Thian Hock Keng

Palace of the Heavenly Happiness or Tianfu Gong house the diety Sea Goddess Mazu (Ma Cho Po) is the oldest and most important to the Hokkien people in the country. Built-in early 1821 it is located along Telok Ayer Street originally facing the sea and had been run by the Hokkien Huay Kuan which is directly opposite the temple and it had been gazetted in 1973 as a national monument. Next to it, you can find the Yu Huang Gong (Temple of the Heavenly Jade Emperor) derive from the former Keng Teck Whay and also among the oldest building which was constructed between 1847 and 1875 using traditional Chinese craft and material incorporating the Min-Nan architectural style from Fujian China and South-East Asian  Peranakan elements and was gazetted as a national monument in 2009 and was renamed as Yu Huang Gong which took over by the Taoist Mission of Singapore which operate it as a  Taoist temple which follows the Taoism and Chinese beliefs.

Asian Civilisations Museum

Located by the Singapore River the Asian Civilisation Museum was set up in 1993 and later open its door in 1997  at the former Tao Nan School which was later been turn into a Peranakan Museum. In 2003 the ACM opened its second venue at the Empress Building which was completed in 1867, the neoclassical style building along the Singapore River was used for over 100 years to house then colonial and later Singapore Government Office of the Singapore Immigration Department that is where I first obtain my blue Malaysian Passport there. The mission of the ACM is devoted to preserving the  cultural heritage of Asia especially the ancestral cultures of Singaporeans which include China, India, South East Asia, and the Islamic World 

SCC Vs SRC

These are the two oldest club in Singapore they are the Singapore Cricket Club (SCC) and Singapore Recreation Club (SRC) both can be found at the Padang facing each other on the opposite end of the field. SCC sports and social club was established in 1852 where they hold social functions and tournaments during the colonial time till now. Over at the Singapore Recreation Club (SRC), it was established later than SCC in the year 1883 for the Eurasian men who are keen in playing crickets and the club today offer a wide range of sporting, social and recreational activities through interest groups.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok

Located in the North-East Region lies a last surviving kampong located on Singapore in the 21st Century where a canal ran alongside that lead to Sungei Punggol which was built-in 1956 the kampong was known to the Malay community as Selat Kain because whenever there is a flood they will wade through the floor water by hitching their sarong. Most of the resident works in the nearby Woodbridge Hospital or factories I am wondering when will their fate of the kampong life end because at the present moment the public housing are inching nearer and nearer and I hope that the government will consider some new ideas to conserve the place.

Kampong Gelam

Its history can be traced back to the 1820s, the name comes from the Malay word Kampong which mean village and Gelam a name of the cajeput tree there was a village by the sea where the orang laut from the glam tribes reside include the Arabs, Bugis and the Javanese. In 1920 the area was descended into notoriety so much so it was famed for its red-light district than for its distinctive community the elegant Moorish influence Sultan Mosque was rebuilt in 1924 and continues as a beacon for the Muslim. In 1989  the historic district of Kampong Glam was gazetted as a conservation area and in 1993 the government announced a plan for the development of Istana Kampong Glam, today it had turn into a Malay Heritage Centre. The streets around Jalan Sultan was once full of ironsmith and the local call it Sio Po Pak Ti Koi and Sultan Gate is called Raja Kottei in Tamil which means Raja Palace.

Historic building found in Orchard Road

This building found in Cuscaden Road belongs to the Che Sen Khor Uplifting Moral Society also know ar the Dejiao Hui was founded in 1952 along  River Valley Road which later moved to Carpenter Street in 1954 before settling down at the present location in 1959.  They had been diligently to set up more temples and pavilion in Singapore and Malaysia when they completed the 18th temple in 1956 the Nanyang Moral Uplifting Society within Che Sen Khor their main deity is Tai Shang Lao Jun and other deities.  

The Iconic blue signboard

The blue signboard had been operating for the last 54 years old provision shop situated at Block 12 Dakota Crescent this was an old school type of shop which your parents and grandparents used to patronize in the heydays together with mama shops found around the street corner on the five footway. When the old estate was embarked for redevelopment the owner decided to call it a day and soon the shop together with the name Tian Kee & Co was bought over and converted into a cafe and had been there for quite a while and finally, the dateline came and everybody had to leave and now waiting for the wrecking ball to come in.