CID reflection 6- Is the Merlion a good icon to represent Singapore?

                                      

In my opinion, I feel that the Merlion is not a good icon to represent Singapore. There are so many other icons that can better represent Singapore, for example,our iconic foods such as the chili crab and durian. There is also Marina Bay Sands. However, in this blogpost, I'm just going to elaborate on one single icon which I truly feel represents Singapore the best. That is, the Singapore river.

According to Wikipedia, The Merlion do not feature in any local folklore or myths of Singapore, and was only used in Singapore initially as the logo for the tourism board. I feel that the Merlion should not be the icon used to represent Singapore as as stated by Wikipedia, the Merlion was originally thought of as a logo for the tourism board and it does not feature any folklore of Singapore. This icon should not be used as I feel that an icon that will truly represent Singapore would be one that shows the growth of Singapore and something that shows the history and uniqueness of the icon to Singapore. The Merlion is merely a stature that has half the body of a lion while half the body of a fish. It does not signify anything or show the history nor the uniqueness of the icon to Singapore since there is no story behind it. The Merlion might be a popular place among tourists to go to since its a famous tourist attraction in Singapore, but I feel that it does not represent Singapore accurately. 

What I feel is a good icon to represent Singapore would be the Singapore river. The Singapore river was once the old Port of Singapore , sheltered by the southern islands. Historically, the city of Singapore initially grew around the port so the river mouth became the centre of trade, commerce and finance. To this day, area around the old Singapore River mouth, the Downtown core, remains the most expensive and economically important piece of land in Singapore. There is a rich history behind the Singapore river and it has been there since a long time ago. It used to be a trading port, which was the main contributing factor of Singapore's economic development then. It still contributes to Singapore's economy now, with it being s popular tourist attraction. The Singapore river used to be very dirty, smelly and littered with rubbish. People use to aviod walking near the Singapore river. However, it is now a clean and beautiful River that flows through the central business district in Singapore. It is now a popular hangout spot among Singaporeans. Taking a walk along the Singapore river feels tranquil. The Singapore river shows how far Singapore has come, with the river developing together with Singapore. Singapore used to be unnoticed, where living conditions here was unfavorable. However, just like the Singapore river, Singapore transformed into a clean and green metropolis. The Singapore river is an indication of how far we have come and how much we have developed as a country. It is thus a very suitable icon to use to represent Singapore as the Singapore river has a history, and wasn't created due to the need for tourist attractions unlike the Merlion.

The Singapore river is also very suitable to use as an icon as I feel that it represents our founding father, late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Mr Lee Kuan Yew was the man who initiated and carried out his plan to clean up the dirty Singapore river back then in 1977. The clean up process took 10 years but he was determined to have a clean Singapore river. Unlike the Merlion which was built in 1972, the Singapore river has been here since long ago. He was the one who made the Singapore river become what it is now. Mr Lee Kuan Yew has contributed greatly to Singapore and I feel that the Singapore river is a place where I think of and is reminded of Mr Lee. Mr Lee used to take strolls along the Singapore river frequently and the first place that he went after attending the wake of his late wife was the Singapore river. This shows how important the Singapore river is to him. The Singapore river is Mr Lee's pride and joy and thus I feel that the Singapore river is a perfect icon to use to represent Singapore as it also represents Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who has contributed the most to Singapore. I guess that's what makes an icon special; being able to think of the important events that has happened to a nation over many many years.

                                                 Our beautiful Singapore river.

☀ Is Merlion A Good Icon For Singapore? [ZIQIU]

✿ ZIQIU'S REFLECTION 

<IS MERLION A GOOD ICON FOR SG?>

In my opinion, the Merlion is not a good icon for Singapore. Though many think that it is the one icon that can represent Singapore, I believe otherwise.

