A quiet and low key Year of Dragon Lunar New Year 2024 celebrations

Year of Dragon Lunar New Year 2024 celebration was quiet and low key, not showing much on social media platforms. I had a few small gatherings, not many Lou Hei tossing and Lunar New Year dinners. This is probably due to feeling jaded and not having too much of a festive feel for Lunar New Year over the years gone by.   

The slowdown in content creation and publishing articles 

Why is there a slowdown in content creation and publishing articles? A key part of it is the hustle and bustle establishing photography business partnerships/assignments for year 2024 in January and February 2024.  

The month of January 2024 was also a time of spring cleaning that started from November/December 2023, together with inevitable replacement of spoilt/old items with new ones. Year of Dragon 2024 Lunar New Year spring cleaning for me was one of my more extensive/intensive till date, it was somehow deeply satisfying and therapeutic. 

Time to “Ignite” the fire and kickstart Year of Dragon 2024 visual storytelling adventures 

My yearly theme 2024 for my photography, travel, creative and heritage is “Ignite”. The time is now to “Ignite” the fire and kickstart Year of Dragon 2024 visual storytelling adventures. From commercial/business photography, to personal photography projects and heritage projects, this might be a special year 2024 for me on bringing those projects or ideas to life.

Year of Dragon theme personal project ideas

Year 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. An idea came into my mind to do Year of Dragon theme personal projects, revisiting my Dragon related projects in the history and heritage fields, adding on a modern Year of Dragon theme with my Lunar New Year 2024 Dragon Lego. Here are some of my Year of Dragon theme personal project ideas: 

• Lunar New Year 2024 Dragon Lego
• Dragon Playgrounds (Toa Payoh x 2, Ang Mo Kio)
• Dragon fountain (Whampoa) 
• Fire Dragon at Sar Kong Mun San Fook Tuck Chee Temple
• Lunar New Year 2024 Dragon Lego with Jabra Elite 8
• Lunar New Year 2024 Dragon Lego with SteelSeries 
• Lunar New Year 2024 Dragon Lego + epic Sunset 
• Gan Eng Seng Dragon Scout Group

Personal heritage projects and ideas on the horizon

There are some personal heritage projects on my horizon, the first one is about tracing a segment of my extended maternal family tree history (maternal great grandparents era). I am unable to share more information and details as I need to do more research, understanding and interviews before I decide on my next course of action. 

I recently stumbled upon an interview video by Chronicles Research & Education on the history of Old Clementi. Through a short conversation with them since I had been staying in Clementi district for most of life, a Clementi Heritage Trail is a possibility, it would be nice to be involved or contribute to this project if it comes to life. 

Creative and cross-disciplinary projects 

I would love to produce more creative projects, one of my ideas is to bring out amateur writing, typing them out with typewriter on photographs from my collections, it can be post card style, 4R photo or notebook style.  

I am also exploring new zine / book projects for my visual storytelling adventures that I might undertake this year or from my ongoing personal projects. While I have some themes/ideas in mind, I might have to shortlist and choose 1-2 to work on, as much as I would love to publish more.

On the topic of cross-disciplinary projects with other creative artists from other fields, I always wanted to work on such projects since some years back. Let’s see whether the stars and ideas to align for this to come to life.

More updates along the way

Yes, I have kick-started my Year of Dragon 2024 visual storytelling adventures, that might be some ideas/thoughts that I didn’t manage to write and publish inside this article at that point in time. There would also be updates along the way as and when possible on the developments and stages of my visual storytelling adventures. 

I am also kickstarting Year of Dragon 2024 Technology and Personal Writing Adventures! Have a great Year of the Dragon 2024 ahead!   

The post Kickstarting Year of Dragon 2024 Visual Storytelling Adventures appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

From the modern iconic Marina Bay, Gardens By The Bay, Changi Airport, to our heritage buildings and districts such as our museums, those images are some of the cityscapes that would come to your mind when we mention Singapore. 

For a country that is small in land size, do we have the wide landscape view that allow us to use our telephoto lens such as a 70-200mm to compose and isolate tight landscape scenes that we photographers enjoy when we travel overseas? How about using longer telephoto lenses such as 600mm or 800mm for cityscapes or landscapes? Is that even possible? 

I have been photographing Singapore Cityscapes for a period of time, through my documentation and exploration perspective, from photographing iconic famous landmarks to the heritage, cultural and the heartlands in Singapore, usually through my work horse lens, the wide angle zoom (now 16-35mm, formerly 17-40mm). 

We may be a small country, the changes in Singapore’s built and natural landscapes have been ongoing. This is like a perpetual documentation project to photograph Singapore Cityscapes as it changes over the years.

