British Colony
Tuesday, July 5th, 2011
Singapore – From British Colony to Asian Economic Powerhouse
The Merlion’s origins are a combination of the magical and mundane. Toward the end of the thirteenth century, a Buddhist prince from the Indonesian island of Sumatra founded the Kingdom of Temasek near what is today Singapore. One day, he arrived at a large island, where he saw a terrifying beast. He thought it was a lion, although no lions had ever been seen in the area, nor have they been sighted since. The city founded on the island was named Singha Pura (“Lion City”) as a result. The Merlion’s tail connects it to fishing, the traditional occupation of the local population.
A British crown colony.
In Singapore, drivers still follow the British practice of keeping to the left side of the road. British influence began in the early nineteenth century when Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founded the first branch office of the British East India Company here in 1819. Raffles is a difficult man to forget in Singapore, where statues, streets and the Raffles Hotel all bear his name.
Before Raffles arrived, the island had been a desolate place, occupied by only a few fishermen and the occasional Malaysian pirates. Singapore was a British crown colony as well as a commercial port belonging to the East India Company from 1867 to 1963. During those years, the city developed into one of largest commercial ports in South-East Asia.
Since independence in 1964 Singapore has grown into a modern metropolis. More than just business. Though Singapore enjoys a worldwide reputation as a hyper- successful economic powerhouse, “Lion City” is not usually listed among anyone’s favourite tourist destinations. Many travelers only make a brief stop here en route to somewhere else. This is not really far to Singapore, a city that has a great deal to offer.
Its Chinatown Quarter, Arab Street and Little India have been tidied up and polished until they shine. Even the modern areas of city centre have numerous places worth visiting. The cultural life of the city is diverse, and one runs into it at every turn. Singapore has never been more colourful or inviting.
Esplanade Park.
A new cultural centre has sprung from the banks of the river delta in Singapore’s Esplanade Park. Along with the Merlion, this facility is emblematic of Singapore, possibly in part because the complex is shaped like an enormous durian melon. This is a fruit with a famously awful smell, as many travelers to South-East Asia have learned from personal experience, but “stink fruit” is very popular with the locals.
Drivers license by auction.
Owning a private car in Singapore is a rather costly proposition. Once all the expenses are tallied up, owning a car can cost more than twice as much in Singapore as it does in Europe. Among the additional costs is the purchase of a license “at auction”. This license is valid for ten years, and is linked to the specific vehicle with which it is registered. If the owner purchases a new car, the whole process has to be started all over again. This method has so far proven very successful in keeping Singapore from being overrun with traffic jams and smog, the fate of so many other big cities.
A stroll through Singapore.
Singapore has a rich array of historical buildings. A walk through Singapore should begin in the city centre with Chinatown. The colourfully decorated stores, restaurants and cafes invite a short stopover. Wandering to the other side of Cross Street brings one to the Lau Pa Sat Festival Market. A short detour to the river promenade, where the Merlion statue can be seen in action, is also recommended. Along the promenade, visitors can relax under an umbrella and get away from the bustle of the city. Later, the nightlife at nearby Boat Quay may prove more tempting.
About the Author
Looking for
cheap holidays
and
cheap airfares
? Student Flights have a range of package deals for the young and young at heart. Visit http://www.studentflights.com.au/cheaptrips/ STSF190209-1
USA a British crown colony.
|
|
Write Black, Write British: From Post Colonial to Black £12.40 |
|
|
+ 1800′s Cape of Good Hope South Africa Queen Victoria Bob British Colonial 1/2p £1.52 |
|
|
Estate Lot,19 Unused British Colonials; St Lucia, S. Rhodesia,Trinidad, S.Africa £6.32 |
|
|
1858 INDIA INDIAN SEPOY REBELLION MUTINY Colonial BRITISH EAST COMPANY Hinduism £191.14 |
|
|
Colonial British Guyana 1838 One Stiver ‘Trade & Navigation’ Copper Token Coin £6.32 |
