Heritage Lens

Written by: Kai Xiang

Heritage can be approached at different levels. There are 3 suggestions described below: Personal/Individual, Community/Place and National/World. The approaches can be used independently or in succession to lead to an in depth discussion of Heritage lens. It could also bridge into other Urban Eyes lenses.

There are 2 tips to help Instructors who wish to have an easier discussion with participants about heritage

Understand your own personal heritage and perspective on heritage through going through the discussion questions below
Read through the summary notes at the end of this document

Personal Heritage

Activities

There are 2 activities you can conduct before leading up to getting participants to share about their heritage.

1. Genealogy - Trace where your maternal and paternal ancestors come from and how they move around in Singapore

Sample Genealogy

2. Bingo - Play a game with personal heritage related descriptors.

Sample Personal Heritage Bingo

Post Activity Discussion

After the activity, these can be some discussion questions. You can choose which focus you want and rephrase the questions to suit the group. The bingo statements avoided the word heritage. This is something that instructors can get participants to think about what constitute heritage after the discussion.

Questions that Focus on Similarities and Differences

• What is 1 interesting similarity/ 1 difference you found?

• Is the group more similar or different? What are the similarities/differences?

• Would you prefer if the group was more similar or different? Why?

• How do you think would being different/same help the group to reach its goals?

Questions that Focus on expression of identity

• Where do you feel most comfortable being yourself? Why?

• What do you find easy to express what is difficult to express?

• What are some common misconceptions of your identity?

• How do you judge others who are expressing themselves?

• How do you think we can be more comfortable being ourselves?

• How do we allow others to be more comfortable being themselves?

If closing up here and not exploring the topic of heritage further,

• What new questions do you have about yourself ?

• What part of your heritage are you particularly proud?

Place Heritage

Activity

This can be done at any location that the instructor has prepared any of the following:

Old photos to compare
Brief History of a place, origin of the place name
Stories associated with the place

For example, the following can be used for Changi. (more information about Changi can be found in ECC2 and RAC East sections)

Old Photos of Changi

Photo dated 1949

Photo dated 1969

Photo dated unknown

Photo dated 2018

2. Background about Changi

• Changi is believed to be named after the Changal (also written and pronounced as “Chengai”) tree. This heavy local timber, valued for its strength, was commonly used in the construction of buildings and furniture.

• Since 1927 people settled here to cater to the needs of the military bases

• Convenient market place for the British

• By 1971, when British withdrew and the government wanted to reinvent Changi Village

• Turned into a resort destination and a new housing estate with a market and hawker centre

• Hawker centre built in 1975, renovated in 2000 and 2012

British Military map of Changi dated 1956

3. Story (Sook Ching - Changi Beach Massacre)

Bound by ropes in rows of 8 to 12, victims were instructed to walk towards the sea in batches. The Japanese would gun them dead as they reached the shallow waters. Most died on site but only a few managed to survive- they either managed to swim away or seek temporary refuge underwater as the ropes binding them loosened in the waters. That being said, the Japanese made sure all were killed through the ensuing bayoneting of the victims after the initial firing and the subsequent forced drowning of those who were still alive as some of the Prisoners of War (POWs) recollect. They were forced to obey for fear of their lives.

66 Chinese male civilians were killed by Japanese hojo kempei (auxiliary military police) firing squads at the water's edge on this stretch of Changi Beach on 20 February, 1942. They were among tens of thousands who lost their lives during the Japanese Sook Ching operation to purge suspected anti-Japanese elements within Singapore's Chinese population between 18 February to 4 March 1942. The bodies of the victims on Changi Beach were buried in the vicinity in mass graves dug by a work party of 100 British and Australian POWs from Changi Prison.

Changi Beach Massacre Historic Marker

Post Activity Discussion

After the activity, these can be some possible discussion questions.

General Discussion Questions (customize to story and place used)

• What made this place special to this person?/ Why do you think this place is special to the people here?

• Do you have a special place? Why is it special?/ What is the strongest memory you have related to a particular place?

• How has the place changed? Do you like how it looks now or you prefer how it was? Why?

Linking back to Heritage (these questions can also be used under Individual Heritage)

• What does Heritage mean to you? Please give some examples*

• Why do you think heritage is important? Why should we care about our heritage?

• How does it help us to know about our past?

If the participants are interested, we can dwell further into heritage. By explaining more on the 2 types of heritage. Tangible vs Intangible.

