Proposing the Singapore River as UNESCO World Heritage Site
Consideration of factors and background in qualification for UNESCO World Heritage status
[ Note: This research article first appeared in the blog The Enlightenment Post. ]
Singapore celebrated half a century of independence in 2015. This milestone was by no means mundane for a nation woven by extraordinary circumstances — both favourable and unfavourable. Unlike most nations, Singapore is one of the smallest countries[1] with no hinterland to depend for natural resources, yet today it has the second highest population density[2], and also one of the highest GDP per capita[3], in the world. The phenomenal progress of the city-state, despite critical disadvantages for nationhood, can be attributed to its leverage of a unique strength — strategic geography. Located at the Southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, wedged between Malacca Straits and South China Sea, Singapore is sometimes dubbed the ‘Gateway to Asia’, tapping easily into the maritime trade flowing into and out of Asia. In fact, this strategic progress of Singapore is intimately connected to an important waterway at its Southern tip, today known as the Singapore River.
Singapore River is not only historically important to Singapore as the epicenter from which the city-state evolve, it is also the epitome of convergence of cultures in the midst of strategic growth. In light of its historical significance, the Singapore River should be preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To qualify for UNESCO World Heritage status, sites must be satisfy at least one of out ten selection criteria, and the Singapore River fits prominently into the fifth criteria: To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change[4].
The history of Singapore could be said to begin around the Singapore River. At the end of the 13th century, Seri Teri Buana, a prince from Palembang, established a port settlement at the mouth of Singapore River[5], in response to a spike in maritime trade from China. Singapore River proved to be an ideal destination for a maritime trading post, as there were several regions around the Southern coast of Singapore that were unsuitable for navigation due to shallow waters or pirate activities[6]. For about a century, the port around Singapore River rose to become a regional emporium, acting as collection center and an export gateway for products from hinterlands in South Johor and the Riau Archipelago. Singapore, however, distinguished itself from other entrepôt by producing high-quality hornbill casques and middle-quality lakawood from its hinterlands, which were highly sought after in China[7]. A Chinese trader, Wang Dayuan, exemplifies the prominence of Singapore as a trading post in a record, Daoyi zhilue, naming the Singapore River as Longyamen or Dragon Teeth Straits, in reference to a twin granite boulder at the mouth of the waterway. The symbolic granite boulder, which carried the earliest known inscription in Singapore, was later demolished in 1848 by the British colonists[8]. However, a surviving fragment is today preserved at the National Museum of Singapore and named as the Singapore Stone[9].
After the 14th century, the trading post along Singapore River gradually eroded after an invasion by Javanese forces[10], followed by the succession of Melaka as the regional hub for Chinese traders[11]. Trading became increasingly sporadic, and Singapore was reduced to a sleepy fishing village by the time the Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles and his British East India Company arrived in 1819 [12]. Nonetheless, it was the arrival of the British contingent that drastically changed the fate of the island, by leveraging the Singapore River, this time, to its full potential.
Following a treaty with the local rulers, Temenggong Abdu’r-Rahman and Tengku Husain, to establish a settlement in Singapore[13], Raffles and his British planners proceeded to revamp the urban remains along the banks of Singapore River. For instance, Raffles planned for the north bank of the river to be set aside for government infrastructure, and the south bank to be developed for portage facilities. Moreover, extensive embankment along the river was constructed not only along the coast, but also at the Southern mouth of the river, to provide an expansive and permanent dry ground for port activities [14]. In tandem with a conducive port infrastructure, Raffles also adopted a free-port policy, in which traders do not need to pay an import tax for bringing merchandise into the port. The total sum proved to be an immediate draw, as traders from various European and Asian nations began to arrive along Singapore River in increasing numbers [15], making Singapore once again the regional emporium. This trend, which continued unabated through the 18th century, also brought an influx of immigrants at the same time, unprecedentedly transforming the population demographics of the island. Hence, for the first time, a new social dynamics and consequently, a hint of a cultural identity began to emerge.
