Sunday, September 25, 2011
By Leila Battison
Science reporter
A lock of hair is all that is needed to decode the history of an entire people
A lock of hair has helped scientists to piece together the genome of Australian Aborigines and rewrite the history of human dispersal around the world.
DNA from the hair demonstrates that indigenous Aboriginal Australians were the first to separate from other modern humans, around 70,000 years ago.
This challenges current theories of a single phase of dispersal from Africa.
An international team of researchers published their findings in the journal Science.
While the Aboriginal populations were trailblazing across Asia and into Australia, the remaining humans stayed around North Africa and the Middle East until 24,000 years ago.
Only then did they spread out and colonise Europe and Asia, but the indigenous Aborigines had been established in Australia for 25,000 years.
Australian Aborigines therefore have a longer claim to the land in which they now live than any other population known.
The research also highlights the exciting future possibilities of comparing the genomes of multiple individuals to track migration of small indigenous groups.
Tiny genetic differences
Archaeological remains are known from Australia from around 50,000 years ago, putting a maximum age of the Aborigines' settlement there.
But the history of their journey and their relationship with the indigenous people of Asia and Europe had not been solved.
It was previously thought that modern humans dispersed in one pulse out of Africa and the Middle East, and because of the distances involved, the modern Europeans would have separated from the Asians and Australians first.
Genetic information from a lock of Aboriginal hair has been used to show that the Australians set off a lot earlier.
By looking at the tiny (fraction of one percent) differences between the DNA of Aborigines and other ancient humans, the scientists show that the indigenous Australians were first isolated 70,000 years ago.
Dr Francois Balloux, of Imperial College London described how a "population expanded along the coastline because of the rich resources available there. They could walk almost the entire way because the sea level was much lower". Just one small sea crossing would be required to reach Australia.
Any potential archaeological remains of this journey, which lasted 25,000 years, would be lost to the deep sea under rising sea levels.
The remaining populations in the Middle East moved out to colonise Europe and Asia 24,000 years ago, and the aboriginal genome records some interbreeding between Asian populations and aboriginal ancestors at this time.
Discovering the history of human migration with DNA has been made possible by improvements in the techniques used to study the genome.
Traditionally, genetic divergence dates were arrived at by combining the number of unique mutations in the DNA with an assumed rate of acquiring those mutations.
Now, computationally powerful models can simulate lots of different scenarios for migration timings and directions, and researchers can compare and choose the situation that most closely matches what is seen in the genome.
By comparing the Aboriginal genome with the DNA of African, European and Han Chinese individuals it was possible to highlight the later interbreeding after initial colonisation.
Comparison with Eurasian populations show that the Australian Aborigines have a similar percentage of Neanderthal genes within their DNA as their Eurasian counterparts, suggesting that any interbreeding occurred before the Aborigines embarked on their colonising journey.
The findings of these researchers are supported by an independent study, published this week in the American Journal of Human Genetics, which looks at the characteristic DNA from an extinct, archaic form of human, the Denisovans.
Denisovans lived over 30,000 years ago, and contributed genes mostly to present-day New Guineans.
This independent study identifies a pattern of Denisovan DNA in Asian individuals that can only be explained by two separate waves of human migration: the first of Aboriginals colonising Australia, and the second involving the occupation of Asia itself.
'Jurassic Park science'
The Aboriginal research was carried out on a single lock of hair, which was donated by a young Aboriginal man to the British anthropologist Dr A C Haddon in 1923.
"At this time, it was fashionable to take human samples," said Dr Balloux. The collection of hair was one of the more innocuous efforts of anthropologists at the time.
The researchers chose to examine the hair, as opposed to any other type of remains, for legal reasons. Hair is not classified as a human tissue.
"More important to us was that the research would be acceptable from a social and moral point of view" said Dr Balloux.To the surprise of the scientists, the people they consulted were very supportive of the study and its results. Dr Balloux explained that in the past, indigenous people have been "extremely sensitive of the motivations of western scientists".
The research has been published with "strong endorsement" from the Goldfields Land and Sea Council, the organisation that represents the Aboriginal traditional owners of parts of Western Australia, he said.
Genomics techniques like those used in this study have the potential to be used more extensively in the study of human migrations and the evolution of health and disease.
The international team next plans to look in more detail at the dispersal of modern humans out of Africa, as well as solving how and when the Americas were colonised.
Dr Balloux said he was excited about the unexpected potential of the techniques, describing it as "borderline Jurassic Park science".
Sunday, September 4, 2011
3
0
Part of KTM railway line to be reopened to public
Fri, Sep 02, 2011 | AsiaOne
Part of the former KTM railway land will be reopened for public walks and recreation from September 16.
The land to be reopened stretches from the Bukit Timah bridge south towards Holland Road.
Some parts of the tracks have been removed, while others, such as the stretch next to Bukit Timah Railway Station and along the bridge, have been preserved.
Works to remove the tracks and other rail structures are ongoing and are about 30 per cent complete, said the Singapore Land Authority.
klim@sph.com.sg
Saturday, September 3, 2011
HISTORY OF OLD CHINA TOWN
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Travel Guide » Tourist Guide » Facts of Old Singapore
History of Old Singapore Chinatown
by: Mr Dhoraisingam S. Samuel
Early settlement of Chinese
Immigrants - locality assigned
By Stamford Raffles in 1822; living and working under
Extreme conditions they contributed to the
Development of Singapore.
In November 1822 Stamford Raffles wrote to the Town Committee in Singapore about his plans for the layout of the Town and the setting of the various major ethnic groups in the island. These major ethnic areas were for the poor but the rich could settle anywhere they chose to.
'The Chinese,' Raffles wrote, 'will form by far the largest portion of the community' and he assigned the south-west of the Singapore River to them. They should also be settled according to the provinces they came from in China and be under the immediate control of their respective chiefs for the maintenance of law and order.
Raffles also suggested that the streets in Chinatown should run as far as practicable at right angles and the artisans - blacksmiths, carpenters and others should be concentrated in certain areas. Fro the sake of uniformity Raffles specified that the shophouses and houses be built in brick and tiled and each house should have a verandah or covered passage five feet wide to provide an open space where the dwellers in the crowded houses could have fresh air and also where food hawkers could operate. The houses and shophouses were built in neat rows and in the centre was an air-well open to the Sky. This served for the collection and storage of water for ventilation and light.
Chinatown became a crowded place particularly after the 1830s when the large scale emigration from South China took place. The occupants of these shop-houses or terraced houses lived in cubicles-sordid, dark, grimy and self-contained living areas. The corridors that divided the cubicles were narrow. The entire belongings of the dwellers were in the corner of the cubicle-the storage boxes and a board which double up at night as a bed.
Until 1935 the night soil (collected in buckets) was carried through the front door. Later back lanes were created and the buckets were removed from there. How fortunate Singaporeans are today living in Housing and Development Boar flats with modern sanitation, water supply and electricity!
