Culture of Singapore
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As Singapore is a small and relatively modern amalgam of Chinese, Malay and Indian immigrants. The culture of Singapore expresses the diversity of the population as the various ethnic groups continue to celebrate their own cultures while they intermingle with one another. For example, one can find a Malay wedding taking place beside a Chinese wedding at a void deck, on the ground floor of a HDB apartment block. This can be said to be due to the policies of the HDB which tried to make sure all public housing have a diverse mix of races. However, Singapore has achieved a significant degree of cultural diffusion with its unique combination of these ethnic groups, and has given Singapore a rich mixture of diversity for its young age.
Singapore has several distinct ethnic neighborhoods, including Little India, Chinatown and Kampong Glam, formed by the Raffles Plan of Singapore in the early 19th century to segregate the new immigrants into specific areas. Although the population are no longer segregated in distribution, mainly due to the policies of the Housing Development Board and the ruling People's Action Party, these ethnic neighbourhoods retain unique elements of their specific culture. The usage of such neighbourhoods is mostly commercial or for cottage industry specific to the culture of its ethnic neighbourhood, and no longer plays a large part in housing the population, although it was once used for that purpose. Hence, these neighbourhoods have patronage of all races who wish to either eat or buy something specific to that culture.
For example, Little India is known and patronised by all races within the population for its thalis-- South Indian "buffets" that are vegetarian and served on the traditional banana leaves. These neighbourhoods are accessible by public transport, especially by Mass Rapid Transit (MRT).
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Festivals
The major public holidays reflect the mentioned racial diversity, including Chinese New Year, Buddhist Vesak Day, Muslim Eid ul-Fitr (known locally by its Malay name Hari Raya Puasa), and Hindu Diwali (known locally by its Tamil name Deepavali). Christians constitute a large minority, and Christmas Day, Good Friday, and New Year's Day are also public holidays.
Religion
Singapore is a multi-religious country, the roots of which can be traced to its strategic location; after its declaration as a port, a wide variety of nationalities and ethnicities from places as far as Arabia emigrated to Singapore. More than 40% of the Singaporeans adhere to Mahayana Buddhism, the main faith of the Chinese population of Singapore. Other Chinese are followers of Taoism, Confucianism, and Christianity, including Catholics. Christians constitute about 14% of the population of Singapore. Most Malays are Muslims, who constitute about 15% of the poulation, while most Indians are Hindus, constituting 7%. There is also a sizeable number of Muslims and Sikhs in the Indian population.
As a result of this diversity, there are a large number of religious buildings including Hindu temples, churches and mosques, some of which have great historical significance. There are also some Sikh temples and Jewish synagogues. These interesting buildings often became prominent architectural landmarks in cosmopolitan Singapore.
A selected list of religious sites in Singapore include
- Hajjah Fatimah Mosque
- Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Temple
- Masjid Jamae
- Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple
- Central Sikh Temple
- Sri Mariamman Temple
- Sultan Mosque
- Saint Andrew's Cathedral
- Chesed El Synagogue
In addition, about 14 percent of Singaporeans do not belong to any religion and consider themselves as "free-thinkers".
Racial Harmony
Racial harmony is an important concept in Singaporean society. Briefly shaken by the racial riots in Singapore's history during the 1960's, it emerged stronger after independence and is seen as a cornerstone of Singapore's culture today.
Religious tolerance has been strongly encouraged since the British colonised Singapore; the Sri Mariamman Temple (a south Indian Hindu temple that was declared a national heritage site in the 1980s), as well as the Masjid Jamae Mosque that served Chulia Muslims from India's Coromandel Coast is situated along South Bridge Road, which is a major, and old road that runs through Chinatown. Among other religious landmarks is the Church of Gregory the Illuminator, that was built in 1836, making it one of the oldest religious buildings in Singapore. It has been preserved to the present day, and Orthodox services continue to be held in it. Although orthodox religions are tolerated, some radical groups are banned, including Jehovah's Witness, which opposes Singapore's policy of national service.
Cuisine
The cuisine of Singapore also is a prime example of diversity and cultural diffusion in Singapore. In Singapore's hawker centres, for example, traditionally Malay hawker stalls selling halal food may serve halal versions of traditionally Tamil food. Chinese stalls may introduce Malay ingredients, cooking techniques or entire dishes into their range of catering. This continues to make the cuisine of Singapore significantly rich and a cultural attraction.