|
|
Mauritius Complete Set 4 Used 1978 Cent First British Colonial Postage Stamp £0.99 |
|
|
CEYLON COMMONWEALTH BRITISH COLONIAL COLLECTION STAMPS OLD KG GEORGE SOUGHT LOT £0.99 |
|
|
From British Peasants to Colonial American Farmers Alla £38.25 |
|
|
Red Colonial Ensign British Navy Flag 5′x3′ FREE P+P £5.00 |
|
|
British Colonial 50 used postage stamps £0.99 |
|
|
British Colonial America: People and Perspectives Grigg £70.05 |
|
|
1778 George III Half Penny Extremely Rare Colonial Contemporary Counterfeit Coin £9.18 |
|
|
REDBOX 72003. COLONIAL BRITISH INFANTRY. 1/72 SCALE. £7.50 |
|
|
British Colonial Coin Bracelet – India Straits, Malaya, Borneo – 1920-1961 £0.99 |
|
|
HAT 8210 BRITISH COLONIAL ARTILLERY. 1/72 SCALE. 4 GUNS £7.99 |
|
|
SUPERB GEORGE III 1774 *VERY HIGH GRADE* Colonial HALFPENNY 1/2d COIN £36.00 |
|
|
177? + 1773. 2 GEORGE III HALF-PENNYS; BRITAIN/IRELAND/U.S COLONIES COINS. £2.99 |
|
|
British Colonial Policy in the Age of Peel and Russell £124.23 |
|
|
The Turning Point in Africa: British Colony Policy, 193 £92.23 |
|
|
Industrialisation and the British Colonial State: West £123.63 |
|
|
Franco British Exhibition 1908 Colonial Ave & Rickshaws £3.00 |
|
|
British empire, colonial stamps mixed areas £3.99 |
|
|
LOT STAMPS BRITISH COLONIAL LEEWARD MH* (A27204) £1.36 |
|
|
Distant Drums: The Role of Colonies in British Imperial £32.56 |
|
|
Elementary Geography of the British Colonies, George M £21.95 |
|
|
Adult British Colonial Soldier Fancy Dress Costume (L) £24.17 |
|
|
EMPIRE OR DEMOCRACY?: A STUDY OF THE COLONIAL QUESTION £46.70 |
|
|
Adult British Colonial Soldier Costume (L) Fancy Dress £26.17 |
|
|
BRITISH COLONIES, UN, WW, 100′S MINT(NH) Stamps & Sheets in a Stockbook £34.46 |
|
|
BRITISH COLONIES, Advanced Stamp & Cover Collection mounted on pages.. £6.65 |
|
|
Commonwealth British Colonial small lot of used stamps South Africa £0.99 |
|
|
WW, British Colonies, 100′s of Stamps in stockpages, MANY MINT!! £5.23 |
|
|
WW, BRITISH COLONIES, MINT Stamps in 50 dealer pages..No Reserve!! £26.58 |
|
|
Antique Art Nouveau Bowl – F Winkle & Co Colonial Pottery – Arundel Design £1.99 |
|
|
Hong Kong British Empire colony Badge blue enamel & chrome 31x21mm £4.99 |
|
|
British Colonial Flags.Also Flags of all Nations.Booklet with huge foldout. £30.00 |
|
|
Derek Tangye, One King: A Survey of the Dominions and Colonies of the British Em £7.95 |
|
|
Dis-Placing Empire: Renegotiating British Colonial Geog £81.02 |
|
|
Denby Colonial Blue Two Dinner Plates £30.01 |
|
|
Lord William Malcolm Hailey, The Position of Colonies in a British Commonwealth £12.47 |
|
|
VINTAGE BRITISH CROWN COLONY OF HONG KONG “DYNASTY” SHIFT DRESS SZ S £1.35 |
|
|
The American Colonies and the British Empire, 1607-1763 £14.13 |
|
|
British Colonial used & MM stamps £0.99 |
|
|
H.Alexander Parsons, The colonial coinages of British Africa, with the adjacent £27.48 |
|
|
LOT OF TWO ARMY ACCESSORIES BRITISH CYPRYS COLONY £1.99 |
|
|
Subject to Others: British Women Writers and Colonial £55.09 |
|
|
The Pens that Felled the Mighty (Hardback) – Malta & Colonial British History £14.99 |
|
|
Khaki and Blue: Military and Police in British Colonial £30.74 |
|
|
British Slave Emancipation: The Sugar Colonies and the £19.97 |
|
|
1894-1905 METRIC System Colonies BRITISH EMPIRE £47.99 |
|
|
The Forts of Colonial North America: British, Dutch and £11.90 |
|
|
BRITISH & FRENCH COLONIES, &, 100′S of Stamps hinged on pages/stockpages £3.48 |
|
|
The American Colonies and the British Empire, 1607-1783 £472.20 |
|
|
The American Colonies and the British Empire, 1607-1783 £470.95 |
|
|
The Colonial Policy of British Imperialism – Ralph Fox £10.02 |
|
|
Fantastic Lot of British Colonials; Eight Scans from QV; High CV; good value £2.21 |
|
|
Law and Politics in British Colonial Thought: Trans… £72.95 |
|
|
Law and Politics in British Colonial Thought: Trans… £58.08 |
|
|
Romantic Ecologies and Colonial Cultures in the British £68.47 |
|
|
NICE BRITISH COLONIES £0.63 |
|
|
British America 1500-1800: Creating Colonies, Imagi… £21.23 |
|
|
Selection of 52 British Colonial Commonwealth Stamps £0.99 |
|
|
collection of 60 different older British Colonial Stamps £0.99 |
|
|
Yesterday’s rulers;: The making of the British colonial service – Robert Heussle £15.00 |
|
|
Vintage Wooden 6-Room Dolls House – British Colonial Style – Ideal for Refurb £25.00 |
|
|
1943 SILVER EF+ threepence Scarce Colonial Use Only £21.99 |
|
|
Colonial Justice in British India: White Violence and t £23.71 |