My recent review adventure with the Canon EOS R3 brought me revisiting different locations in Singapore, along with RF600mm f/11 IS STM lens and RF800mm f/11 IS STM lenses that I am also reviewing as well. Lenses with focal length such as 600mm or 800mm are usually associated with sports and wildlife photography. Are they even suitable for landscape/cityscape photography?

Here are some Singapore Cityscapes shot with the Canon EOS R3 with RF600mm f/11 IS STM and RF800mm f/11 IS STM lenses. 

Stay tuned for my upcoming review articles (and more photos) on the Canon EOS R3, RF600mm f/11 IS STM and RF800mm f/11 IS STM lenses! 

* A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R3 Explorer Series Production * 

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I last visited RBC during 2017, on the the 75th Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore. I went for a Battle for Singapore tour organised by NHB, titled Battle of Pasir Panjang Trail. Starting off from Kent Ridge Park, a guided walking trail to RBC for another guided tour inside RBC, using the Southern Ridges Trail. 

There were significant renovations and revamp to RBC, taking on an expanded role in the narrative segment of site-specific Pasir Panjang and Bukit Chandu before WWII. How many of us knew that RBC that was first opened in 2002, was a bungalow that was originally built in 1930 for senior British staff of an Opium Packing Plant down the hill?

Chung May Khuen, Director of the National Museum of Singapore, said: “Reflections at Bukit Chandu commemorates the tenacity and heroism of the Malay Regiment in the battle of Pasir Panjang, a key moment in Singapore’s World War Two history. With this revamp, we also hope to share with visitors more insights into the pre-war character of Pasir Panjang and Bukit Chandu. RBC complements the National Museum’s World War Two galleries and the recently revamped Changi Chapel and Museum’s story of the prisoners of war and civilians interned at Changi prison camp – together, these interlinked narratives piece together the story of World War Two in Singapore. The stories of courage and resilience shared in these three institutions remain relevant to our lives today and we hope that they will continue to inspire and resonate with visitors, especially as we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore in February next year.”

Immersive Experience in Bukit Chandu: Battle Point 226

Upon entering into RBC, an immersive and learning experience awaits you.

The RBC bungalow stands close to Battle Point 226, a military position that was the Malay Regiment’s last stand against the Imperial Japanese Army on 14th February 1942.  The galleries on the first floor of the revamped RBC charts the regiment’s beginnings and pays homage to the courage and sacrifice by the Malay Regiment during the Battle of Pasir Panjang in the exhibition Bukit Chandu: Battle Point 226.

There are three sections inside this exhibition:

1. The Malay Regiment

In this section, you can learn more about the Malay Regiment, tracing their origins, from the equipment that they used, to the specially designed uniform that they wore. 

2) Into Battle

An immersive multimedia display and experience awaits you in this section whereby you can trace the regiment’s story during the defence of Malaya and Singapore against the Japanese invasion and finally the Battle of Bukit Chandu on 14th February 1942 where the story of “C” Company’s defence of Point 226.

3) Aftermath 

By the time Singapore surrendered, more than 100 men of the Malay Regiment had been killed in action. There were about 600 members of the Malay Regiment who were detained, they were ordered to remove their uniforms and join the Japanese forces or be released as civilians. A number of them were executed for refusing to take off their uniforms. In this section, a special tribute is paid to these men who embodied the regimental motto, Ta’at Setia (“faithful and true” in Malay), to the very end.

When you are viewing the various sections inside the exhibition, keep a lookout for the artefacts on display such as 

• Bullets from the Battle of Pasir Panjang that were found around Pasir Panjang Ridge in the 1970s
• Bullet cases recovered from the eastern side of the bungalow’s compound during an archaeological excavation in 2019.
• Rare archival pre-war film footage featuring Lieutenant Adnan at a ceremonial parade
• A tin cup belonging to Lieutenant Ibrahim Sidek, who was detained after the surrender and killed by the Japanese for refusing to remove his uniform, is also featured alongside an excerpt of an interview with his widow

Learning about and tracing the legacy of Bukit Chandu

The revamped RBC has taken on a new narrative to allow visitors to know more about the region and surroundings through the galleries on the second floor as well as on the grounds of RBC, informing visitors of the history behind Bukit Chandu (“Opium Hill” in Malay) and Pasir Panjang (“Long Beach” or “Long Sand” in Malay). 

1. Packing Chandu

How much do you know about the history of opium production in Singapore? Have you heard of the Opium Packing Plant was located at the foot of the hill? Raw opium was first processed in a factory at Telok Blangah after which it was sent to Pasir Panjang to be packed, before it was being sold to opium smokers in Singapore, Malaya and other countries in the region.

2) The Lounge

When you are at the second floor of the RBC bungalow, look out through the windows, experience how former occupants of the house would feel when they looked out at the view of the Singapore Strait and the sea breeze. 

3) On the Lawn

There are outdoor installations on the lawn whereby visitors can learn about the local landmark 龙牙门 (“Dragon’s teeth gate in Mandarin” ) at Labrador Park and the pineapple plantations which used to be in this area.

