Hawker centres are open-air complexes that house many stalls selling a wide variety of affordably priced food. They are mostly conveniently located at the heart of housing estates, usually with adjourning wet markets. Hawker centres are a unique aspect of Singapore ...
The Anti-Catholic riots were the culmination of a series of disputes between members of the Chinese immigrant community who had converted to Roman Catholicism and those who had not. The disturbance began on 15 February 1851, when members of various Chinese secret ...
The Singapore Poh Leung Kuk (保良局), or “office to protect virtue”, was established by the Chinese Protectorate in 1888. It grew out of one aspect of the protectorate’s work: controlling prostitution through registration and inspection to prevent the spread of venereal ...
Tea dances were a popular social event in Singapore from the 1920s to the 1960s where patrons socialised over music and drinks. In the 1960s, tea dances organised by clubs became the centre of the rock ’n’ roll culture in Singapore. Such tea dances eventually died ...
One of Singapore’s most prominent social clubs, Tanglin Club was founded in 1865 to cater to the social and recreational needs of the British. Up until the 1960s, club members were predominantly British.
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) was established on 6 September 1961, with Mahmud Awang as the pro-tem chairman and C. V. Devan Nair its first secretary-general. The labour movement initially represented only a minority of unionised workers. Its membership, ...
The Parsis (or Parsees) are descendants of Zoroastrian Persians who settled in India in the 10th century. They first arrived in Singapore in the 19th century. As of 2017, an estimated 350 Parsis live in Singapore. Parsi Road and Parsi Cemetery are named after ...
At the heart of the civic and cultural district of Singapore is the Padang, a large open field in front of the former City Hall and Supreme Court buildings (presently home to the National Gallery Singapore). The Padang, which means field or open ground in Malay, ...
The Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) is an umbrella body of Chinese clan associations in Singapore. The Federation was registered on 9 December 1985 and formally inaugurated on 27 January 1986. It was founded by seven clan associations, ...
N. Palanivelu (b. 1908, Tanjore district, Sikkal, Tamil Nadu, India−d. 11 November 2000, Singapore) was a novelist, playwright and poet who had been an active writer for more than 50 years. His short stories and poems reflected political and social changes over ...
In August 1978, then Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee was tasked to lead a study team to identify problems in Singapore’s education system and propose solutions. The government had felt that a thorough review was crucial to align the education system with the ...
Funeral rituals form an important part of Chinese social life. The Chinese undertake these rituals partly out of filial piety, and partly out of the belief that there is a continued relationship between the living and dead. Although traditional rituals have gradually ...
Void decks are the open spaces located on the ground floor of Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks of flats. These were introduced in blocks built after 1969. The void deck is generally defined by the structural columns of the block. Small kiosks selling ...
Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre (牛车水人民剧场) was built in 1969, funded by public donations. The theatre was revamped several times, including a complete overhaul that was completed in May 1979, before it became the well-equipped theatre seen on 30A Kreta Ayer Road today. ...
Royston Tan (b. 5 October 1976, Singapore–) is an award-winning Singaporean film-maker who is hailed as one of the most promising talents in the local film-making industry. Most of Tan’s works focus on social issues and seek to challenge the boundaries of societal ...
Marine Parade has the distinction of being the first housing estate built entirely on reclaimed land. Sited in the east of Singapore, Marine Parade has a wide array of social amenities and recreational facilities, including the beaches on the east coast of the ...
The American Club is a community and social club set up on 14 September 1948. The club provides recreational and community services for its members. These include having a meal at Thyme Café or Eagle’s Nest, finding a good read in its library of 20,000 books, working ...
Lim Peng Siang (b. 1872, Fujian, China–d. 1944, Singapore) was a Chinese merchant who made significant contributions to Singapore’s economic and social developments in the early 1900s. He was a prominent leader of the Chinese community and held key positions in ...
Tang Da Wu (唐大霧; b. 12 May 1943, Singapore–) is an iconic figure in contemporary Asian art. Though he works in a variety of media, he is best known for his performances and installations. He studied art at the Birmingham Polytechnic and Goldsmiths College, University ...
The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Singapore is located at 1 Orchard Road. Founded on the same Christian principles as its parent in Britain, the YMCA was officially established in Singapore on 30 June 1903. In its early years, the organisation was ...