Despite the hard living conditions, the Chinese to sustain their cultural heritage, their traditions and identity, built several Chinese Temples in the area, had their own singing halls and 'wayang' (opera) theatres.
Unfortunately there were also government licensed opium dens (opium was one of the main sources of revenue), illegal gambling houses and brothels. There were also rickshaw depots and most of the coffee shops were patronized by the rickshaw pullers.
Secret Societies originated in South China operated in Chinatown and it was a major problem in early Singapore.
Sago Street was named by the Cantonese, 'Street of the Dead' where the funeral clothes, paper models of cars and houses were sold. There was Sago Lane where the death houses were; 'these are where the sick go ostensibly for treatment but where chances of recovery are almost nil'. Inmates of these death houses simply wasted away slowly and then after death were moved to the funeral parlours. Many died of epidemics like cholera and malaria.
In Chinatown lived the Sam Sui Women who were extremely industrious workers who carried earth which was a back-breaking occupation.
These women came from three districts of Kwantung: Sam Sui. Shun Tak and Tong Koon. The Sam Sui women were found predominantly in Upper Chin Chew Street, Upper Nanking Street and Eu Tong Sen Street. Upper Chin Chew Street was nicknamed 'Black Cloth' street because of the colour of the clothes of these women. The Sam Sui women wore scarlet head-dress, loose black 'samfoos' (jacket and trousers) and lived in cubicles. These Cantonese women rarely married and led a life of frugality but they were colourful and conservative; they kept largely to themselves. They were generally kind and had a sense of humour; they ate plain food - rice and vegetables - but sent regular remittance to their families in China.
It was estimated that by 1941 there were several thousands of these Sam Sui women working and contributing to the economic growth of Singapore.
Most of those who lived in Chinatown worked in the tongkangs, twakows and lighters and ferried goods from sea going vessels to the several warehouses along the Singapore River; many worked in the early years in the spice plantations and later in the Singapore Harbours and the Dockyard.
Other races also dwelt in Chinatown. There were a large umber of Indians; proof of this is the number of old Tamil Mosques and the oldest Hindu Temple in Chinatown. Upper Cross Street was also known as 'Kampong of the Indiana' where a number of Indian spices traders and boatman lived. Indonesians lived in 'pondoks' (lodging houses); one such example is the one still at 32 Club Street off Upper Cross Street. Near Havelock Road is Kampong Malacca and one of the oldest Mosques. Near North Canal was the early quarter of the Jews as well as their oldest Synagogue.
During the Battle for Singapore Chinatown was bombed daily by the Japanese. The heart of Chinatown was roughly an area of 30 acres with almost 20,000 crammed into it. There were no air raid shelters in Chinatown because the British authorities had bungled their air-raid policy. Many had to cower in their crowded homes or lie panic stricken in filthy monsoon ditches. The Japanese bombers made indiscriminate raids on Chinatown and the casualties mounted day by day.
The Civil Defence unit comprised mainly Chinese who were brave and worked around the clock, clearing roads, and debris; rescue workers had to extricate the victims in bombed buildings and death lorries had to be manned to collect the unclaimed bodies for mass burials in deep pits. To show respect to the different races the bodies were grouped according to the races and kept apart in the pits.
Many in Chinatown and whose homes were bombed and had become homeless sought refuge in the several Chinese Temples and in the Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church.
Despite urban renewal projects several parts of Chinatown are still intact and Singaporeans should visit these areas (some renovates) to realize how our ancestors had lived and toiled to make Singapore what it is today.
Click for an overview of all Facts of Old Singapore
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Travel Guide » Tourist Guide » Facts of Old Singapore
History of Old Singapore Chinatown
by: Mr Dhoraisingam S. Samuel
Early settlement of Chinese
Immigrants - locality assigned
By Stamford Raffles in 1822; living and working under
Extreme conditions they contributed to the
Development of Singapore.
In November 1822 Stamford Raffles wrote to the Town Committee in Singapore about his plans for the layout of the Town and the setting of the various major ethnic groups in the island. These major ethnic areas were for the poor but the rich could settle anywhere they chose to.
'The Chinese,' Raffles wrote, 'will form by far the largest portion of the community' and he assigned the south-west of the Singapore River to them. They should also be settled according to the provinces they came from in China and be under the immediate control of their respective chiefs for the maintenance of law and order.
Raffles also suggested that the streets in Chinatown should run as far as practicable at right angles and the artisans - blacksmiths, carpenters and others should be concentrated in certain areas. Fro the sake of uniformity Raffles specified that the shophouses and houses be built in brick and tiled and each house should have a verandah or covered passage five feet wide to provide an open space where the dwellers in the crowded houses could have fresh air and also where food hawkers could operate. The houses and shophouses were built in neat rows and in the centre was an air-well open to the Sky. This served for the collection and storage of water for ventilation and light.
Chinatown became a crowded place particularly after the 1830s when the large scale emigration from South China took place. The occupants of these shop-houses or terraced houses lived in cubicles-sordid, dark, grimy and self-contained living areas. The corridors that divided the cubicles were narrow. The entire belongings of the dwellers were in the corner of the cubicle-the storage boxes and a board which double up at night as a bed.
Until 1935 the night soil (collected in buckets) was carried through the front door. Later back lanes were created and the buckets were removed from there. How fortunate Singaporeans are today living in Housing and Development Boar flats with modern sanitation, water supply and electricity!
Despite the hard living conditions, the Chinese to sustain their cultural heritage, their traditions and identity, built several Chinese Temples in the area, had their own singing halls and 'wayang' (opera) theatres.
Unfortunately there were also government licensed opium dens (opium was one of the main sources of revenue), illegal gambling houses and brothels. There were also rickshaw depots and most of the coffee shops were patronized by the rickshaw pullers.
Secret Societies originated in South China operated in Chinatown and it was a major problem in early Singapore.
Sago Street was named by the Cantonese, 'Street of the Dead' where the funeral clothes, paper models of cars and houses were sold. There was Sago Lane where the death houses were; 'these are where the sick go ostensibly for treatment but where chances of recovery are almost nil'. Inmates of these death houses simply wasted away slowly and then after death were moved to the funeral parlours. Many died of epidemics like cholera and malaria.
In Chinatown lived the Sam Sui Women who were extremely industrious workers who carried earth which was a back-breaking occupation.
These women came from three districts of Kwantung: Sam Sui. Shun Tak and Tong Koon. The Sam Sui women were found predominantly in Upper Chin Chew Street, Upper Nanking Street and Eu Tong Sen Street. Upper Chin Chew Street was nicknamed 'Black Cloth' street because of the colour of the clothes of these women. The Sam Sui women wore scarlet head-dress, loose black 'samfoos' (jacket and trousers) and lived in cubicles. These Cantonese women rarely married and led a life of frugality but they were colourful and conservative; they kept largely to themselves. They were generally kind and had a sense of humour; they ate plain food - rice and vegetables - but sent regular remittance to their families in China.