Opening Weekend programmes at RBC

The opening weekend for RBC will take place from 11th to 12th September, this also coincides with the anniversary of the surrender of the Japanese on 12th September 1945. Visitors can look forward to a self-guided scavenger hunt through the RBC galleries and complimentary live-streamed tours by the curators of RBC and Changi Chapel and Museum on Facebook Live.

To commemorate the reopening of RBC, all visitors will enjoy free admission from 9th to 26th September 2021. For Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, they will continue to enjoy complimentary admission beyond this period. 

If you are planning to visit RBC, you are encouraged to pre-book your museum admission tickets and sign up for the weekend programmes ahead of your visit.

Planning a visit to Reflections at Bukit Chandu with a DIY short walking trail of Battle of Pasir Panjang 

In 2017, on the 75th Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, I went for a Battle for Singapore tour organised by NHB, titled Battle of Pasir Panjang Trail. Starting off from Kent Ridge Park, a guided walking trail to Reflections at Bukit Chandu, using the Southern Ridges Trail.

You may choose to start off first by visiting Reflections at Bukit Chandu, learning and understanding more about the heroic battles that took place during WWII, as well as the early history of this region before WWII. After that, you can go on a short walking trail using the Southern Ridges to Kent Ridge Park, the entrance to the the Southern Ridges trail is just in front of the main gate of RBC. You will be walking along the battleground – The Battle of Bukit Panjang that took place during WWII.    

Year 2022 would be the 80th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, I feel that the Battle for Singapore tour – Battle of Pasir Panjang Trail would make a comeback, a guided walking trail from Kent Ridge Park to Reflections at Bukit Chandu where a guided tour would take place inside before you can explore more on your own. 

Reflections at Bukit Chandu Visiter Information

Reflections at Bukit Chandu

31-K Pepys Road

Singapore 118458

Opening Hours

9:30am to 5pm (Tuesdays to Sundays)

Closed every Monday except Public Holidays

Last admission at 4:30pm

Website: https://www.nhb.gov.sg/bukitchandu 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reflectionsatbukitchandu/ 

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsatbukitchandu 

YouTube: Reflections at Bukit Chandu 

* Information courtesy of National Museum of Singapore and Tate Anzur *

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This was for the long-running series “On The Red Dot” programme that airs on Channel 5 and ChannelNewsAsia. The episodes that that been produced and aired on TV were really good, excellent content, nostalgia for some of the content they produced and they also covered current issues too. You can catch up and watch “On The Red Dot” episodes on CNA Insider YouTube channel!  

When On The Red Dot episode 35: Places We Miss: The Last Goodbye on Tanglin Halt was aired on TV, I watched it with great nostalgia, the older generation HDB flats, the kampung spirit, two storey shophouses and delicious local hawker food. Although I did not stay in Tanglin Halt, it was part of my growing up years, passing by/through Tanglin Halt on my way home from secondary school days, from Gan Eng Seng School to Clementi.

Here are some of the photographs of Tanglin Halt that I shot in 2015.

I was honoured and humbled that my photographs that I shot in 2015 played a small part in this On The Red Dot episode. My personal photography documentation on heritage, history, culture and old places have always been ongoing, mainly through my photography and writing down notes. All these journeys of mine took time, at times putting it one side and moving into another area before returning back to it again.

This is the time to revisit and continue my documentation of Tanglin Halt. I made a quick trip down recently after this episode was aired, with the Canon EOS R5 camera that I am reviewing. This was meant to be a short photography fieldwork, to reconnect with this area before planning my schedule in the months ahead to continue. 

From the kampung spirit, shophouses, delicious local hawker food, the former rail corridor/green corridor and the older generation HDB blocks. I would try my best to document, photograph and cover as much of Tanglin Halt before it’s gone forever.    

Tanglin Halt – Time to revisit in 2021, to continue on my personal photography and documentation of old places in Singapore before it’s gone forever into our history books, websites and archives. This would be taking place over the next few months.

Remember to get your international driver permit from INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS ASSOCIATION when you can travel out to explore different destinations around the world by car!

A special TGH Photography x Canon EOS R5 Explorer Series Production.

The post Tanglin Halt – Time to revisit in 2021 appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

No thanks to the global pandemic Covid-19 that has massively impacted our world economy, work and daily living. Mid-Autumn Festival 2020 is subdued and toned down from previous years. Nevertheless, we still have Mid-Autumn Festival lantern decorations around local favourite destinations such as Chinatown, Gardens By The Bay and Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. 

Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival today, this would be a great time to be with your family and loved ones. Time for family gathering and bonding, count our blessings during this gloomy global pandemic Covid-19 period.

Wishing all a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival celebration!