Singapore was originally settled by the indigenous Malays, numbering at a few thousand. Since the 13th century, some Chinese traders have also arrived and started small communities along the Singapore River. However, the Chinese did not come in large numbers until Singapore began as a free port under the British control in the early 1800s. Apart from trade, this is largely due to the civil wars and severe poverty in China simultaneously that drove many Chinese overseas in search of a better livelihood. By 1867, the Chinese made up 65% of Singapore’s population[16] and settlements even expanded away from Singapore River, further inland where plantations grew to provide export products for the port. Furthermore, traders of other ethnicities, such as Indian, European, Arab and Bugis also sprouted their respective communities in Singapore, transforming its cultural landscape from an indigenous to a cosmopolitan society.
The role of Singapore River in shaping the economic and cultural anatomy of Singapore lasted more than a century until after 1965, when Singapore achieved Independence. By then, entrepôt trade had matured and other industries had developed as the main engine of economic growth. At the same time, shipping volumes had increased too significantly for Singapore River to accommodate, and hence portage facilities were relocated to the container berths in Tanjong Pagar in 1972. As a result, the once-important river retired into a backdrop of skyscrapers, littered with crowded squatter settlements and severe pollution. However, a thorough cleanup of the river began in 1977[17], and subsequently the shop houses along the river were preserved. Today, the Singapore River has not only transformed into a waterfront for recreational activities, but it is also encompassed by the Marina Reservoir to provide water supply for the city-state.
As time passes, the memories of the historic function of the Singapore River may have eroded, but its legacy as a catalyst of civilizational change is enduring, as witnessed by Singapore’s progress. Although similar to other waterfronts and river tributaries as a lifeline around which cities emerge, the Singapore River is an exemplar of this phenomenon. Unlike other waterfront cities, the majority of Singapore’s population did not come from inland, but rather arrived by the sea from faraway lands. Such attraction could be seen as perpetuated by the use of Singapore River in marrying the trinity of strategic geography, free-port status and a competent administration. Moreover, in terms of economy, no waterfront cities today evolved as quickly as Singapore to become a global metropolis. Hence, the Singapore River is an exceptional demonstration of the UNESCO criteria as an example of sea-use that is representative of the multi-cultural society, coupled with an advanced economy that is Singapore today.
Passed 50 years of nationhood, however, Singapore is only fledgling in terms of national and cultural identity, especially since it is a nation of immigrants. Its rapidly advancing economy further promotes individualism that makes communistic bond even shallower. The recognition of the Singapore River as a UNESCO World Heritage Site could therefore transform the sense of national consciousness among citizens. With the international spotlight drawn upon the historical river, change in the city-state would once again come from the global environment, albeit psychologically. Singaporeans would not only perceive the Singapore River as symbolic of its growth, but also as the nation’s cradle. In perpetuating its legacy, new generations of Singaporeans would be more rooted in driving the next phase of their nation’s development — towards one they would call their heartland.
References
[1] YourSingapore, Key Facts http://www.yoursingapore.com/content/traveller/en/browse/aboutsingapore/key-facts.html
[2] Maps of World, Top Ten Most Densely Populated Countries http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/world-top-ten-most-densely-populated-countries-map.html
[3] Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html
[4] UNESCO, Criteria for Selection http://whc.unesco.org/en/criteria/
[5] Kwa Chong Guan, Derek Heng, Tan Tai Yong, Singapore: A 700-year History: From Early Emporium to World City (Singapore: NAS, 2009), p.24
[6] Ibid., p.66
[7] Ibid., p.27–29
[8] Ibid., p.67
[9] National Museum of Singapore, Treasures of NMS http://www.nationalmuseum.sg/NMSPortal/
[10] Kwa et al, Singapore: A 700-year History, p.17
[11] Ibid., p.32
[12] Ibid., p.79
[13] Ibid., p.90
[14] Stephen Dobbs, “Singapore River/Port in a Global Context” in Singapore in Global History, edited by Derek Heng and Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied (Amsterdam: ICAS/Amsterdam University Press, 2011), p.55
[15] Ibid., p.59
[16] Kwa et al, Singapore: A 700-year History, p.110–113.
[17] National Heritage Board, Singapore River Trail http://www.nhb.gov.sg/NHBPortal/
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