It was estimated that by 1941 there were several thousands of these Sam Sui women working and contributing to the economic growth of Singapore.
Most of those who lived in Chinatown worked in the tongkangs, twakows and lighters and ferried goods from sea going vessels to the several warehouses along the Singapore River; many worked in the early years in the spice plantations and later in the Singapore Harbours and the Dockyard.
Other races also dwelt in Chinatown. There were a large umber of Indians; proof of this is the number of old Tamil Mosques and the oldest Hindu Temple in Chinatown. Upper Cross Street was also known as 'Kampong of the Indiana' where a number of Indian spices traders and boatman lived. Indonesians lived in 'pondoks' (lodging houses); one such example is the one still at 32 Club Street off Upper Cross Street. Near Havelock Road is Kampong Malacca and one of the oldest Mosques. Near North Canal was the early quarter of the Jews as well as their oldest Synagogue.
During the Battle for Singapore Chinatown was bombed daily by the Japanese. The heart of Chinatown was roughly an area of 30 acres with almost 20,000 crammed into it. There were no air raid shelters in Chinatown because the British authorities had bungled their air-raid policy. Many had to cower in their crowded homes or lie panic stricken in filthy monsoon ditches. The Japanese bombers made indiscriminate raids on Chinatown and the casualties mounted day by day.
The Civil Defence unit comprised mainly Chinese who were brave and worked around the clock, clearing roads, and debris; rescue workers had to extricate the victims in bombed buildings and death lorries had to be manned to collect the unclaimed bodies for mass burials in deep pits. To show respect to the different races the bodies were grouped according to the races and kept apart in the pits.
Many in Chinatown and whose homes were bombed and had become homeless sought refuge in the several Chinese Temples and in the Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church.
Despite urban renewal projects several parts of Chinatown are still intact and Singaporeans should visit these areas (some renovates) to realize how our ancestors had lived and toiled to make Singapore what it is today.
Click for an overview of all Facts of Old Singapore
Monday, August 29, 2011
TAN TOCK SENG HOSPITAL
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
National Healthcare Group
The new 15-story Tan Tock Seng Hospital was marked as a historic institution on 25 July 2001.
Geography
Location Novena, Singapore
Coordinates 1°19′17.8″N 103°50′45.4″ECoordinates: 1°19′17.8″N 103°50′45.4″E
Organisation
Hospital type District General
Services
Emergency department Yes Accident & Emergency
Links
Website http://www.ttsh.com.sg
Lists Hospitals in Singapore
The Tan Tock Seng Hospital (Abbreviation: TTSH; Chinese: 陈笃生医院; Malay: Hospital Tan Tock Seng) is the second-largest hospital in Singapore after the Singapore General Hospital, but its accident and emergency department is the busiest in the country largely due to its geographically centralised location.[1] Set up in 1844 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Tan Tock Seng, the hospital came under the international spotlight when it was designated as the sole treatment centre for the SARS epidemic which struck the country in 2003.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Location of Services
3 Clinical and Allied Health Services
4 TTSH Heritage Museum
5 The Art of Healing Programme
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
[edit]History
Singapore was a successful trading centre. Large numbers of immigrants came, hoping to make their fortune here. The majority of immigrants were poor and destitute. Malnutrition was common and it was estimated that about 100 immigrants died each year from starvation.
The British government set up a pauper's hospital in the 1820s but it closed in the 1830s because of insufficient funds. The government then suggested that the better-off members of each community take care of their own poor. Subsequently, some of the more benevolent members of the community responded. One such person was Tan Tock Seng, a successful businessman, philanthropist and the first Asian Justice of Peace. In 1843, Tan offered funds for the construction of a hospital.
The foundation stone of the Chinese Paupers' Hospital, Singapore's first privately funded hospital, was laid on 25 July 1844, on Pearl's Hill. Construction took three years and a shortage of funds saw the hospital stand empty for two more years. Finally, the first batch of patients was admitted in 1849. About 100 sick and destitute people had been housed in an attap shed at the foot of Pearl's Hill when a fierce storm destroyed the shed, leaving them homeless. Rather than have them wander the streets, the government decided to place them in the hospital. In the hospital's early years, money was a constant problem, alleviated from time to time by donations from kind benefactors. A shortage of staff and no reliable water supply also made things difficult.
Tan Tock Seng died in 1850 at the age of 52. The hospital's name was changed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and, in 1861, it relocated to new premises on the corner of Serangoon Road and Balestier Road. A lepers' ward was also added. In 1903, the land on Moulmein Road, where the present hospital stands, was bought.
By the 1980s, the hospital's services and patient intake were beginning to outgrow the 1950s hospital building. A new 15-storey building was constructed and officially opened on 1 April 2000.
As a result of a restructuring exercise in the local health-care scene, the hospital became a member of the National Healthcare Group in 2000.
The hospital prides itself as a pioneer in the development of Geriatric Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Rehabilitation Medicine, Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology. It is also a major referral centre for Geriatric Medicine, General Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Gastroenterology, Otorhinolaryngology and Orthopedic surgery. In 2003, the hospital was declared the designated hospital for SARS screening and treatment by the Ministry of Health.
[edit]Location of Services
The Hospital Complex
Completed in 1999, the complex is specially designed to provide comprehensive in-patient and out-patient services under one roof. Most services are provided in the modern complex, comprising the Hospital Block, the TTSH Medical Centre and the Podium Block. On average, specialist clinics receive 1,500 patients daily, while the Emergency Department attends to a daily 400, making it Singapore's busiest emergency department.
Communicable Disease Centre (CDC)
The Communicable Disease Centre is the national referral centre for the diagnosis and management of communicable diseases that include HIV and SARS. The CDC is made up of 2 campuses, equipped with in-patient and out-patient facilities to handle disease outbreak as well as laboratory facilities to conduct research for better disease management and patient care.
TTSH Rehabilitation Centre
The TTSH Rehabilitation Centre located at Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital offers the largest in-patient rehabilitation services in Singapore. Managed by the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, it also conducts therapy programmes and out-patient rehabilitation services.
Specialist Clinics
Closer to the community, TTSH operates specialist clinics at Hougang Polyclinic and Yew Tee MRT Station.