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I discovered World Photography Day when I was mentioned on Singapore Embassy in Berlin Facebook Page post whereby my photographer profile photo was featured along with a sharing on acknowledging all the photographers out there, whether you are an amateur or professional.

I am honoured and humbled to be featured and mentioned on Singapore Embassy in Berlin Facebook Page! This means a lot to me for my cultural and heritage photography coverage and documentation over the years!

Thank you very much Singapore Embassy in Berlin!

Since it’s World Photography Day 2020, I decided to participate and share a photograph that I took today in Singapore on 19th August 2020. It was a photograph of The National Museum of Singapore with her facade lighted up for Singapore’s 55th Birthday.

The message is not about getting the perfect moment or the technically perfect photo. My message for World Photography Day 2020 is #SGUnited – #TogetherStrongerSG.

Let us all be #SGUnited with #OurHeartForSG for a #TogetherStrongerSG as we are still navigating our way out of this global pandemic situation along with an economic downturn with our Majulah Sprit, strength and determination.

To all photographers out there, wishing all of you a Happy World Photography Day 2020 on 19th August! Keep shooting, keep the passion and fire burning inside you, sharing your photographs, moments and stories for your loved ones, family, relatives and friends, as well as for the whole world to view, learn and enjoy those moments.

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Starting a business is not easy, maintaining and sustaining a business is even much tougher than starting. Doing it for more than 30 years, that’s no mean feat at all. NHB’s Street Corner Heritage Galleries scheme identify local businesses with at least 30 years of history in selected precincts to co-create “mini museums”. This is a win-win situation for all parties, helping and growing local community heritage, history and culture, revitalising the local neighbourhood through local street/community heritage spaces. For the local business owners, all these would help to instil a stronger sense of ownership and legacy passed down from their forefathers, passing them on to the future generations.

Street Corner Heritage Galleries kickstarted from 10th March 2020 with five local businesses within the Balestier precinct. They are:

Leong Fatt Tau Sar Piah

639 Balestier Road

Singapore 329922

Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice

342 Balestier Road

Singapore 329774

Sweetlands Confectionary and Bakery

10 Kim Keat Lane

Singapore 328867

Lam Yeo Coffee Powder Factory

328 Balestier Road

Singapore 329760

Lim Kay Khee Optical and Contact Lens Centre

330 Balestier Road

Singapore 329762

I would like to thank, Mr Alvin Tan, Deputy Chief Executive (Policy & Community), National Heritage Board, for the invitation to join their media session, we visited Leong Fatt Tau San Piah and Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice. At the front of their shop, there is a cabinet showcasing their respective artefacts, documents, photographs, history and heritage for customers/visitors to their shop. Hearing their heart warming stories and history of their business, we were able to understand more in-depth of their heritage showcase that meant something special to them.

From their founding stories, struggles, challenges over the decades running and maintaining their business, a legacy as well, there were also stories of regular customers returning back to them for a taste of the food that they grew up eating and enjoying, along with their children. Such intangible heartwarming real life stories are priceless, they are part of Singapore’s intangible cultural heritage that we need to protect, preserve, pay it forward and pass it on, to our future generations.

Have a chat with them if the opportunity arises, I reckon they would more than happy to share more about their rich history and stories. All of our local street corner heritage deserves more recognition and awareness in a fast changing international cosmopolitan Singapore. 

Street corner heritage galleries of Singapore, represent an integral part of #OurSGHeritage, expanding into the local communities and beyond the museums. From my own documentation and coverage of old places, trade skills, NHB street corner heritage galleries are really wonderful initiatives to expand local community history, heritage and culture, supporting them through their stories, preserving, allowing them to continue their legacy, to pay it forward and pass it on to the next few generations of Singapore.

How can I plan a heritage exploration trail of Street Corner Heritage Galleries in the Balestier precinct?

This is my personal humble suggestion, start off at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall at 12 Tai Gin Road, get to know more about this heritage institution in the Balestier precinct, followed by learning more about the Balestier Precinct. Next up, go on the Balestier Heritage Trail, remember to visit the Street Corner Heritage Galleries in this precinct! That’s probably going to be a bit of walking, do wear comfortable shoes and drink lots of water. Save your tummy space for tasting local delights along your Balestier Heritage Trail exploration!   

NHB Street Corner Heritage Galleries kickstarted in the Balestier precinct in March 2020, this scheme will soon expand into four other precincts – Kampong Gelam, Little India, Kreta Ayer/Chinatown and Geylang Serai by 2022. I look forward to the announcements of the street corner heritage galleries in the other precincts!

Our Singapore heritage has now gone beyond the museums, into the local communities, for some of us, they have been an integral part of our life growing up in Singapore. We all can play a part, no matter how big or small, to help preserve, support, pay it forward and pass it on, our rich local Singapore heritage, history and culture, for our future generations of Singapore and beyond.

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