Chen Yuan Yue's Individual Report

Like a trip to the past, a window to our history, a step through the door brings one on a journey through the sands of time.

Located at Stamford Road, the building stands out, with its building of an 18th century design seamlessly joined by a modern extension of glass and metal. The visitor steps through the sliding glass doors of a modern design, and is brought into its marbled halls.

Beyond its initial modern entrance lies a much more ancient interior, as if we had crossed through time to view our history. The atrium walls are lined with neo-classical windows rarely seen in Singapore’s modernized architecture. Together with the rotunda dome containing 50 pieces of stained glass, each measuring nine feet long, one gets to soak into our rich architectural history, yet still keep in view the modernized blend of metal and glass.

The first floor of the museum houses the permanent exhibitions, namely the Singapore History Gallery and the Living Galleries. With the aid of modern technology, the galleries bring to us our history in an interactive mixture of videos, interactive displays and enriching voice recordings. Guided by a handheld companion, an electronic guide with audio, visual and textual information on the various exhibits in the History Gallery, the advanced technology that blended together to recreate history was almost an ironic tease to the visitor.


The History Gallery housed artifacts on Singapore’s history; her humble beginning, her founding, her colonial days, her days of the Japanese occupation and her road to independence. The combination of visual and audio effects brings forth a fresh outlook into Singapore’s past, a treat for both locals and foreigners alike.


The Living Galleries consists of four specialized galleries that gives us a more in dept look into Singapore’s rich cultural diversity. The four galleries, the Food, Fashion, Family and Photography Galleries delve into the details of Singaporean culture, providing us with nuggets of knowledge not commonly heard of.


Take for example the Fashion Gallery, a walk through the different fashion statements that dominated Singaporean history. From polka dotted dresses to flowing white wedding gowns, each display case shows us a new quirky fashion sense. The heavy cultural influences of our multi-racial background can be evidently seen in many of the clothes, bringing out our multi-racial identity in the most unusual of places.

A must see for all, the National Museum of Singapore brings history alive, literally throwing us back through time. Much can be learnt from a look at our history, not only plain facts about Raffles and Lee Kuan Yew, but also of grueling days spent, of hardships endured and of accomplishments well deserved. Packed into a mere 18,400 square feet, this venture into our past is not to be missed.

Chen Yuan Yue (6)

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The National Museum of Singapore; An Ageless Artefact In Itself by Awe Wan Li

The National Museum of Singapore

Set amid the lush greenery of Fort Canning Park is the stately National Museum of Singapore, the prime historic symbol of the Nation’s rich culture, and no wonder! The iconic artefact itself is magnificent, embodied by the subtle melding of sleek glass extensions with the stately neo-Palladian building.

The wide, sunlit lobby

Fusion of tradition and modernism, a classic architectural icon; The Concourse

I was welcomed into the lobby (in the extension wing), bounded by crystal-clear, expansive glass windows, by its zen-like ambience. Set strikingly against the cutting-edge architecture of the lobby, the intricate Renaissance style of The Concourse, with its white shuttered windows, was a surprisingly fresh reminder of the museum’s colonial past.

The beautiful Glass Passage

Stained glass panels in the Rotunda Dome in the afternoon sunlight

The Glass Passage (extending from the lobby), which bridges the old and new buildings, is an impressive glass structure, through which I was offered an unparalleled view of the historic Dome, beautifully adorned with stained glass panels and fish scaled tiles. Especially when observed during the day, the coloured beams of tainted sunlight streaming through the glass panels was a pleasing complement to the modernism of the Passage, and brought me back for brief, nostalgic moments to British colonial Singapore.

Tiffin carriers used to store Laksa ingredients

Cast iron wok, charcoal stove and opeh (palm) leaf plates at the Char Kway Teow display

Its several cultural exhibits introduce tourists and locals alike to the dynamic lifestyle cultures of Singapore. In particular, the colourful Food exhibit was extremely gratifying, its casually simplistic design offering a bright assortment of artefacts to marvel at. Highlights included the life stories of classic street food like Char Kway Teow and Laksa, accompanied by authentic audio accounts of the daily lives of hawkers, and video clips of a typical hawker’s day spent bustling in the stall. A lighthearted new way to incorporate modern design into the display of traditional artefacts with the use of contemporary lighting, this exhibit was a simply deliciously refreshing experience!