[edit]Clinical and Allied Health Services
Division of Ambulatory & Diagnostic Medicine
Diagnostic Radiology
Emergency Medicine
Oncology Services
Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Division of Medicine
Cardiology
Clinical Epidemiology
Endocrinology
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
General Medicine
Geriatric Medicine
Infectious Diseases
Psychological Medicine
Rehabilitation Medicine
Respiratory Medicine
Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology
Division of Surgery
Anaesthesiology
General Surgery
Ophthalmology
Orthopaedic Surgery
Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)
Urology
Clinical Support Services
Complementary Integrative Medicine
Nutrition & Dietetics
Occupational Therapy
Pathology & Laboratory Medicine (Blood Transfusion, Haematology, Clinical chemistry, Anatomical pathology & Clinical microbiology)
Pharmacies (Outpatient, Inpatient & Retail)
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Prosthetics & Orthotics
Psychological Services
Respiratory Therapy
Speech Therapy
Travellers' Health & Vaccination Centre
Vascular Diagnostic Laboratory
[edit]TTSH Heritage Museum
The Tan Tock Seng Hospital Heritage Museum opened its doors on July 25, 2001. Honouring the legacy of its founder Mr Tan Tock Seng, the museum features a collection of Peranakan items from the mid-19th century, during Mr Tan's time.
Medical equipment and hospital artefacts of yore capture the enduring spirit of Singapore's first community hospital dedicated "to care for the sick poor of all nations". The hospital's development and achievements - in particular, its pioneering role in the treatment of tuberculosis (1940s) and its monumental leadership in the fight against SARS - are presented through narrative displays, salvaged historical objects and a time capsule.
The TTSH Heritage Museum is a member of the National Heritage Board's Museum Roundtable.
[edit]The Art of Healing Programme
Tan Tock Seng Hospital's The Art of Healing programme, an initiative that aims to use the arts as a form of therapy to soothe patients’ mind and body and help them on their path to recovery, was launched on February 6, 2006. Through the arts, the hospital is transformed to a warm, welcoming and enriching environment for patients, families, staff and visitors, and helps to distract patients from their ailments, express their feelings and reduce anxiety. By this, the hospital hopes that there will be an improvement in patients' blood pressure and intake of pain medication, which in turn should lead to faster recovery and a shorter length of hospital stay.
The programme is an on-going project where activities such as exhibitions (paintings, pottery, wire sculptures, etc.) and performances (orchestras, big bands, string quartets, plays, dances, etc.) are unveiled regularly. This helps to promote the hospital as a centre of holistic healing of mind and body, and transforms the hospital environment from a traditionally sterile, cold and fearful one to a warm, non-threatening and welcoming place of healing. The programme provides an enriching multi-cultural experience for patients and staff and welcomes artists of all art forms to be a part of these performances.
Under the arm of "The Art of Healing" programme, the hospital's Healing Sky Garden and Orchid Botanica were launched in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
[edit]Notes
^ "TTSH's Emergency Dept has longest waiting time". Channel NewsAsia. 2005-03-01. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
[edit]References
National Heritage Board (2002), Singapore's 100 Historic Places, Archipelago Press, ISBN 981-4068-23-3
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tan Tock Seng Hospital
[edit]External links
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
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Categories: Hospitals established in 1884 | Hospitals in Singapore | Novena
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
National Healthcare Group
The new 15-story Tan Tock Seng Hospital was marked as a historic institution on 25 July 2001.
Geography
Location Novena, Singapore
Coordinates 1°19′17.8″N 103°50′45.4″ECoordinates: 1°19′17.8″N 103°50′45.4″E
Organisation
Hospital type District General
Services
Emergency department Yes Accident & Emergency
Links
Website http://www.ttsh.com.sg
Lists Hospitals in Singapore
The Tan Tock Seng Hospital (Abbreviation: TTSH; Chinese: 陈笃生医院; Malay: Hospital Tan Tock Seng) is the second-largest hospital in Singapore after the Singapore General Hospital, but its accident and emergency department is the busiest in the country largely due to its geographically centralised location.[1] Set up in 1844 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Tan Tock Seng, the hospital came under the international spotlight when it was designated as the sole treatment centre for the SARS epidemic which struck the country in 2003.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Location of Services
3 Clinical and Allied Health Services
4 TTSH Heritage Museum
5 The Art of Healing Programme
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
[edit]History
Singapore was a successful trading centre. Large numbers of immigrants came, hoping to make their fortune here. The majority of immigrants were poor and destitute. Malnutrition was common and it was estimated that about 100 immigrants died each year from starvation.
The British government set up a pauper's hospital in the 1820s but it closed in the 1830s because of insufficient funds. The government then suggested that the better-off members of each community take care of their own poor. Subsequently, some of the more benevolent members of the community responded. One such person was Tan Tock Seng, a successful businessman, philanthropist and the first Asian Justice of Peace. In 1843, Tan offered funds for the construction of a hospital.
The foundation stone of the Chinese Paupers' Hospital, Singapore's first privately funded hospital, was laid on 25 July 1844, on Pearl's Hill. Construction took three years and a shortage of funds saw the hospital stand empty for two more years. Finally, the first batch of patients was admitted in 1849. About 100 sick and destitute people had been housed in an attap shed at the foot of Pearl's Hill when a fierce storm destroyed the shed, leaving them homeless. Rather than have them wander the streets, the government decided to place them in the hospital. In the hospital's early years, money was a constant problem, alleviated from time to time by donations from kind benefactors. A shortage of staff and no reliable water supply also made things difficult.
Tan Tock Seng died in 1850 at the age of 52. The hospital's name was changed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and, in 1861, it relocated to new premises on the corner of Serangoon Road and Balestier Road. A lepers' ward was also added. In 1903, the land on Moulmein Road, where the present hospital stands, was bought.
By the 1980s, the hospital's services and patient intake were beginning to outgrow the 1950s hospital building. A new 15-storey building was constructed and officially opened on 1 April 2000.
As a result of a restructuring exercise in the local health-care scene, the hospital became a member of the National Healthcare Group in 2000.
The hospital prides itself as a pioneer in the development of Geriatric Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Rehabilitation Medicine, Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology. It is also a major referral centre for Geriatric Medicine, General Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Gastroenterology, Otorhinolaryngology and Orthopedic surgery. In 2003, the hospital was declared the designated hospital for SARS screening and treatment by the Ministry of Health.
[edit]Location of Services
The Hospital Complex
Completed in 1999, the complex is specially designed to provide comprehensive in-patient and out-patient services under one roof. Most services are provided in the modern complex, comprising the Hospital Block, the TTSH Medical Centre and the Podium Block. On average, specialist clinics receive 1,500 patients daily, while the Emergency Department attends to a daily 400, making it Singapore's busiest emergency department.
Communicable Disease Centre (CDC)
The Communicable Disease Centre is the national referral centre for the diagnosis and management of communicable diseases that include HIV and SARS. The CDC is made up of 2 campuses, equipped with in-patient and out-patient facilities to handle disease outbreak as well as laboratory facilities to conduct research for better disease management and patient care.
TTSH Rehabilitation Centre
The TTSH Rehabilitation Centre located at Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital offers the largest in-patient rehabilitation services in Singapore. Managed by the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, it also conducts therapy programmes and out-patient rehabilitation services.
