alone, for this is where I know it's home
(Adapted from Home, written by Dick Lee, 1998)
In 1998, Singapore was undergoing a recession due to the Asian Financial Crisis, and the Singapore River was used to ignite the resilience spirit within the population. Singapore's rags to riches history has been fundamentally underpinned by the River. Just like how the river is known to be the cradle of any civilisation, developments in Singapore were influenced by the Singapore River. These included the Raffles Town Plan, the Fullerton, Boat and Clarke Quays, the bridges along the River that tell tales of Singapore's colonial past, and buildings such as the Asian Civilisations Museum and the Merlion Park today.
The Singapore River Trail left us with many impressions, but the one of most impact would be the question we had on heritage and history. During our three hour or so trip, stopping by at the various landmarks and imagining what life would have been like during the times of British rule, we realised that heritage in this case had been decided, dictated and directed by the government.
Heritage, when put forth by the state, is a political move, mainly driven by nationalist (nation-building and identity) and/or tourist motivations. Changing landscapes to alter these motivations redefine the meaning of heritage and history in such places and spaces. Therefore, what we are exposed to and presented with are sanitised versions of history that fit the dominant narratives that the government script. These stories change the interpretations in one of the five means: construction, consolidation, perpetuation, deconstruction and reconstruction. Underlying this entire political act of the state in the name of heritage and history is time and chronology, thus precisely why interpretations of the nation's heritage has evolved with the changing needs of different eras in Singapore's history.
Overall, the heritage trail was an eye-opening experience that made us rethink history and heritage as put forth by the state versus the actual reality. More importantly, we had lots of fun, as depicted by the happy smiles on our faces! :)
In 1998, Singapore was undergoing a recession due to the Asian Financial Crisis, and the Singapore River was used to ignite the resilience spirit within the population. Singapore's rags to riches history has been fundamentally underpinned by the River. Just like how the river is known to be the cradle of any civilisation, developments in Singapore were influenced by the Singapore River. These included the Raffles Town Plan, the Fullerton, Boat and Clarke Quays, the bridges along the River that tell tales of Singapore's colonial past, and buildings such as the Asian Civilisations Museum and the Merlion Park today.
The Singapore River Trail left us with many impressions, but the one of most impact would be the question we had on heritage and history. During our three hour or so trip, stopping by at the various landmarks and imagining what life would have been like during the times of British rule, we realised that heritage in this case had been decided, dictated and directed by the government.
Heritage, when put forth by the state, is a political move, mainly driven by nationalist (nation-building and identity) and/or tourist motivations. Changing landscapes to alter these motivations redefine the meaning of heritage and history in such places and spaces. Therefore, what we are exposed to and presented with are sanitised versions of history that fit the dominant narratives that the government script. These stories change the interpretations in one of the five means: construction, consolidation, perpetuation, deconstruction and reconstruction. Underlying this entire political act of the state in the name of heritage and history is time and chronology, thus precisely why interpretations of the nation's heritage has evolved with the changing needs of different eras in Singapore's history.
Overall, the heritage trail was an eye-opening experience that made us rethink history and heritage as put forth by the state versus the actual reality. More importantly, we had lots of fun, as depicted by the happy smiles on our faces! :)
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| From Left to Right: Ricky, Jorynn, Nicholas, Reena, Wendy |
