Asian Civilizations Museum and Fort Canning Park

Visited the Asian Civilizations Museum where I spent an hour studying about Marriage Ceremonies, House Hold Ancestor Alters, Photography, and the life of the settlers of the Peranakan Chinese and Malay settlers of Singapore. Marriages in this time period where arranged by the grooms mother. She would look for a round egg face, well formed nose, bright eyes, no sharp chin features, small mouth, medium shoulders, large hips, small feet, and a big chest. The Peranakans believed that a a good match would bring luck, fortune, and longevity for the groom and future generations to come. The couples birth date and time must be compatible when viewed by the local wise man.

The marriage Ceremony usually lasted 12 days. It encompassed many ceremonies including, hair combing, fetching the bride from her home, soleminsation at the alter, tea presented to the family elders, rolling of the couples bed by a young boy to bring fertility, and many more. The final ceremony proved the brides virginity with a blood stained napkin was drenched in lime juice. This was a tradition that was thought to be able to determine the brides virginity.

Jade jewelry in Chinese tradition is viewed as describing the soul. It is bright like heaven and compact like intelligence. Many people are even burred with Jade objects.

Ancestoral Worship is described in 5 tablets around a family alter displayed in the Museum. Chinese make offerings to their ancestors to use in the after world. Fake paper money is burned to be used there along with fruits and vegetables of their ancestors likings are left on the alter.

Remember the wisdom of one's ancestors.
Wealth ensures peace in the family

To be successful in one's career one needs the blessing on the ancestors.

It is one's duty to worship their ancestors.

It one respects the ancestors, one's future wellbeing will bring praise to
one's family.

Follow in the footsteps of your ancestors.

I then went to Ft. Canning Park. A major fort for the 1942 defense of Singapore. It has the original spice gardens that Sir Raffles placed there to see which spices would grow best in the climate. Nutmeg, coriander and several others prospered. In those days spices where like gold and made Singapore extremely rich.

Archaeological excavations prove the vitality of Fort Canning hill's history as far back as the 14th century when it was the seat of the Malay Kingdom, Temasek. According to the Malay Annals, the site was chosen for settlement by Sri Tri Buana, ruler of Temasek and the one reputed to have seen the fabled lion for which he named the island 'Singapura' (Lion City). Beleaguered by attacks from the Siamese and Majapahit, the last known ruler of Temasek, Iskandar Syah, fled from the settlement. Except for minimal portside activity, little was known of the island until the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819.

The Malay locals who received Raffles pointed him to the hill they called Bukit Larangan, which means in Malay 'Forbidden Hill'. They were fearful of climbing the hill as they thought the palace of their ancestor kings had once stood there. Raffles had part of the hill cleared of jungle, revealing the ruins of ancient brick buildings, which gave support to the legends.

Because of the beautiful view the hill commanded, Raffles chose to build his bungalow and to establish the first botanical garden here in 1822. Until mid-19th century, Singapore's governors were residents here; thus the epithet 'Government Hill'.

Around 1860, the colonial government turned the hill into a fort bearing the name of Viscount Charles John Canning, Governor-General and the first Viceroy of India. From that time until he 1970s, Fort Canning was used as a military base, first by the British, then by the Japanese during Second World War, and lastly by the Republic's armed forces.
Once the forbidden hill of ancient Malay royalty and later the Far East Command Centre of the British, today's Fort Canning Park beckons visitors to a tranquil, green oasis. Capitalizing on the rich historical assets of the old citadel, the National Parks Board has revitalized Fort Canning into a unique city park with many popular art performances, events and concerts to serve the populace of Singapore.