Specialist Clinics
Closer to the community, TTSH operates specialist clinics at Hougang Polyclinic and Yew Tee MRT Station.
[edit]Clinical and Allied Health Services
Division of Ambulatory & Diagnostic Medicine
Diagnostic Radiology
Emergency Medicine
Oncology Services
Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
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[edit]TTSH Heritage Museum
The Tan Tock Seng Hospital Heritage Museum opened its doors on July 25, 2001. Honouring the legacy of its founder Mr Tan Tock Seng, the museum features a collection of Peranakan items from the mid-19th century, during Mr Tan's time.
Medical equipment and hospital artefacts of yore capture the enduring spirit of Singapore's first community hospital dedicated "to care for the sick poor of all nations". The hospital's development and achievements - in particular, its pioneering role in the treatment of tuberculosis (1940s) and its monumental leadership in the fight against SARS - are presented through narrative displays, salvaged historical objects and a time capsule.
The TTSH Heritage Museum is a member of the National Heritage Board's Museum Roundtable.
[edit]The Art of Healing Programme
Tan Tock Seng Hospital's The Art of Healing programme, an initiative that aims to use the arts as a form of therapy to soothe patients’ mind and body and help them on their path to recovery, was launched on February 6, 2006. Through the arts, the hospital is transformed to a warm, welcoming and enriching environment for patients, families, staff and visitors, and helps to distract patients from their ailments, express their feelings and reduce anxiety. By this, the hospital hopes that there will be an improvement in patients' blood pressure and intake of pain medication, which in turn should lead to faster recovery and a shorter length of hospital stay.
The programme is an on-going project where activities such as exhibitions (paintings, pottery, wire sculptures, etc.) and performances (orchestras, big bands, string quartets, plays, dances, etc.) are unveiled regularly. This helps to promote the hospital as a centre of holistic healing of mind and body, and transforms the hospital environment from a traditionally sterile, cold and fearful one to a warm, non-threatening and welcoming place of healing. The programme provides an enriching multi-cultural experience for patients and staff and welcomes artists of all art forms to be a part of these performances.
Under the arm of "The Art of Healing" programme, the hospital's Healing Sky Garden and Orchid Botanica were launched in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
[edit]Notes
^ "TTSH's Emergency Dept has longest waiting time". Channel NewsAsia. 2005-03-01. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
[edit]References
National Heritage Board (2002), Singapore's 100 Historic Places, Archipelago Press, ISBN 981-4068-23-3
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tan Tock Seng Hospital
[edit]External links
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Categories: Hospitals established in 1884 | Hospitals in Singapore | Novena
TAN TOCK SENG
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Tan.
Tan Tock Seng (simplified Chinese: 陈笃生; traditional Chinese: 陳篤生; pinyin: Chén Dǔshēng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Tok-sing; 1798–1850) was a Singaporean merchant and philanthropist. Born in Malacca in 1798 [1] to an immigrant Fukien (Hokkien) father and Hokkien Peranakan mother, Tan rose from humble origins. In 1819, Tan moved to Singapore to sell fruit, vegetable and fowl. He worked diligently and was able to set up a shop in Boat Quay and became a notable businessman.
Most of his wealth came from the results of his speculations with J. H. Whitehead of Shaw, Whitehead & Co. Horrocks Whitehead died in September 1846 at the age of 36. His tombstone at the old cemetery on Fort Canning was erected, "as a token of affection on the part of a Chinese friend, Tan Tock Seng."
Tan also owned large tracts of prime land, including 50 acres (200,000 m²) at the site of the railway station and another plot stretching from the Padang right up to High Street and Tank Road. His other assets were a block of shophouses, an orchard and a nutmeg plantation which he co-owned with his brother. In time, he became an influential Chinese leader and was the first Asian to be made a Justice of the Peace by Governor Butterworth. He was skillful at settling feuds among the Chinese and was accustomed to bear the expenses of burying poor Chinese. In 1844, he contributed $5,000 to the construction of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital on top of Pearl's Hill. The hospital was later shifted to Tan Tock Seng Road because the building at Pearl's Hill was too small to cater to enough patients and it was too old. Tan also contributed money to the construction of the Taoist Thian Hock Keng Temple at Telok Ayer in 1842, the place of worship for the settlers from the Fujian province of China.
Tan Tock Seng died in 1850 at the age of 52, after catching an unknown disease. He left his wife Lee Seo Neo, who owned a large coconut estate in Geylang. Like him, she was unstinting in her support of the hospital and paid for a female ward. He also left behind three daughters, who were each bequeathed $36,000 in cash. One of his daughters married Lee Cheng Tee, at one time Chief Partner of Cheng-Tee Watt-Seng & Co., shipowners. His three sons (Tan Kim Ching, Tan Teck Guan and Tan Swee Lim) inherited his land parcels and the eldest, Tan Kim Ching, took over the duty of taking care of the hospital. Tan's grandson, Tan Chay Yan, was a well-known philanthropist and merchant in Malaya.
References
^ One Hundred Years' History of the Chinese in Singapore
External links
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Genealogy of Tan Tock Seng
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Categories: 1798 births | 1850 deaths | Singaporean people of Chinese descent | Singaporean people of Hokkien descent | Singaporean businesspeople | Singaporean philanthropists
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Tan.
Tan Tock Seng (simplified Chinese: 陈笃生; traditional Chinese: 陳篤生; pinyin: Chén Dǔshēng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Tok-sing; 1798–1850) was a Singaporean merchant and philanthropist. Born in Malacca in 1798 [1] to an immigrant Fukien (Hokkien) father and Hokkien Peranakan mother, Tan rose from humble origins. In 1819, Tan moved to Singapore to sell fruit, vegetable and fowl. He worked diligently and was able to set up a shop in Boat Quay and became a notable businessman.
Most of his wealth came from the results of his speculations with J. H. Whitehead of Shaw, Whitehead & Co. Horrocks Whitehead died in September 1846 at the age of 36. His tombstone at the old cemetery on Fort Canning was erected, "as a token of affection on the part of a Chinese friend, Tan Tock Seng."
Tan also owned large tracts of prime land, including 50 acres (200,000 m²) at the site of the railway station and another plot stretching from the Padang right up to High Street and Tank Road. His other assets were a block of shophouses, an orchard and a nutmeg plantation which he co-owned with his brother. In time, he became an influential Chinese leader and was the first Asian to be made a Justice of the Peace by Governor Butterworth. He was skillful at settling feuds among the Chinese and was accustomed to bear the expenses of burying poor Chinese. In 1844, he contributed $5,000 to the construction of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital on top of Pearl's Hill. The hospital was later shifted to Tan Tock Seng Road because the building at Pearl's Hill was too small to cater to enough patients and it was too old. Tan also contributed money to the construction of the Taoist Thian Hock Keng Temple at Telok Ayer in 1842, the place of worship for the settlers from the Fujian province of China.
