Category Archives: Cultural

Traditional Provision Shops – Can They Stand the Test of Time?

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Remember Singapore

Provision shops. Once a common sight in Singapore, having reached its peak in the mid-seventies with more than 2,000 of them scattered all around the country. As development gathered pace, and shopping of groceries made easier with the opening of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural | Tagged Dakota Crescent, Rosyth Road, Tee Seng Store, Tian Kee, Traditional Provision Shop | 11 Comments

Then and Now, The Public Holidays of Singapore

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Remember Singapore

There are some public feedback recently about reinstating Thaipusam as a public holiday. Why was Thaipusam removed as a public holiday in the first place? Here’s look at the changes in Singapore’s public holidays in the past few decades. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural, Historic | Tagged Public Holidays, Thaipusam | 2 Comments

Enter a World of Advertisement in Old Singapore (Part 1)

Posted on December 13, 2014 by Remember Singapore

Before the internet era, marketing of products was usually done through advertisements in physical forms, such as billboards, banners or posters put up at prominent locations with high human traffic. Large fonts, colourful themes, eye-catching logos and innovative slogans were … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural, Nostalgic | Tagged Bata, CK Tang, Jack's Place, Old School Advertisements, Plaza Singapura, Setron, Tiger Balm, Tiger Beer, Yaohan, Yeo Hiap Seng | 15 Comments

Tanglin Halt – Where the Trains used to Pass by

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Remember Singapore

Tanglin Halt. This was where the trains used to pass by, exchanging key tokens with the station master in order to receive the authority to enter the correct tracks. Express trains from Kuala Lumpur used to stop regularly at Tanglin … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural, Historic | Tagged chup lau chu, Church of the Blessed Sacrament, SIT Flats, Sri Muneeswaran Temple, Tanglin Halt | 34 Comments

When the Durians Fall at Pulau Ubin

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Remember Singapore

It is the durian season now. Often described as a smelly fruit with heavenly taste, a durian’s aroma is so strong that the thorny fruit is banned in MRT trains and the airport. To most locals, however, it is the king of fruits. Many durian plantations … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural, Exotic | Tagged Chinese Cemetery, Durians, Kampong Sungei Tiga, Pulau Ubin, Ubin Cemetery | 12 Comments

Gongs, Long Hair and Chewing Gums

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Remember Singapore

What do gongs, long hair and chewing gums have in common? They were all part of a list of items that were either permanently banned or disallowed in public for a period of time in Singapore. Some banned items contained … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural | Tagged Chewing Gums, Firecrackers, Long Hair Will be Attended Last, Pirate Taxis, Playboy Magazines, Tikam Tikam | 70 Comments

Moths, Durians and Other Local Old Wives’ Tales

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Remember Singapore

It is the “moth season” in Singapore recently, with hundreds, even thousands, of moths spotted all over the island. Known as the tropical swallowtail moths, they are the second largest species of moths found in Singapore, and are generally flying … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural, Paranormal | Tagged Durians, Moths, Old Wives' Tales, Urban Legends | 7 Comments

Singapore Music – The Rise and Decline of Local Bands

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Remember Singapore

It all started in the fifties when Radio Malaya’s popular singing competition Talentime attracted a huge fan base in Malaysia and Singapore. This inspired many wannabe-singers and led to the formation of local bands in producing homegrown music. It was … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural, Nostalgic | Tagged Oddfellows, Pop Yeh Yeh, Singapore 1960s, The Crescendos, The Quests, Tokyo Square, Within You'll Remain | 13 Comments

A Tekong Temple’s Journey to Mainland Singapore

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Remember Singapore

I was searching for old photos of Pulau Tekong at the National Archives of Singapore, when I came across a series of coloured photos that featured the resettlement of a Chinese temple from the island to mainland Singapore with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural, Exotic, Religious | Tagged Bedok North, Kampong Selabin, Pulau Tekong, Temple of Sun Deity, Tian Kong Buddhist Temple | 5 Comments

Paintings in the Sky – Unique HDB Murals

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Remember Singapore

Have you ever passed by a HDB flat painted with murals? There are quite a few such blocks in Singapore; the most famous ones are probably the Hougang rainbow block and the Khatib flat with paintings of giant kites. Not … Continue reading →