History and Heritage of old Trades
How did these Old Trades come about?
In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles landed in Singapore and established it as a British trading post. Due to Singapore's excellent geographical location along the Maritime Silk Road and free trading policies, ships from all over the world came to Singapore for better trading opportunities. In 1869, the opening of the Suez Canal further boosted Singapore's success as a trading hub. Singapore's economic prosperity then attracted many migrants to come to start business and look for jobs. When people from other parts of the world came to Singapore, they also brought in their different cultures, infusing them with the local ones. One example is the traditional Hainanese roasted coffee that originated from Hainan. Many small businesses were then set up to supply the needs of the growing trade market then. These businesses have ever since stayed in Singapore for generations, now being known as our old trades.
The rich heritage of Old Trades
So why exactly is it important to know about Singapore's old trades? This is because they are a part of our rich heritage and we need to preserve it. These old trades have been around for generations and it represents our ancestors' blood, sweat and tears in the past. Some of the old trades, such as rattan weaving, have contributed much to Singapore's growth as a port through rattan trade. These old trades reveal unique stories on how it boosted Singapore's economic activity and how it helped the city to become who it is today. Preserving these old trades then adds beauty and character to our city, fostering a sense of home and community. Having exposure to old trades would provide us with insights about people's lifestyle in the past. This rich heritage of old trades would then provide clues to our past and how our society has evolved ever since. Therefore, having knowledge on these old trades would allow us to examine our history and traditions, creating self-awareness about our identity as a Singaporean. Lastly, old trades are also a good representation of Singaporean's entrepreneur spirit back in the days. It would thus provide us with a sense of identity and belonging, allowing us to understand our culture better too. Ending off with a quote by Jamus Lim " You can take the boy out of Singapore, but you can't take the Singapore out of the boy", we must know our unique heritage so that the Singapore identity and spirit will forever be engraved in us no matter where we are.