Singapore is an
unlikely success story. Once a simple fishing village, it was founded in 1819 by
Sir Stamford Raffles, an official of the British East India Company, who decided it was the perfect location for a trading station. Since then it has become one of the world’s most
prosperous cities.
Singapore, known as the
Lion City, is by far the largest and most significant island alongside the others that make up Singapore state. Here, especially at the mouth of the Singapore River,
Asian tradition meets
modern technology - gleaming skyscrapers
tower over traditional architecture, while squat Chinese and Hindu temples stud the city.
A curious blend of ancient and modern, the city is home to an
ethnic mix of
Chinese,
Malays and
Indians, as well as
expats from all over the world, in a predominantly
English-speaking society. These different races
live harmoniously thanks to religious tolerance, increased prosperity and stringent no-nonsense laws.
Since the island became an independent Republic in 1965, it has enjoyed a vigorous and successful
free trade policy, as introduced by its then Prime Minister (now Minister Mentor) Lee Kuan Yew. This has led to an unprecedented rise in the standard of living (most city dwellers own their own homes) and
exponential economic growth, due mainly to the export industry.
The economy and tourist industry have enjoyed recent good health after some
earlier pitfalls: Singapore’s healthy economy was dented between 2001 and 2003 during the
global recession, it suffered a heavy loss in tourist numbers after
September 11 and the
SARS outbreak in 2003.
A
hearty recovery since 2004 (the year that Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Kuan Yew’s eldest son, was elected prime minister) has seen the
unemployment figures falling from 3.4% to just 2.8% by mid-2006. This has gone hand-in-hand with a buoyant 2006 for tourist figures - the all-time high of
9.7 million visitors far exceeded the Singapore Tourist Board’s estimates. Lee was re-elected in 2006.
Its world-beating
Changi Airport represents Singapore’s impressive
efficiency,
cleanliness and
technology at its best, although hiding behind that façade is the more sinister means of achieving these qualities. Those breaking the law face canings, corrective work orders and harsh financial penalties, and there are infamous on-the-spot fines for jay-walking or dropping a cigarette, while more serious crimes, such as drug trafficking, are punished by the death penalty.
Yet the financial and business districts are home to a steady stream of
well-heeled expats who enjoy a
good quality of life. In Singapore, oiling the wheels of success and becoming the best (an economic miracle to show the rest of the world the way) seems paramount. It is frequently voted
Asia’s top business destination, and is regarded as one of the finest venues for
international conferences,
conventions and
exhibitions, with a fast-growing market for incentive travel.
All of this business thrives amid a constant flow of
festivals and
events in the ethnic quarters of
Chinatown, Little India and
Geylang Serai (traditionally the home of Singapore’s Malay, Arab and Indonesian communities), which mark the many religious and cultural occasions throughout the calendar. These areas have managed to retain some of their
cultural identity despite the high-rise growth, modernising and development around them.
Although
Raffles Hotel and a rank of
good museums furnish insights into the past, modern consumer culture is the most prolific. The
Great Singapore Sale dominates the early summer in the city center, and most visitors to Singapore will indulge in its competitive prices and great selection, especially in
electronics equipment. And everybody comes to
eat, with food outlets at every step, from
traditional hawker centers to
modern food courts, Asian specialties to
international haute cuisine - reflecting the diversity of ethnic communities that Singapore has long been home to.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Related Singapore Content
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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