Favorite local food include:
- Bak kut teh
- Char kway teow
- Hainanese chicken rice
- Hokkien mee
- Ketupat
- Laksa, including Katong laksa
- Nasi lemak
- Otak-otak
- Popiah
- Rojak
- Roti prata
- Sambal
- Satay
Singaporeans also enjoy a wide variety of seafood including crabs, clams, sotong, and oysters. One favorite dish is the stingray barbequed and served on banana leaf and with sambal chilli.
Language
The English used is primarily British English, with some American English influences. The local colloquial dialect of English is known formally as Singapore Colloquial English (though it is more commonly called "Singlish"), and has many creole-like characteristics, having incorporated much vocabulary and grammar from various Chinese dialects, Malay, and Indian languages. Singlish is basically identical to Manglish (the English dialect of Malaysia), and is the usual language on the streets, but is frowned upon in official contexts, and this matter has been brought up in recent years in the Parliament and the ruling party. English use among the population generally became more widespread after the implementation of English as a first language medium in the Singapore education system.
Performing Arts
Esplanade-nite_view.jpg
Singapore is also emerging as a cultural centre for arts and culture, including theatre and music. As a cosmopolitian and multi-racial society, Singapore is often identified with the "gateway between the East and West". In 2003, the Esplanade - "Theatres on the Bay", a centre for performing arts, was opened. The Esplanade is also known as "The Durian", due to its resemblance to the fruit.
Singapore hosts an annual Singapore Arts Festival when international and local artists gather in the country to perform in a wide variety of events including music, dance and theatre. The Singapore Arts Festival, 2005 is held from 26 May to 26 June. [1] (http://www.singaporeartsfest.com)
Movies
Main article: Cinema of Singapore
The development of film industry in Singapore has a considerably late start and therefore lags significantly behind that of other countries or economies in the region such as Hong Kong. Before 1990s, it was thought that the local market was too small for the industry. However since then, the industry has sprouted with a number of movies made and released successfully. Two important pioneers in local film-making are Eric Khoo and Jack Neo who produced several popular movies depicting unique cultural and social aspects of the country, especially concerning the lives of Singapore heartlanders. In particular, the movie I Not Stupid struck an emotional chord among many Singaporeans as its story highlighted many of the issues they face in an increasingly competitive society.
Selected list of Singaporean films:
- Mee Pok Man (1995)
- Army Daze (1996)
- I Not Stupid (2002) 小孩不笨
- Homerun (2003) 跑吧,孩子
Notable artists
- Tan Swie Hian, artist, calligrapher, poet
- Siow Lee Chin, violinist
- Vanessa Mae, violinist
- Kam Ning, violinist
- Neila Sathyalingam, choreographer
- Liang Wern Fook, writer, musician
- Catherine Lim, writer
- Jack Neo, actor, film-maker
- Eric Khoo, film-maker
- Gurmit Singh (aka Phua Chu Kang), TV actor
- Fann Wong, actress
- Kit Chan or Chen Jieyi, actress, singer
- Stephanie Sun Yan Zi, singer
- Tanya Chua or Cai Jianya, singer
- Michelle Alicia Saram, singer and actress
- Corrinne May, singer and songwriter
- Muhammad Taufik bin Batisah, singer
Recreation and Sports
Singaporeans participate in a wide variety of sports and recreational activities. Favorite sports include soccer, swimming, badminton, basketball and table tennis. Most people lived in public residential areas that often provide amenities including swimming pools, outdoor basketball courts as well as indoor sport centres that can be used for badminton, table tennis, volleyball among others.
Living on an island, the people also enjoy many water activities including sailing, kayaking and waterskiing. There is also a number of avid recreational scuba divers and one of their favorite diving spots is a southern island called Pulau Hantu, known for its rich coral reefs.
The main spectacle sport is soccer where there is a semi-professional S.League. Launched in 1996, the league now consists of 10 teams competing with each other in stadiums around the country. In 2004, the Singapore national football team became the champion of the Tiger Cup.
The performances of Singapore national sportspersons are often not good enough to win any medal in international competitions such as the Summer Olympic Games. Nonetheless, their efforts are often appreciated and some athletes such as Li Jiawei and Ronald Susilo have become national celebrities.
Unique cultural features
Some uniquely Singaporean cultural concepts include: