Читать книгу Journey Through Singapore - David Blocksidge - Страница 7

The Dynamic Melting Pot of Asia

Since the 1970s, Singapore has been a peaceful, multicultural society composed of ethnic Chinese, Malays, Indians, Eurasians and others.

Who are the Singaporeans? Early in the nineteenth century, Malays formed the majority of Singapore’s population. Now the balance has shifted and Singaporean Chinese are in the majority. They form 78 per cent of the population, followed by Malays (15 per cent) and Indians (7 per cent), with Eurasians, Westerners and others making up the balance. You can hear people speaking Hokkien, Mandarin, Cantonese, Teochew, Malay (still the official national tongue and the language of the national anthem), Tamil, Hindi, Portuguese and English—not to mention Singlish, the local dialect, a mix of all the above languages. Some Singlish words have recently been added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Such diversity makes for a fascinating blend of cultures.

Participants at the River Hongbao celebration at The Float@Marina Bay usher in the Lunar New Year.

The crew working at the St Jerome’s Laneway Festival in Singapore.

Once a mainstay of public transport, trishaws are now largely popular with tourists. Trishaw tours around Singapore can be arranged from Trishaw Uncle.

Near Serangoon Road, Chinese chess players battle it out on a five-foot way, as the covered sidewalks are still generally called in Singapore.

The ambition of these Muslim boys will be to earn the right to wear the white head-wear as adults that indicates they are Haji, men who have undertaken the all-important pilgrimage to Mecca.

These Peranakan women are wearing the traditional sarung kebaya (Malay for sarong and embroidered blouse). The Peranakan are ethnic Chinese whose culture and language are influenced by the Malays.

Family is everything in Singapore, where ties between members are still exceptionally strong.

A free night-time outdoor concert at Esplanade– Theatres on the Bay, where performances range from classical music to rock concerts.

Happy participants in the annual Chingay parade, which takes place during Chinese New Year.

Performers from the group Pastel Lite at the St Jerome Laneway Festival. The festival now travels to seven different cities.

Hindus give thanks for prayers answered during the Thaipusam festival. They live cleanly and pierce their cheeks and other parts of the body with iron needles. This is followed by a pilgrimage to the temple while carrying kavadi, heavy structures whose weight is transferred to the carrier by steel skewers piercing the penitent’s flesh.