Tan Tock Seng died in 1850 at the age of 52, after catching an unknown disease. He left his wife Lee Seo Neo, who owned a large coconut estate in Geylang. Like him, she was unstinting in her support of the hospital and paid for a female ward. He also left behind three daughters, who were each bequeathed $36,000 in cash. One of his daughters married Lee Cheng Tee, at one time Chief Partner of Cheng-Tee Watt-Seng & Co., shipowners. His three sons (Tan Kim Ching, Tan Teck Guan and Tan Swee Lim) inherited his land parcels and the eldest, Tan Kim Ching, took over the duty of taking care of the hospital. Tan's grandson, Tan Chay Yan, was a well-known philanthropist and merchant in Malaya.
References
^ One Hundred Years' History of the Chinese in Singapore
External links
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Genealogy of Tan Tock Seng
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Categories: 1798 births | 1850 deaths | Singaporean people of Chinese descent | Singaporean people of Hokkien descent | Singaporean businesspeople | Singaporean philanthropists
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The New Paper
21 March 2010
S’pore’s oldest grave?
The grave of Fang Shan, which dates
back to 1833.
Story by BRYNA SIM
Photos by CHOO CHWEE HUA, BRYNA SIM
TUCKED away in Bukit Brown Chinese Cemetery off Kheam Hock Road, is a long-forgotten grave with a 60cm-high granite headstone. Two empty drink cans that held joss sticks indicate that someone still remembers the final resting place of a man known as Fang Shan. It is on a small hill, amid creeper plants and weeds, one of about a hundred graves in the western section of the cemetery. The red Chinese characters on the weather-worn headstone says Fang Shan died in 1833, some 14 years after Sir Stamford Raffles first landed in Singapore. Historians and history buffs believe this may be the oldest grave in Singapore.
According to the National Archives of Singapore, which keeps burial records, the oldest grave here dates back to 2 Apr 1865, and was at the Bukit Timah Road Old Cemetery, also known as the Kampong Java Cemetery. The National Environment Agency said it was exhumed, together with the other 8,461 graves in the cemetery and the remains reburied at Choa Chu Kang Christian Cemetery in 1970.
There is one other contender for the oldest grave title. In 2006, The Straits Times reported that a tomb dating back to 1842 had been found near the current National University of Singapore law school campus. It contained the remains of Chinese settler Qiu Zheng Zhi. It was then believed to be the "oldest in situ Chinese tomb in Singapore", meaning that it remained at the site where it was first built.
Now, cemetery explorer Raymond Goh, 46, believes the title should go to the grave of Fang Shan. Mr Goh, who stumbled upon the grave in late 2008, said: "Although the Fang tomb is not the oldest in situ tomb here, its dating back to 1833 trumps the 1842 record".
Cemetery explorer Raymond Goh posing by a tomb.
Preserve past
Mr Goh, a pharmacist by day, spends much of his free time researching tombs and cemeteries. The interest began in 2006 after he felt the importance of "preserving the past". He has since found more than 10 graves of Singapore's pioneers. (See infographic.)
Fang Shan's grave is looked after by the Fang Shee Association, a local clan association for those with the surname Fang. According to association secretary Akita Chua, 67, there are no known living descendants of Fang Shan. On the left side of the headstone, it says that the tomb was relocated in 1941. Mr Goh believes that the original location of the grave was at Heng Shan Teng, a cemetery for the Hokkien community around Silat Road in Bukit Merah. However, the association says the grave was moved from a cemetery around the Fort Canning area.
Mr Chua said that since 1962, clan members have been paying their respects to Fang Shan and
other ancestors annually during the Qing Ming festival. "In the past, we used to have to charter a bus during Qing Ming. But fewer than 10 people go these days."
The inscriptions on the tomb don't mention his hometown or year of birth, but state he had a son called Fang Li Eng. Mr Chua said Fang Shan, a government official in China, moved here to be a businessman.
His grave is among many other historically significant ones in the Bukit Brown cemetery, which was officially opened on 1 Jan 1922. It stretches across more than 80 hectares and there are about 80,000 graves there now. They were unaffected by the 800 or so exhumations carried out by the Public Works Department in 1965 and 1993.
For now, they remain largely untouched by development. Over the next few weeks, they may get some visitors, who come by to perform the annual Qing Ming rites for their ancestors. After that, all will be quiet again.
'Protect cemetery as it's a historic gem'
PRESERVE the Bukit Brown Chinese Cemetery, say local heritage enthusiasts and cemetery conservationists. This comes after fears that graves at the cemetery would be affected by the construction of the nearby Bukit Brown MRT station at Jalan Mashor. The station is due to be completed this year. A Land Transport Authority spokesman has said that Circle Line work would not affect "any of the graves", although there is some work for the station going on around the cemetery.
An Urban Redevelopment Authority spokesman said that while there are "longer-term plans to develop the Bukit Brown cemetery", including the reserve area next to the cemetery for residential uses, there are no plans to redevelop the place at present. As its fate is hanging in the balance, individuals and groups have expressed the desire for the cemetery to be protected and enhanced permanently.
Dilemma
Dr Kevin Tan, president of the Singapore Heritage Society, hopes it will not end up like the
Bidadari Cemetery. The entire Bidadari cemetery grounds were cleared in January 2006, and while it was initially planned to be a residential estate, the area is now used for recreational and leisure purposes.
Adjunct Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore's Department of History, Mr Kwa Chong Guan, said that there is a constant "dilemma between land use needs and preservation". However, he thinks that the Bukit Brown cemetery has a valid case for preservation. "It's a repository for social memories and a green space. I believe these reasons outweigh urban planning needs," he said.
Mr Kwa is also currently chairman of the National Archives and was formerly the director of the Oral History Centre and the National Museum. He and Dr Ho Hua Chew, chairman of the Nature Society's conservation committee, feel that the cemetery is rich in flora and fauna and is a good exercise location. "If you don't have the traditional 'pantang' (superstitious) inhibitions, the roads in the cemetery are pleasant for strolling and watching birds and butterflies," said Dr Ho.
During The New Paper's visits there, people could be seen walking their dogs, jogging and even taking driving lessons around the cemetery grounds. Dr Ho said that at least 84 species of birds have made the cemetery their home, which makes "the ecological importance of this place immense".
The Singapore Polo Club also uses designated trails at the cemetery for their members to ride their horses. This was permitted by the then Ministry of the Environment in the 1980s. According to the NEA, which now oversees this partnership, this activity does not adversely affect the cemetery grounds as it does not encroach into areas where there are graves.
The presence of many graves of Singapore pioneers also explain why many are so eager for it to be preserved. Dr Tan called the cemetery a "historic gem", where "people can go to learn lessons about the past".