|
|
British America 1500-1800: Creating Colonies, Imagining an Empire by Steven… £16.00 |
|
|
1756 British (Colony?) Halfpenny Showing King George II £0.63 |
|
|
A SHORT HISTORY OF BRITISH EXPANSION: THE OLD COLONIAL £14.75 |
|
|
Scarce Early Colonial Silver 1757 George 11 Sixpence Collectable High Grade £122.05 |
|
|
Civilizing Women: British Crusades in Colonial Sudan £26.09 |
|
|
THE CANADIAN CRISIS AND BRITISH COLONIAL POLICY, 1828- £12.35 |
|
|
History British Colonial Service “Glimpses of Empire ” £9.99 |
|
|
The Colonial Policy of British Imperialism-Ralph Fox £9.60 |
|
|
British Colony Bay Islands Spanish Main Harbour 1853 £18.74 Old Antique Historical Victorian Prints Maps and Historic Fine Art———-. British Colony Bay Islands Spanish Main Harbour 1853 Page From An Issue 1853. The Illustrated London News . These Wood Engravings From Sketches, Or Early Photographs Would Make An Ideal Gift For Christmas Or Birthday. The Actual Date Is Printed On Each Page.This Engraving Is Over 100 Years Old. And Is Not A Modern Copy. … |
|
|
NORTH AMERICA:British Colonies in,1763-1775;map of Middle,1956 Antique Map: NORTH AMERICA:British Colonies in,1763-1775;map of Middle. Title: ‘The British Colonies in North America, 1763-1775; Inset map of Middle Colonies’. Type: Colour vintage map. Scale 1: 20,000,000; Scale 1: 10,000,000. This map was published in 1956 but it may depict an earlier representation of the area shown dated 1775 and the mapmaker may have drawn on an earlier original work Date of… |
|
|
Kaiser Colony German Portugese British Troops 1917 £18.74 Old Antique Historical Victorian Prints Maps and Historic Fine Art ———-. Kaiser Colony German Portugese British Troops 1917 Rare Double Page From An 1917 Issue Of . The Graphic An Illustrated Weekly Newspaper With Wood Engraving And Early Photographs . The Actual Date Is Printed On Each Page . This Print Is Over 90 Years Old. And Is Not A Modern Copy. Size Of Print Is Approx ( injcluding mar… |
|
|
Morris: Heaven’s Command (Abridged) (Playaway Adult Nonfiction) £10.86 The Pax Britannica trilogy is Jan Morris’s epic story of the British Empire from the accession of Queen Victoria to the death of Winston Churchill. It is a towering achievement: informative, accessible, entertaining and written with all her usual bravura…. |
|
|
Have you ever seen me dancin’ (1983) / Vinyl single [Vinyl-Single 7''] … |
|
|
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ME DANCIN 7 INCH (7 45) UK CARRERE 1983 VG/EX… |
|
|
TOUR THROUGH THE BRITISH COLONIES AND FOREIGN POSSESSIONS BOARDGAME A Tour Through The British Colonies and Foreign Possessions is from an original hand coloured lithographic game published in about 1850 by John Betts of London. The game is a whistle-stop tour around the world from London via Africa, India, Japan, the West Indies, the United States of America, Canada, and finally, a race back to London. The first part of the journey includes the choice of two rout… |
|
|
Jigsaw Puzzles of Our Allies The Colonies (Ceylon Garrison Artillery), World War II from Heritage-Images Photo Jigsaw, Our Allies The Colonies (Ceylon Garrison Artillery), World War II. Our Allies The Colonies (Ceylon Garrison Artillery), World War II poster, c1939-c1945. Chosen by Heritage-Images. Bespoke 300 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle 17×12 (43x30cm). The jigsaw is delivered bagged and on a back board making a superb gift. Also supplied are a re-sealable bag, a photo example of the image and a self assemb… |
|
|
Jigsaw Puzzles of Our Allies The Colonies (Malta), World War II poster, c1939-c1945 from Heritage-Images Photo Jigsaw, Our Allies The Colonies (Malta), World War II poster, c1939-c1945. Our Allies The Colonies (Malta), World War II poster, c1939-c1945. Chosen by Heritage-Images. Bespoke 300 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle 17×12 (43x30cm). The jigsaw is delivered bagged and on a back board making a superb gift. Also supplied are a re-sealable bag, a photo example of the image and a self assemble flat packed box f… |
|
|
Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World £4.24 Recreates the excitement, brutality and adventure of the British Empire. This book is a major reinterpretation of the British Empire as one of the world’s modernising forces. It shows how the British Empire in the 19th Century spearheaded real globalisation with steampower, telegraphs, guns, engineers, missionaries and millions of settlers…. |