• Which come easier to mind? Why?

• Which is easier to preserve? Why?

Comparing Tangible and Intangible Heritage

National Heritage

Places along Expedition Route

Within our current expedition routes, there are few officially designated heritage locations that we will encounter.

We might come across these Historic Site Markers:

1. Punggol Beach Massacre

2. Changi Beach Massacre

3. Geylang Serai

4. Merdeka Bridge

5. Kallang Airport

6. Kallang Gasworks

Should our routes expand, a few of the closer Historic Site Markers

1. Katong Park

2. Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple (Katong)

3. Lower Pierce Reservoir

4. Upper Seletar Reservoir

5. Institute of Mental Health

6. Johore Battery

7. Changi Murals

8. Seletar Airfield

Discussions

Despite official designated sites, this aspect of heritage can be discussed in any setting or a location which you are already discussing place heritage. This could also be done as an end of day/closing circle to explore deeper into heritage.

This can be done at any setting because in any neighbourhood or place of interest that you stop, the question of whether this particular place is worthy of national heritage can be asked. (An activity using Singapore icons as a memory game can be used. It is still under development.)

Discussion Questions related to National Heritage

• What are some examples of national heritage? Why are they preserve?

• What do you think is something of importance in our national heritage that we must protect? Why? Do you know if this is currently being preserved?

National Heritage is also closely related to the idea of preservation. The questions related to preservation can be used together with Individual Heritage or Place Heritage.

• How do you think decisions are made to preserve heritage? Who is heritage preserve for?

• What do you think is the best way to preserve heritage?

• How can you help in the preservation or participate in this process?

A point to note is to distinguish between the 2 commonly misuse words of Preservation and Conservation.

Preserve= keeping something as it is.

Conserve= make use of it wisely and not waste it

World Heritage

Questions

This aspect of world heritage is the furthest removed from an everyday person’s life. However this can bring a global perspective into the topic of heritage and can be associated with any of the Individual/Place/National Heritage. The approach to World Heritage is slightly different where you can ask questions first to get a better understanding of the participants’ background knowledge.

Questions related to world heritage:

What do you know of world heritage? What are some world heritage sites you have been to? And how is Singapore connected with world heritage?
Do you think our country has anything to contribute to the world heritage?
Do you think your personal heritage matters to our national heritage?*

*This question is linked to the previous question and is asked in relation to the idea of the inherent subjective nature of heritage and should it be undermine simply because it is not ours.

Background

1. Some information to share to give background to Singapore’s relationship with World Heritage.

• World Heritage is overseen by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

• It legally protects important places that are culturally or physically significant and cultural heritages.

• Some examples of World Heritage Sites (e.g. Melaka and Penang, Kinabalu Park, Borobudur, Angkor Wat)

• Example in the Intangible Cultural Heritage List (e.g. Indian Yoga, Malaysia’s Mak Yong Theatre, Indonesian Kris, Batik and Angklung)

2. Singapore’s World Heritage Site- Singapore Botanic Gardens. It was adopted as a WHS in 2015 for the reasons of:

• Centre for plant research in S.E Asia since 1859

• Contributed significantly to the expansion of rubber plantation in the 20th

century (rubber tapping methods was developed by SBG Director)

• Outstanding preserved example of a British tropical colonial garden

Singapore Botanical Garden

Nomination for World Heritage: Our Hawker Culture

3. Singapore is in the bid to put our Hawker Culture into the Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The proposal was submitted in 2019 and the results will be announced end 2020.The reasons for the importance of hawker culture as our intangible heritage are:

• Hawker centres as community dining spaces for everyone

• Mastery of skills by hawkers, who are bearers of hawker culinary practices

• Reflection of Singapore’s multicultural society

• Thriving culture in an urban environment

Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre

4. The nomination process started with National Heritage Board conducting a poll and Food Heritage was highlighted as the most important aspect of Singapore. Hawker Culture emerged from a series of focus group discussions with different stakeholders.

The nomination’s goal is to

• Contribute to diverse cultural practices of the world

• Encourage greater appreciation for our hawkers

• Ensure that hawker culture will continue into the future, so that our future generations can continue to enjoy the food passed down from our forefathers

NHB Poster on Support Singapore Hawker Culture

This is a short history of hawker centres as part of our hawker culture.