Others such as Miss Tan Beng Luan, who worked at the National Archives for 11 years in its
Oral History Centre, also felt that the graves could teach people about Chinese customs and
culture. "The graves have different styles across the decades, and some show a mixture of culture and religion: Chinese-style graves have Christian crosses on them," she said.
Miss Tan, the principal of Creative O Preschoolers' Bay, considers the cemetery an "interesting open-aired museum". She, Dr Tan, Mr Kwa and Dr Ho are confident that enhancements to the cemetery can come in a variety of ways. Dr Tan felt that proper documentation of the cemetery could be done along with informative booklets or pamphlets, so as to "flesh out" the pioneers' stories. Miss Tan and Mr Kwa also think that signposts to certain prominent graves, as well as maps of the area would help visitors to navigate. Dr Ho even felt that the place could be designated as a cemetery-cum-park.
The Preservation of Monuments Board, which comes under the National Heritage Board, has said that it is possible for the latter "to commemorate the contributions of significant individuals and pioneers through heritage markers and memorials".
(Taken from The New Paper, 23 March 2010)
21 March 2010
S’pore’s oldest grave?
The grave of Fang Shan, which dates
back to 1833.
Story by BRYNA SIM
Photos by CHOO CHWEE HUA, BRYNA SIM
TUCKED away in Bukit Brown Chinese Cemetery off Kheam Hock Road, is a long-forgotten grave with a 60cm-high granite headstone. Two empty drink cans that held joss sticks indicate that someone still remembers the final resting place of a man known as Fang Shan. It is on a small hill, amid creeper plants and weeds, one of about a hundred graves in the western section of the cemetery. The red Chinese characters on the weather-worn headstone says Fang Shan died in 1833, some 14 years after Sir Stamford Raffles first landed in Singapore. Historians and history buffs believe this may be the oldest grave in Singapore.
According to the National Archives of Singapore, which keeps burial records, the oldest grave here dates back to 2 Apr 1865, and was at the Bukit Timah Road Old Cemetery, also known as the Kampong Java Cemetery. The National Environment Agency said it was exhumed, together with the other 8,461 graves in the cemetery and the remains reburied at Choa Chu Kang Christian Cemetery in 1970.
There is one other contender for the oldest grave title. In 2006, The Straits Times reported that a tomb dating back to 1842 had been found near the current National University of Singapore law school campus. It contained the remains of Chinese settler Qiu Zheng Zhi. It was then believed to be the "oldest in situ Chinese tomb in Singapore", meaning that it remained at the site where it was first built.
Now, cemetery explorer Raymond Goh, 46, believes the title should go to the grave of Fang Shan. Mr Goh, who stumbled upon the grave in late 2008, said: "Although the Fang tomb is not the oldest in situ tomb here, its dating back to 1833 trumps the 1842 record".
Cemetery explorer Raymond Goh posing by a tomb.
Preserve past
Mr Goh, a pharmacist by day, spends much of his free time researching tombs and cemeteries. The interest began in 2006 after he felt the importance of "preserving the past". He has since found more than 10 graves of Singapore's pioneers. (See infographic.)
Fang Shan's grave is looked after by the Fang Shee Association, a local clan association for those with the surname Fang. According to association secretary Akita Chua, 67, there are no known living descendants of Fang Shan. On the left side of the headstone, it says that the tomb was relocated in 1941. Mr Goh believes that the original location of the grave was at Heng Shan Teng, a cemetery for the Hokkien community around Silat Road in Bukit Merah. However, the association says the grave was moved from a cemetery around the Fort Canning area.
Mr Chua said that since 1962, clan members have been paying their respects to Fang Shan and
other ancestors annually during the Qing Ming festival. "In the past, we used to have to charter a bus during Qing Ming. But fewer than 10 people go these days."
The inscriptions on the tomb don't mention his hometown or year of birth, but state he had a son called Fang Li Eng. Mr Chua said Fang Shan, a government official in China, moved here to be a businessman.
His grave is among many other historically significant ones in the Bukit Brown cemetery, which was officially opened on 1 Jan 1922. It stretches across more than 80 hectares and there are about 80,000 graves there now. They were unaffected by the 800 or so exhumations carried out by the Public Works Department in 1965 and 1993.
For now, they remain largely untouched by development. Over the next few weeks, they may get some visitors, who come by to perform the annual Qing Ming rites for their ancestors. After that, all will be quiet again.
'Protect cemetery as it's a historic gem'
PRESERVE the Bukit Brown Chinese Cemetery, say local heritage enthusiasts and cemetery conservationists. This comes after fears that graves at the cemetery would be affected by the construction of the nearby Bukit Brown MRT station at Jalan Mashor. The station is due to be completed this year. A Land Transport Authority spokesman has said that Circle Line work would not affect "any of the graves", although there is some work for the station going on around the cemetery.
An Urban Redevelopment Authority spokesman said that while there are "longer-term plans to develop the Bukit Brown cemetery", including the reserve area next to the cemetery for residential uses, there are no plans to redevelop the place at present. As its fate is hanging in the balance, individuals and groups have expressed the desire for the cemetery to be protected and enhanced permanently.
Dilemma
Dr Kevin Tan, president of the Singapore Heritage Society, hopes it will not end up like the
Bidadari Cemetery. The entire Bidadari cemetery grounds were cleared in January 2006, and while it was initially planned to be a residential estate, the area is now used for recreational and leisure purposes.
Adjunct Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore's Department of History, Mr Kwa Chong Guan, said that there is a constant "dilemma between land use needs and preservation". However, he thinks that the Bukit Brown cemetery has a valid case for preservation. "It's a repository for social memories and a green space. I believe these reasons outweigh urban planning needs," he said.
Mr Kwa is also currently chairman of the National Archives and was formerly the director of the Oral History Centre and the National Museum. He and Dr Ho Hua Chew, chairman of the Nature Society's conservation committee, feel that the cemetery is rich in flora and fauna and is a good exercise location. "If you don't have the traditional 'pantang' (superstitious) inhibitions, the roads in the cemetery are pleasant for strolling and watching birds and butterflies," said Dr Ho.
During The New Paper's visits there, people could be seen walking their dogs, jogging and even taking driving lessons around the cemetery grounds. Dr Ho said that at least 84 species of birds have made the cemetery their home, which makes "the ecological importance of this place immense".
The Singapore Polo Club also uses designated trails at the cemetery for their members to ride their horses. This was permitted by the then Ministry of the Environment in the 1980s. According to the NEA, which now oversees this partnership, this activity does not adversely affect the cemetery grounds as it does not encroach into areas where there are graves.
The presence of many graves of Singapore pioneers also explain why many are so eager for it to be preserved. Dr Tan called the cemetery a "historic gem", where "people can go to learn lessons about the past".
