Singapore

Singapore at a Glance

Singapore is Asia’s star, populated by Chinese, Malays, Indians, and a large group of workers and expatriates from all across the globe, and is considered as the world leader in several economic areas particularly the world’s fourth leading financial center  the world’s second-biggest casino gambling market, one of the world’s top three oil refining centers, the world’s largest oil-rig producer, and a major ship repair and maintenance facility. The port is one of the five busiest ports in the world. Singapore was named by The World Bank as the easiest place in the world to do business, ranking Singapore the world’s top logistics hub. It is also the world’s fourth largest foreign-exchange trading center after London, New York and Tokyo.

As described by William Gibson, it is “Disneyland with the death penalty” or the “world’s only shopping mall with a seat in the United Nations”. Yet, the Switzerland of Asia is for most people a breather from the poverty, dirt, chaos, and crime of much of the Asian mainland, and if you scratch below the squeaky clean surface and get away from the tourist trail you’ll soon find more than meets the eye. The adventure that waits can be too much for fun.

With bustling hawker centers and 24-hour coffee shops offering cheap food from all parts of Asia, Singaporean food is well-known and shoppers can eat their hearts out in shopping Mecca’s like Orchard Road and Suntec City. In recent years society have cut some slack so one can enjoy night out at its wildest, even if alcohol costs and chewing gum can only be bought from a pharmacy for medical use.

Two casino resort complex opened in 2010 in Sentosa and Marina Bay as part of Singapore’s new Fun and Entertainment drive, to increase the number of tourists and increase the length of time they stay in the country.

Ethnicity and Religion

Singapore being a multi-racial country has a diverse culture regardless of its size. The largest groups are the Chinese, which is about 75% of the population. One quarter of Singapore residents are foreigners. Among the Chinese, Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese speakers are the largest subgroups, with Mandarin acting as the lingua franca of the community. Other notable “dialect” groups among the Chinese include the Hakkas, Hainanese and Foochows. Malays, who are comprised of descendants of Singapore’s original inhabitants as well as migrants from present day Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei – about 14% of the population. Indians form about 9% of the population. Among the Indians, Tamils form the largest group by far, though there are also a significant numbers of speakers of other Indian languages such as Hindi, Malayalam and Punjabi.

The remainders are a mix of many other cultures, most notably the Eurasians who are of mixed European and Asian descent, and a handful of Burmese, Japanese, Thais and many others. Slightly over one-third of Singapore’s residents are not citizens.

Singapore is religiously diverse too with no religious group forming a majority. Religious freedom is guaranteed by the constitution of Singapore, Buddhism being the largest religion with about 33% of the population declaring themselves Buddhist. Other religions which exist in significant numbers include Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Taoism. In addition, there are also smaller numbers of Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Jews, Baha’is and Jains. Some 17% of Singaporeans admit to have no religious affiliation.

Seasons and Climate

Singapore is located close to 1.5 degrees north of the Equator. The sun always shines and there are no distinct seasons. Ironically, usually in sudden heavy showers rain falls almost daily throughout the year and last for just an hour. Most rainfall comes with the north-east monsoon from November to January, occasionally featuring lengthy spells of continuous rain. Unbelievable thunderstorms can occur throughout the year and any time during the day. Another thing is between May and October, forest fires in neighboring Sumatra can also cause dense haze, although this is unpredictable and comes and goes rapidly.

The temperature averages around:

32°C (86°F) daytime, 25°C (76°F) at night in December and January.

33°C (92°F) daytime, 26°C (81°F) at night for the rest of the year.

The high temperature and humidity, combined with the lack of wind and the fact that temperatures stay high during the night, can take its toll on visitors from colder parts of the world. Bear in mind that spending more than about one hour outdoors can be very exhausting, especially if combined with moderate exercise. Singaporeans themselves shun the heat, and for a good reason. Many live in air-conditioned flats, work in air-conditioned offices, and take the air-conditioned metro to air-conditioned shopping malls connected to each other by underground tunnels where they shop, eat, and exercise in air-conditioned fitness clubs. Follow their example if you want to avoid discomfort in the searing heat and humidity of Singapore – which is another reason why there’s a lot of water sport activities and summer activities in this part of the world.

Public Holidays

Gong xi fa cai! There are a few twists to the Singapore way of celebrating Chinese New Year, particularly the food, which bears little resemblance to the steamy hotpots of frigid northern China. The top dish is bak kwa (肉干), sweet barbecued pork, followed closely by yu sheng (魚生), a salad of shredded vegetables and raw fish enthusiastically tossed into the air by all present. Favorite desserts are crumbly sweet pineapple tarts and gooey steamed nian gao (年糕) cakes. Red packets of money (红包 ang pow) are still handed out generously, but unlike in China, in Singapore you only need to start paying up once married.

