Wenhong's Individual Reflection

It was an interesting day along the Singapore River, making our ways through the packs of tourists trying to get the best angles for their selfies. Some of us, myself included, were also trusted to help these tourists immortalise their memory of singapore in a snap. In many ways, when i set out on this trip, I harboured the aim of unlearning the things I already know through new discoveries. After all, the Singapore River is something Singaporeans know all too well. The familiar picturesque scene along the riverbank, the colonial-styled architecture of the fullerton hotel and the constant spout of water from the merlion’s mouth; they are already ingrained memories. It would thus be inspiring if one could experience a sense of allokataplixis (from the greek allo meaning “other”, and katapliktiko meaning “wonder”) even in their hometown.

I set out on this trip skeptical about the things i will learn. In some ways, this skepticism was proven right. Based on the landmarks that we have visited alone, there was nothing more they could offer to what i already know about Singapore history. However, I came to realise that I could appreciate the landmark a lot more after fitting it into my contextual knowledge, specifically the role it played it the Singapore history narrative. I stood in front of the Cavenagh Bridge as i imagined the trotting sounds of the horses hooves hitting its concrete surface. For a moment, it felt as though i was transported back into the 19th century, and I would say that the image i got was a lot more vivid than all the essays and readings i have read. The same can be said for the Fullerton Boat House. While it used to be a water supply house to supply fresh drinking water to boats that arrived in Singapore, it is now a tourist attraction with a Starbucks chain. In fact, I would say that coffee to the modern man is what water was to the sailors back in those days. It is such thoughts that made the heritage trail entertaining.

I also found it intriguing as to how one of Singapore’s most famous tourist spots has an architecture scene that is so colonial inspired. Indeed, it has struck me that the Singapore river scene might be one of the most explicit manifestations of colonial legacy in Singapore. This simply goes to show that, despite our criticisms of certain euro-centric perspectives on the history of Singapore, it is undeniable that colonial history did play a huge part in shaping who we are today, and the Singapore River Heritage Trail would be for those who wish to experience that very legacy in person.