Curated Material
BY: CYRENE LO
Introduction
My group explores the issue on dilution of Singaporean’s national identity. To remind fellow Singaporeans of our unique identity, we decided to take photos at Kampong Buangkok the last and only Kampong in Singapore, where many of the older generation Singaporeans’ roots lie. We will integrate iconic objects that all Singaporeans can relate to into our photo and hopefully evoke a sense of belonging to Singapore.
The following are two photos taken in a semi-abandoned village, Luk Keng Chang Uk, in Hong Kong. It is a village before entering the ghost villages of Fung Hang and Kuk Po.
Image 1
The photo shows that a red couplet was pasted on the wall before the Lunar New Year. It is an iconic sign in Chinese meaning prosperity will always come. Two red papers with a pair of guards having fierce faces and weapons were pasted on the door. Those are the indexical signs depicting to scare the ghost away. Those can also be a symbolic sign that people who read the Lunar New Year stories will understand why the guards are printed on the red paper. In Chinese culture, the red colour symbolizes good luck and happiness. At the same time, the shape red colour is what the ghost is scared of. Those papers are pasted on the wall and doors with horizontal and vertical lines, forming an order and uniformity.
From this photo, it is interesting to note that people in Hong Kong are embedded with a strong Chinese cultural sense and are very superstitious. The use of the traditional Chinese words makes it different from mainland China. Even though this photo only focuses on the papers pasted on the doors and wall, it tells us a story of what has been happening and the related history. People nowadays are now in apartments. This kind of storytelling can seldom be found. In our project, we can use it as an example to illustrate a story of the past that should never be forgotten as part of the Singapore culture, for example, the first Singapore prime minister election.
Image 2
In this photo, it is focusing on the incense on the right with a background of the semi-abandoned houses. The incense in this photo is a symbolic sign. Incense is an icon of Hong Kong and relates to an important history of Hong Kong, Hong Kong was the land of incense plantation. The name of Hong Kong comes from “Hong” meaning incense in the Cantonese dialect and “Kong” meaning harbor. Moreover, in the traditional story, incense is usually burnt to feed the hungry ghosts and safeguard the neighbourhood. The incense is used as a metonymic code to stand for the Hong Kong. In this photo, the background also shows that several households are staying in the village with the decreasing size of the houses when those are further away. The tiny gates in front of the doors show that the houses are semi-abandoned. Those act as a logos persuasive appeal that even though the village is going to disappear soon, Hong Kongers should preserve the village as it is about their history and their roots.
In our project, we would like to focus on the Singapore identity. Merlion has long been a symbolic sign of Singapore. In our project, we can use the Merlion model with the background of Kampung Buangkok, the last surviving village, symbolising that even though we are enjoying the growth and prosperity, we should always be thankful and respect our older generations. At the same time, it also symbolises that preserving the dying Kampung plays an important role in forming the Singaporeans’ national identity.