Elaborately tailored Chinese opera costumes

Chinese puppet stage decorated with scenes from Journey to the West

Next, I ventured into the Film and Wayang exhibit. Muted lights and the distinct tunes of lilting Malay-Indian songs created a movie-like ambience, easily easing one into the exhibit, which was in turn enhanced by tastefully selected excerpts from uniquely Singaporean films playing on vast canvases. The vivid contrast of the Wayang aspect brought the breathtaking experience full circle, with its arresting display of bright, shiny wonders of the costumes used in Chinese opera and theatre. It also offered new insights into Chinese opera through Chinese puppetry, a prime aspect of entertainment in the olden days of Singapore.

The highlight of the whole museum visit was, however, the Rickshaw display in the classic Singapore History Gallery. The Gallery, lit by gently glowing lights, proved a fine finish to the whole museum visit.

A rickshaw; used in olden-day transport for Europeans and locals alike

In its humble beginnings, many immigrant Chinese to the young British colony laboured as rickshaw pullers, earning their bread and butter by transporting Europeans and locals alike to and fro in this simple two-wheeled device. Serving as a primary source of transportation in the past, the rickshaw was once rampant in the streets of Singapore, and symbolic of the British colony’s identity as a vibrant port. The genuine article on display showcases a distinctive Singaporean character in its well-maintained veneer, and is adorned with an authentic checkered American cloth used in the seat and a plain white canvas pulled up over the top. It has since evolved into a key component of tourism attractions in the modern, globalized city of Singapore, and symbolizes the astounding transformations Singapore has undergone since the olden times.

The National Museum of Singapore, the epitome of the nation’s history, completely redefines museum experiences in a whole new way by elegantly fusing old and new together in a tantalizing display of architecture and exhibits. It truly was an unforgettable and immensely gratifying experience!

Awe Wan Li (3), 310

Tok See Teng's individual report

The National Museum of Singapore in its full glory

The modernised interior of the National Museum of Singapore

Located at 93 Stamford Road, the National Museum of Singapore is easily accessible by public transport, and is within walking distance from City Hall and Dhoby Ghaut train stations. At first glance, one will first be attracted to the elegant neo-classical building, joined by a new modernist extension of glass and metal. With a rich history dating back to 1887, the National Museum of Singapore is Singapore’s oldest and biggest museum with the youngest and most innovative soul.

After passing through the magnificent glass doors of the entrance, I was greeted with peace and serenity in the visitor's centre. I was, once again, rendered speechless by the beautiful marble floor and modernised design.

The glass passage

I was delighted at how the glass passage made viewing the scenery in an art gallery setting, and I loved the way it gave me a clear view of the elegant Palladian motifs.It is designed to blend into the old neo-Palladian architecture, with its frameless glass-form seemingly disappearing, enables visitors a celebrated access through the old building into the new modern extension.

Photo gallery in the Family Gallery portraying the family life in olden day Singapore

Dining tables and chairs in the Family Gallery to portray the importance of togetherness of families in the olden days as they dine together every single day without fail.

The deep maroon interior of the fashion gallery

I entered the Family gallery with my ticket, which is extremely convenient. One just has to insert the ticket into the barcode scanners found at the entrance of the different galleries to gain access. Next, I went into the Fashion gallery, and was surprised by the huge amount of exhibits in this particular gallery. The walls are made of reflective glass, emanating a modern vibe. The design of the gallery was stylish, with domes in the walls for visitors to rest their tired feet. I loved the deep maroon of the walls, and the soft lightning in the entire gallery.

Example of a three-dimensional exhibit

The audio companion loaned to aid visitors in their understanding of the artefacts

Moving on into the History gallery, I saw the artefacts found when Singapore was still Temasek, an undeveloped fishing village. Then, as I moved on, all the significant events in Singapore's development were all depicted vividly with the use of three dimensional exhibits, and also our audio companions. A tourist who is absolutely clueless about the history of Singapore will know everything he has to know about Singapore after viewing the entire history gallery with the aid of an audio companion, with explanations in different languages. The exhibits are extremely effective, and makes you feel as if you were really in the era, experiencing the same events.