Others such as Miss Tan Beng Luan, who worked at the National Archives for 11 years in its
Oral History Centre, also felt that the graves could teach people about Chinese customs and
culture. "The graves have different styles across the decades, and some show a mixture of culture and religion: Chinese-style graves have Christian crosses on them," she said.
Miss Tan, the principal of Creative O Preschoolers' Bay, considers the cemetery an "interesting open-aired museum". She, Dr Tan, Mr Kwa and Dr Ho are confident that enhancements to the cemetery can come in a variety of ways. Dr Tan felt that proper documentation of the cemetery could be done along with informative booklets or pamphlets, so as to "flesh out" the pioneers' stories. Miss Tan and Mr Kwa also think that signposts to certain prominent graves, as well as maps of the area would help visitors to navigate. Dr Ho even felt that the place could be designated as a cemetery-cum-park.
The Preservation of Monuments Board, which comes under the National Heritage Board, has said that it is possible for the latter "to commemorate the contributions of significant individuals and pioneers through heritage markers and memorials".
(Taken from The New Paper, 23 March 2010)
published on Aug 19 2009 - 14:29
#1: Oldest skyscraper
Depends who you’re talking to. Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary helpfully describes a skyscraper as ‘a very tall building’; in 1939, our first very tall building, The Cathay, was only eight floors high. In 2006, it was sexed up into a modern glass-and-metal beast but retained its original art-deco façade. Our oldest un-renovated skyscraper is technically the old block of the Bank of China Building, built in 1954 with a whopping 18 floors (the new block has 36).
Where: The Cathay (2 Handy Road) & Bank of China Building (4 Battery Road)
#2: Oldest man-made Structure
A wooden bridge marks what’s left of Parit Singapura, the ‘Moat of Singapore’. The moat was mentioned in The Malay Annals (a literary work that traces the origins and descent of Malay royalty), and its existence corroborated by a British map of 1825, which shows along modern Stamford Road an ‘earthen rampart…on the north side of this rampart was a stream’.
Where: Wooden bridge next to Raffles House (Fort Canning Park)
#3: Oldest mall
Founded in 1932, C.K. Tang is the oldest surviving retail business and development in Singapore, although the original establishment was demolished in 1975 to construct the Dynasty Hotel (now the Singapore Marriott Hotel) and shopping complex in its place. It’s hard to imagine this household name began with enterprising hawker Tang Choon Kheng from Swatow, China – popularly known as ‘Curio King’ – peddling his embroidered linen wares all over Singapore. Tang built his business on the humble principles of honesty and integrity.
Where: Tangs (310 & 320 Orchard Road)
C.K. Tang
#4: Oldest example of our State motto
When you enter Victoria Theatre, on the left-hand stairwell landing, our state motto – otherwise known as Majulah Singapura (or ‘Onward Singapore’) – shines through the dust. Zubir Said (who also wrote songs for the 1958 Malay film Blood of Pontianak) used these words as a starting point to compose an anthem that would celebrate Singapore’s conferred city status by King George VI and replace ‘God Save the Queen’.
Where: Victoria Theatre (9 Empress Place)
#5: Oldest Chinese Chamber of Commerce in South-East Asia
The attempt to fuse architectural details like the red colonnades and stone lions with a regular Western edifice renders this building a Far Eastern confusion. However, pay attention to the dragon mural flanking the gateway – the first replica porcelain nine-dragon wall in Singapore. While the original two-storey building was replaced in 1963, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry stands as a timeless guardian of Chinese customs and business values. During one visit, it even played host to a Sikh wedding ceremony.
Where: Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (47 Hill Street; MRT: City Hall)
#6: Oldest painted façade
The faded Peranakan shophouse at 66 Spottiswoode Park is a quaint anomaly in a row of better-restored neighbours. Though in lacklustre condition, its façade is the oldest surviving one and an original (still intact) to boot – a rarity in these parts. This gem in the rough was only discovered last year when the coat of whitewash that was stupidly painted over it (for reasons unknown) began to chip, hence its excellent preservation. Not much is known about the origin of this piece of history, apart from the fact that it dates back to approximately the 1880s. But the images of three magpies in terracotta red and blue, symbolising love, joy and good fortune, are truly a sight and unexpected treasure to behold.
Where: 66 Spottiswoode Park (MRT: Outram Park)
National Museum of Singapore
#7: Oldest kramat
Bite your tongue and swallow your Kermit jokes – a kramat is a holy Islamic tomb (the word is derived from ‘keramat’, which denotes a kind of miracle-working ability) of a holy Islamic saint. The oldest kramat belongs to Radin Ayu Mas, which translates as the Princess of Golden Beauty. Buried at the foot of Mount Faber, the legend tells the sad story of the brother of a sultan and his marriage to a common palace dancer. When the Sultan finds out, he sets Pangeran’s house on fire in his absence. The mother perishes in the flames, but a child named Radin Mas is rescued. The little princess and her father leave Java for Singapore only to be torn apart once again – in the final chapter of the tragedy, Radin Mas dies in her father’s arms after being accidentally stabbed with a kris (a dagger indigenous to Indonesia) by an evil Tengku (prince).
Where: Mount Faber Road (Tel: 6270 8855 MRT: HarbourFront)
#8: Oldest theatre
While most would assume the Yangtze Theatre – known for its racy and exotic XXX-rated movies – to be the oldest, the Capitol Theatre was erected way before the Yangtze hit puberty (for the record, it was opened in 1977). Built in 1929, the Capitol Theatre, a neo-classical curio, was previously a theatre for rambunctious cabaret performances until the Shaw Brothers turned it into its flagship cinema in 1946. Besides catering to the appetites of cinemagoers, there was also the Capitol Restaurant located in the Blue Room – not a hall for sexual content, but a beautiful function room with high ceilings and a zodiac mosaic that decorated the interior of its dome. The cinema, with its 1,686 seats, gave patrons the choice of gallery, stalls and circle seats. Under the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s list of heritage buildings, the cinema lowered its curtains in 1998 after screening the futuristic thriller Soldier, which starred Kurt Russell.
Where: Junction of North Bridge Road and Stamford Road (MRT: City Hall)
#9: Oldest museum
In colonial days, the National Museum of Singapore was known as the Raffles Library and Museum, a repository for prized zoological, ethnographical and archaeological collections (or conquests) of South-East Asia, most of which have been forwarded on to NUS and other museums abroad. Today, the building, redeveloped at a cost of $132.6 million, includes a stunning glass-clad extension that pays tribute to the island’s nation-building history without neglecting modern art and culture. Do look out for one of its oldest artefacts, the Singapore Stone (currently on display at the Singapore History Gallery). This originally stood as part of a larger boulder at the entrance of the Singapore River and bears the earliest inscription (a variant of an old Sumatran script) found here – a significant relic of this island’s pre-colonial history, which has been variously dated from the 10th to 14th centuries.
Where: National Museum of Singapore (93 Stamford Road)
Capitol Theatre
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