1819: Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore as a British trading post.Mid-1860s: Singapore became a major port-of-call for ships plying between Europe and East Asia, thanks to the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and a new technology: the steamship. The country continues to look for ways to exploit new technologies to ensure its survival and well-being.Around 1900: Before the close of the 19th century, Singapore enjoyed unprecedented prosperity and trade expanded eightfold between 1874 and 1913. It attracted immigrants (the first foreign talents) from around the region.1941: The peace and prosperity ended when Japanese aircraft bombed the sleeping city in the early hours of 8 December. Singapore fell to the Japanese on 15 February 1942 and was renamed Syonan (Light of the South). It remained under Japanese occupation for three-and-a-half years.1945: Singapore reverted to British administration when the British forces returned in September, but not to the home they had left. The seeds of nationalism had been sown by the Japanese, who had demonstrated that an Asian power could overthrow a Western colonial power.1948: When the Communist Party of Malaysia tried to take over Malaya and Singapore by force, a state of emergency was declared in June. The emergency lasted for 12 years. Some of the tactics used to defeat the Communists (such as hamletting, where villagers are placed in a guarded compound to prevent contact and material support) were later used in the Vietnam War.1955: Singapore's first political contest was held and the first chief minister elected was David Marshall, a prominent Jewish lawyer who much later in life became ambassador to France. This was a limited form of self-rule as there was no independent constitution.1959: Self-government was attained in 1959. In May, Singapore's first general election was held. Lee Kuan Yew, a lawyer who headed an opposition party called the People's Action Party, became the Republic's first Prime Minister.1963: Economic logic compelled a merger with Malaya as part of a larger federation called Malaysia. The theory was that Singapore was an island too small to survive on its own.1965: The merger was short-lived. Singapore was separated from Malaysia on 9 August, and became a sovereign, democratic and independent nation. On 22 December, Singapore became a republic, with Yusof bin Ishak as the republic's first President.SINGAPORE FOODFood is well-loved in Singapore. Coffee shops, hawker centres, restaurants, food courts, cafes and snack shops hug the numerous well-ordered streets of Singapore city and its suburbs.
All types of delicious food are sold at all times, from hearty hawker fare to fancy gourmet meals. Waking up in the morning at 6am, you are as likely to enjoy a breakfast of kaya toast or congee just at your doorstep. When midnight strikes and you feel peckish, you can always find comfort in a 24 hour coffee shop nearby with crispy roti prata and curry, or Teochew porridge.
In Singapore, housewives are blessed with bountiful fresh produce of seafood, meat, vegetables and fruits in more than 150 wet markets throughout the island, dishing up delicious home-cooked meals for their families. If it be a Chinese household, steamed fresh fish, stir-fried Chinese choy sum, pork rib with winter melon soup and loh bak (braised pork in black soya sauce) may grace the table. An Indian family may tuck in heartily to chicken curry, rasam, dal, spiced cabbage and cucumber pachadi, while a Malay family will eat as well with beef rendang, stir-fried vegetables, sambal beans and fried tempeh.
Yet as different as they may seem, the various communities of Singapore have come to share a culinary tradition that fuses and celebrates its ancestral cuisines. In less than two hundred years since modern Singapore was founded by the British as a trading port, the people that inhabit this island has created a distinctive cuisine.ATTRACTIONSChinatown Chinatown's history dates back to 1821 when the first Chinese junk carrying immigrants arrived from Fujian province. Much of it has been rebuilt and the old shop-houses restored and it remains one of the most interesting areas to explore, with a lively street scene rich with traditional architecture and customs. Its four main districts - Kreta Ayer, Telok Ayer, Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Pasoh - each have a distinctive flavour. Little IndiaNorth of the colonial district, Little India offers a completely different flavour of Singapore with colourful, noisy and crowded streets that reflect an important part of the island's history. When Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in 1819, he had an entourage of 120 Indian assistants and soldiers who resided mainly in Chinatown. Cattle-rearing near the Rochor River brought them into the area now known as Little India and, by the turn of the century, it became a thriving commercial area. Raffles HotelBuilt in 1887 and declared a National Monument in 1987, Singapore's most famous landmark is one of the world's greatest Victorian grand hotels. Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling, Noel Coward and Charlie Chaplin made it a favourite retreat and it still oozes tradition, particularly since its S$160 million refurbishment in 1991, which was based on the hotel's heyday of 1915.Night SafariLocated next to the Singapore Zoological Gardens, the award-winning Night Safari is billed as the world's first night zoo. Over 90% of animals are nocturnal, so by opening at night and using clever lighting techniques to recreate an almost authentic natural habitat, this zoo allows visitors amazing opportunities to see animals when they are at their most active. Sentosa IslandBilled as a 'tropical isle of peace and tranquillity' and a contrast to Singapore's frenetic atmosphere, Sentosa Island is a purpose-built island theme park. Some of its biggest attractions include: Underwater World, one of Asia's largest tropical oceanariums with 2500 marine creatures in an 80m (262ft) submerged tunnel; Dolphin Lagoon, a water show with a pink dolphin; VolcanoLand, which recreates a journey into the centre of the earth; the 37m (121ft) Merlion; and Magical Sentosa, a musical fountain show twice every evening. Museums include: Images of Singapore , which uses waxwork figures to depict the social and cultural history of Singapore; and Fort Silosa , which recreates the bunkers and underground passages used in the island's defence. Supreme Court and City Hall constructions. Its Corinthian columns surround stately interiors featuring murals by Italian artist Cavaliere Rodolfo Nolli . Next door is City Hall, another giant structure, built in 1929 and the site of the Japanese surrender to Lord Mountbatten in 1945. It was on these very same steps that the Prime Minister of the time, Lee Kuan Yew, emotionally declared Singapore's Independence from Malaysia. Jurong BirdParkThe largest bird park in all of South-East Asia, Jurong BirdPark is a refuge for more than 8000 birds of 600 different species from all over the world. Highlights include Waterfall Aviary, at 30m (98ft) the world's highest man-made waterfall; the South-East Asian Bird Aviary, where a thunderstorm is simulated every day at noon; and Jungle Jewels, featuring dazzling hummingbirds. At the Lodge on Flamingo Lake, visitors can dine surrounded by 1001 flamingos, or breakfast on the Song Bird Terrace. Bird shows and feeding times feature flamingos, macaws, hornbills and cockatoos and one of the biggest attractions is the Penguin Parade, housing more than 200 penguins of five species. An air-conditioned monorail covers the entire park. Singapore Art MuseumThis was once the St Joseph's Institution, the island's first all-boys school, which was built by French Catholic monks and is one of the most striking structures in the city. Now home to the Singapore Art Museum, its exhibits are predominantly 20th-century South-East Asian art with paintings, sculptures and installations. Although specialising in regional art, the museum recently broadened its scope to include the rest of Asia. There are free guided tours daily in English at 1100 and 1400, as well as 1530 on Saturdays. Singapore Science CentreHousing more than 850 exhibits, mostly interactive, the Science Centre is Singapore's largest collection devoted to the wonder of science - and was recently extended. Its exhibition halls include: the Discovery Zone, for young children, the Human Body, Mathemagic , Space Science , Biotechnology, Energy, the Hall of Aviation, the Hall of IT and the Web of Life - all explaining the science in ingenious interactive ways. Outside, there is an Ecogarden and a Kinetic Garden, the first of its kind in Asia, which showcases interactive sculptures and science displays. There is also an Omni-Theatre.
Singapore Cable Car This new addition to Singapore's attractions offers views of the city from an impressive height. Spanning over 1750m (5740ft), it is the first cable car in South-East Asia and the only one that crosses a harbour. The cable car stops at three stations - and visitors can board at all three. Each have beautiful, very different, views. Mount Faber is the second highest hill in Singapore and an equatorial rainforest; Cable Car Towers is actually the rooftop of a skyscraper, situated near the World Trade Centre and with a view over the busy harbour; while the third station is on the island of Sentosa, so the trip affords fantastic views of the sea. It is possible to travel in a glass-bottomed car, making the journey even more spectacular. Changi Prison Chapel & MuseumThis chapel and museum is a reminder of Singapore's more harrowing historical moments. During World War II, three years of conflict with the Japanese before capitulation saw 50,000 civilians and soldiers imprisoned in Changi Prison . The chapel, housed within the open-air courtyard, was first built in 1988 by the wartime prison inmates, and is now a monument to those prisoners of war. Photographs, drawings and letters in the museum depict the daily life of the prisoners, but the highlight of the exhibition is a series of paintings, called the Changi Murals, recreated from those painted by British PoW Stanley Warren. Services are conducted by the Changi Christian Fellowship every Sunday 1730-1900. There are daily guided tours on the hour.Singapore Botanic GardensThe Singapore Botanic Gardens are a perfect respite from the city's urban landscape. They epitomise the tropical island's luxuriant parks with a combination of primary jungle and elegantly laid-out flowerbeds and shrubs. Over 3000 species of plants thrive in the gardens, which also serve to educate and conserve. Spread over 52 hectares (128 acres), the gardens hold more than half a million plants, while the National Orchid Garden has the world's largest orchid display with over 60,000 plants. The gardens are also a venue for outdoor concerts. Bukit Timah Nature ReserveThis 164-hectare (405-acre) reserve, 12km (7.5 miles) from the city centre, is one of only two nature reserves within city boundaries in the world (the other is in Rio de Janeiro). The reserve contains more species of trees than the entire North American continent - and is one of the few attractions in Singapore that is not man-made. Many species of larger animals were rendered extinct but today it is possible to glimpse a flying lemur, long-tailed macaque monkey or anteater. The reserve has the island's most challenging walking or cycling trails but the paths are well marked as they meander through the jungle, in the company of exotic birds, butterflies, monkeys and squirrels. Bukit Timah Hill, at 164m (538ft), is Singapore's highest point. 