Singapore is a secular city-state but due to its multicultural population, Singapore celebrates Chinese, Muslim, Indian, and Christian holidays. The year starts with a bang on January 1st and New Year, celebrated in Singapore just as in the West with a fireworks show and parties at every nightspot in town. Particularly famous are the wet and wild foam parties on the beaches of resort island Sentosa — at least those years when the authorities consent to such qualified wickedness.

Chinese New Year dates 2012 is the year of the Dragon2013 Snake – 10 February2014 Horse – 31 January2015 Goat – 19 February

Because of the influence of the Chinese majority, the largest event is Chinese New Year (农历新年) or what they call the Lunar New Year, held in February. It seems to be an ideal time to visit; however, many smaller shops and eateries close for 2-3 days during the period, though supermarkets, department stores and high-end restaurants remain open. The whole festival stretches out in as much as 42 days, but the frenzied buildup to the peak occurs just before the night of the new moon, with greetings of Gong Xi Fa Cai (恭喜发财) or Congratulations and Prosper! Everywhere is red tinsel, mandarin oranges and the year’s zodiac animal and crowds of shoppers pile up in Chinatown, where there are also extensive street decorations that adds excitement to the festive mood. The two following days are spent with family and most of the island becomes idle for a bit before life returns to normal, the final burst of Chingay, which is a colorful parade down Orchard Road held ten days later.

On the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, the Dragon Boat Festival commemorates a Chinese folk hero. Rice dumplings, which in Singapore are sometimes wrapped in pandan leaves instead of the original bamboo leaves, are usually eaten as a part of the festivity. The dragon boat races are often held at the Singapore River on this day.

The seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar — usually August — starts off with a puff of smoke, as “hell money” is burned and food offerings are made to please the spirits of ancestors who are said to return to earth at this time.

15th day of the lunar calendar is the Hungry Ghost Festival. People gather themselves and watch plays and Chinese opera performances. The Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month (Sep/Oct), which is also a major event, with sophisticated lantern decorations particularly in Jurong’s Chinese Garden, and moon cakes filled with red bean paste, nuts, and more consumed merrily.

The Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, known locally as Deepavali, is celebrated around October or November and Little India is brightly decorated for the occasion.

At around January-February, one may witness the celebration of Thaipusam, a Tamil Hindu festival in which male devotees would carry a kavadi, an elaborate structure which pierces through various parts of his body, and join a procession from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Little India to the Sri Thandayuthapani Temple in Tank Road. Female devotees usually join the procession carrying pots of milk instead. About one week before Deepavali is Thimithi, the fire-walking festival where one can see male devotees walking on burning coals at the Sri Mariamman Temple in Chinatown.

The Islamic month of Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr or Hari Raya Puasa, is a major occasion in Malay parts of town, particularly Geylang Serai on the East Coast, which is lighted up with extensive decorations during the period. Another festival celebrated by the Malays is Eid-ul-Adha, known locally asHari Raya Haji, which is the period when Muslims make the trip to Mecca to perform in Hajj. In local mosques, lambs contributed by the faithful are sacrificed and their meat is used to feed the poor.

The Buddhist Vesak Day, celebrating the birthday of the Buddha Sakyamuni, plus the Christian holidays of Christmas Day, for which Orchard road is extensively decorated, and Good Friday round out the list of holidays.

A more secular celebration occurs on August 9th, National Day, when fluttering flags fill Singapore and spectacular National Day parades are held to celebrate independence.

Festivities and Events

Singapore holds many events each year. Some of its famous festivals and events are the Singapore Food Festival, the Singapore Grand Prix, the Singapore Arts Festival, the Chingay Parade, the World Gourmet Summit and ZoukOut.

The Singapore Sun Festival is another popular festival in Singapore, with 2010’s line-up featuring renowned stars such as David Foster, Natalie Cole, Jose Carreras and Sharon Stone. Christmas is also widely celebrated in Singapore, a season where the city streets and shopping malls along its famous shopping belt Orchard Road are lit up and decorated in vibrant colors. In addition,  The Jewel Festival attracts many tourists every year, and is a display of precious gems, famous jewels and masterpieces from international jewelers and designers.

Trivia:

The English name of Singapore is derived from the Malay word Singapura (Sanskrit: सिंहपुर, lit. Lion City), hence the customary reference to the nation as the Lion City. Lions probably never lived there; the beast seen by Sang Nila Utama, who founded and named ancient Singapore, was most likely a tiger.

 

Sources: Wikipedia