• Early migrants set up along the street as it required little capital and minimal skill

• Street hawkers lasted until the 1980s

• Moved into purpose built hawker centres to ensure proper sanitation and amenities (1968-1986)

• More than 110 hawker centres now

Linking to Other Lenses

Development

Developmental Lens

The development of hawker centres can be linked to the Development lens.

Environment

Environmental Lens: Natural Heritage

The Urban Eyes Lenses are interconnected and heritage can also be linked to the Environment. The use of heritage need not only be restricted to man-made items or human related settings. Our diverse habitats in Singapore from the forest to the sea such as mangroves and freshwater swamp is part of our unique natural heritage. We have a unique offshore landfill with mangroves and reefs, our nature reserves and our impressive record of 40,000 species of native organisms.

Final Debrief

Heritage is only a lens and a tool to bring about a different understanding of the world, of others and of the participants themselves. There are some elements of sense of place involved. These are all primers to get to the deeper questions behind how participants see themselves.

Debrief Questions

After understanding about heritage, what would you answer if someone ask you what is your heritage?
What will be your legacy, what will be the heritage you leave behind?
Which parts of yourself are you preserving, which parts do you want to change? How will you do so?

Which part of your life is worth preserving as heritage for your children?
What new questions do you have about yourself ?
What part of your heritage are you particularly proud?
How does knowing your heritage help you in life/ know where to go from here?
What can you do to help preserve your community’s heritage?

These questions are sample questions and should be adapted to individual instructor and group. I have included some analogies to help bring out the idea of our identity. Our identity is unique and anchors us, it helps us to appreciate all the little things that have lead to where we are now and which made us us. Identity helps us to understand our values what is important to us and what do we want to preserve and not change.

Building: Foundation (Other buildings)
Place: Landmark (Location)
Tree : Roots (Forest)

E.g. You are a tree and your heritage is your roots. How does that help you define yourself in the entire forest?

A lot of what’s included here can be further explored. The subjective nature of heritage requires every individual to approach it with their own background, and to construct their own perspective.

Background Information

Is there Heritage in Singapore?

3 Misconceptions

1. heritage is mainly tangible. E.g. monuments in other countries e.g. Great wall

2. heritage is removed from everyday life. Requires effort for those who like old things.

3. heritage is all about the past. History and oldness.

What is Heritage?

Sum total of our memories, experiences, records, artifacts and traditions that we have inherited from our past

On a personal level, it contributes to who and what we are

On a collective level, it is responsible for how we came to be as a nation and as a people

It instills in us a sense of place and belonging, and expands the term “Singapore” beyond our geographical boundaries to encompass our way of life and a place we call home

How Understanding Heritage helps?

It brings together different groups of people from diverse backgrounds, and unites them through shared experiences
Encourages us to put ourselves in the shoes of those with different histories and cultures, and helps us to connect with others
Reminds us of our ancestral heritage and our links to the region and the world
Can also inspire us and shape the ways we meet new challenges, and help us to adapt and survive as the world around us changes.

Preserving Heritage

• As with progress, there will be change. It is important for us to strike a balance between embracing change and preserving the old.

• Every single building, place, and space has its own unique story, a story forged by the people who live and work there, a story of the change it has undergone, a story of the events and happenings revolving around it.

• Have to consider the future. We preserve in order that it may remain for coming generations

• Heritage is naturally subjective. People differ on what is important and what is not. So it is never possible to please everyone with a decision to preserve or to let go of something. The main tension is what officially is deem worthy of preservation and what the community love dearly

Summary of my thoughts on Heritage

• Heritage is intrinsic and emotional.

• It is a product of family, of culture, of values, of nationality.

• By saying we’re Singaporean we have ascribe a specific heritag - everything to do with Singapore's history culture values food landscape – to our identity.

• Because it’s intrinsic, it’s emotional so when we witness a loss we are outraged or saddened. We feel like we have lost a part of our family, a part of us.

• It is timeless and unique. It has to do with the past but not only. That would be history.

• What we do in the present with what has been left to us from the past, so generations in the future may still be able to enjoy it.

• It is a process, of inheriting. There is something to inherit and someone who will inherit it.

• What do we preserve and for what/who are we preserving it for.

• Heritage is unique. What we decide to leave our children are things unique to us as a family or individual. We are leaving a bit of ourselves. We all can be and are an expert in heritage. Our heritage.