渦裡貓

(Photo:The River Merchants Sculpture & my hands. @ Singapore 2008,Jan.)

This sculpture shows Scotsman, Alexander Laurie Johnston, a prominent merchant of early Singapore medating between a Chinese Trader and a Malay chief, whilst Indian and Chinse coolies (苦力) load sacks onto a bullock cart. This is a common sight around the river as trade expanded.

Sculpture located outside of 32- story Maybank Tower, which was the base of Alesander Laurie Johnston & Co., now as Malayan Bank Chambers.

Historical writing usually centers on partial social practice, for example, trading as the most important part of Singapore's born. Maybe, from the sculture, we can also see the characteristic of a plural society.

Singapore was/is  a dominant ethnic Chinese Buddhist society,  but now even the atmosphere in Chinatown  is quite multi-cultural. Multiculturalism in Singapore is viewed as a success story for promoting value of racial harmony (also religious harmony), and implementing policy of bilingualism. Some think of multiculturalism in Singapore as an instrument of social control for economic survival (Huat,2003 ).

However, for me, this sculture really shows tourists (maybe outsider of Singapore society) Singapore's complex feature, in historical writing and even a snap of street sight. Maybe, that's THE POINT! 

  (cloth shop) (Indian temple)