Painting of coolies working hard in the olden days

My favourite exhibit of all was the one of coolies working in the olden days. It portrays that Singapore's identity as a trading port started since a long time ago, and it still remained up till today. Also, the coolies are also our forefathers, who paved the path for us, the younger generations. Without their hard work and dedication, we would not be so fortunate to live in a developed country right now. This is to remind us to treasure what we have, as our forefathers worked hard to build Singapore's identity, and to make Singapore a better place to live in. It links our story to history, showing how our past, our ancestors, made up the history of Singapore. The particular exhibit also shows the bitter and hard life in early Singapore, and they were employed in every sector of work such as rickshaw pullers and construction workers. Coolies originated from the chinese work ku-li, meaning "hard labour", and they were driven by poverty in China to come to Singapore to seek their fortune. The coolies were also the backbone of Singapore's economy in the early days, as they generated growth for the economy and allowed the country to prosper. Therefore, coolies in the olden days played a major role in the development of Singapore's identity.

(600 words)

Victoria Lim's Individual Report

Victoria Lim's Individual Report

Walking into the National Museum of Singapore (NMS), it was like walking into a whole new dimension.

Full Front View of the National Museum of Singapore

The grand yet simple appearance of the museum not only demands respect for the building and its contents, but also seemingly condensed all the knowledge available inside into an attainable goal to reach.

The ambience when you first step into the imposing doors is that of a more ancient feel.

Main Entrance to the Museum

The tainted glass rotunda dome, the grandiose broad staircases and the “shop-house” type of windows never fail to remind Tourists and Singaporeans alike of our history as a city which was governed by the British and were filled with shop-houses.

This also stirs the visitors to think of Singapore’s roots, and where this country, this “lion-city” had originated, making the whole experience very awe-inspiring.

Glass Rotunda Dome on the Ceiling

However, upon stepping into the main section of the museum, the ambience previously described is quickly transformed into a futuristic feel, with the marble flooring and the clear combination of metal and glass walls/ceilings.

The Walkway to the Main Exhibits

This clearly reflects our modern society in today’s context, where we have evolved from the British Colonial Times to the modern and upbeat city of Singapore.

The obvious change in the atmosphere presents Singapore‘s ability to bridge the gap of time and pull both ideas of the past and the future together in this monumental museum.

Ultimately, this presents tourists a chance to look into Singapore’s history and appreciate the rocky road Singaporeans endeavored to reach the multi-cultural, multi religious society we have today, allowing a full view of Singapore’s culture and identity, starting from her roots.

Besides the temporary star exhibits brought into the museum, there are also many other permanent exhibits, like the Singapore History Gallery and the Living Galleries, which promise to educate visitors on the complete history of Singapore.

Among these exhibits, the Living Galleries-Food seemed to further enhance the idea of our cultural significance in the museum.

The artifacts on display in the exhibit include many famous delicacies in Singapore today, for example the “Char Kway Teow” and the “Kueh TuTus”.

Kueh-TuTu Cart Artifect found in the Living Galleries-Food Exhibit

These gourmet foods seem to transcend the boundary of time, never losing their popularity among tourists and citizens alike.

Thus, these savory treats have, without doubt, become a part of Singapore’s culture, a part of every Singaporean’s identity.

Inside many of these exhibits, the artifacts seem to tell a story of Singapore’s rich history. Artifacts such as a simple Japan flag reflect Singapore’s experiences during the World War II, as Singapore was under the Japanese rule between the years 1942 and 1945.

Japanese Flag Artifact found in the Singapore History Gallery

The Japanese Occupation of Singapore plays a huge role in the shaping of Singapore’s identity. It was the turning point for all Singaporeans due to the ardent decision for independence after the event. This eventually led to the independent modern-day Singapore we now know today.

A picture of one of the stamps

Also, the journey for Independence could not be accomplished without our forefathers, sweating blood and tears to transform Singapore from the colonized country we were in the past to the modernized society now. Therefore, even small, seemingly insignificant pictures of Coolies, are able to tell a tale of great depth.

A trip to the National Museum of Singapore is appropriate for all ages, young or old, and its exhibits serve to educate tourists of Singapore’s rich heritage and culture, learning how the past affects the formation of Singapore’s identity through tough times. The museum also doubles up as a reminder to all Singaporeans of the grueling path taken to reach our present-day society. Just as “Rome was not built in a day”, Singapore was not either.

Primary School Children filling the Glass Passage

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