• According to Wikipedia, "Merlions do not feature in any local folklore or myths of Singapore, and was only used in Singapore initially as the logo for the tourism board." Firstly, what's most important about Singapore as a country is not just a small aspect of its economy income (in this case, the tourism board), but rather the culture of Singapore, represented by old folklores and stories of Singapore. These stories represent the growth of Singapore over the years and that is what really can represent Singapore as a whole. There is more to the growth of Singapore than just a statue of the Merlion. 
• Singapore was officially independent on 9 August 1965. The Merlion was made official on 15 September 1972, one not-so-significant date. This hence does not connect the Merlion with any of the significance in Singapore. Hence, I do not think that the Merlion should be viewed as the national icon of Singapore. 
• According to Wikipedia, "it has become a marketing icon". We should not simply view the Merlion from economical points of how it is regarded as a "national icon", because the Merlion statue being popular in all parts of the world does not make it a good national icon, as it has not been through the ups and downs of Singapore's growth, but has merely brought economy increase for Singapore. 
• Wikipedia states that a national icon is something that can be symbolic of the nation. In my opinion, the Merlion does not represent anything very unique about our nation, making it a not-so good icon for Singapore. 
• There are many other representative icons that I believe represents Singapore well. For example, the national anthem. It was composed in 1958, a few years before Singapore became independent. This can show that the national anthem has seen the ups and downs of Singapore when it became independent in 1965. I also think that it is a unique representation of Singapore as this song is something special to us as it conveys the message "Onward Singapore" representing the Singaporeans' pride, joy and hope as we progress with the nation. 

I thus can conclude that I do not think that the Merlion statue is a good icon for Singapore. 

Thank you for reading(: 

Shu Hong's Reflection

I feel that Merlion is not a good icon for Singapore as there are many other factors that can represent Singapore too.
For example, the Marina Bay Sands. The Marina Bay Sands is a huge building that looks like a ship. This architecture has a lot of designs and looks fanciful, for example, the way the hotel rooms are built in 3 different buildings and then it being connected by a long structure that looks like a ship.
Yes, many say:" so what?" its just a building in the end. However, that is not all is to it. This building has many special facilities. The rooftop, which is also the ship-like structure, has a garden. Based on tourists comments through the web page, tripadvisor, the comments had included that it was a 57 story high platform that enables you to see the entire city.
Now, here is another point, by seeing the entire city, you will be able to see tall infrastructures. symbolises the development that Singapore had went through since the day we gained independence till today. Thus, I believe that the Marina Bay Sands has more meaning to Singapore and is more suitable to be Singapore icon.
There are also many other icon for Singapore, one of them can be the chilli crab. From tripadvisor, people recommend going to this restaurant called "Jumbo" where it is known for its chilli and pepper crabs, tourists reviews of the chilli crab and pepper crab in Jumbo have been very positive and everyone was complimenting on how soft and tasty the crabs taste like, many also claimed that the service at the restaurants were up to standards. Thus, I feel that the chilli crab is suitable to be the icon of Singapore as it will leave deep impressions on tourists/foreigners who come to Singapore to taste our local crabs. Even as a Singaporean I deeply enjoy the taste of the chilli crab and to me, eating a chilli crab is a blessing as I rarely get to eat it due to the price.

CID REFLECTION ( 6 )

Do you think the Merlion would make the best icon for Singapore?

你觉得鱼尾狮能最好代表新加坡吗？

虽然许多人会同意这句话，而原因是鱼尾狮见证了我国的发展，可是我否认这句话。为什么呢？鱼尾狮能代表新加坡，但不能最好代表新加坡。若你问一些游客，并不是每一个人知道鱼尾狮。中国的万里长城，意大利的披萨铁塔，英国的伦敦桥，这些建筑人尽皆知。所以要选能最好代表新加坡的建筑，必备的条件又要有特征，意义，更重要的是每个人知道。具备这些条件的建筑，美食和语言有滨海湾花园，榴莲，Singlish，等等。

鱼尾狮的来历人们都说是有关Sang Lima Utama看见一头狮子和新加坡是个渔岛才有了鱼尾狮，但我不苟同。这是个故事，是个传说，毫无根据。

我觉得要选最能代表新加坡的有滨海湾花园，樟宜机场，圣淘沙，等。这些建筑是游客必去的地方，能代表新加坡。但是若要代表新加坡，我认为非新加坡河莫属。新加坡河在建国时，是个肮脏，臭气熏天的地方，但现在新加坡河是如此的干净。新加坡河的改变象征了前辈们不辞辛劳的成果。一名游客有可能不了解这写历史，但这体现出了新加坡的干净，而鱼尾狮只是一个传说的动物。

我认为新加坡的食物是十分独特的，多样化的食物选择代表了新加坡多元宗族的社会。我们有辣椒螃蟹，印度煎饼，椰浆饭，炸鸡及马铃薯片。这一道一道的佳肴不能代表新加坡，但多样化的美食是新加坡的特色能代表新加坡。身为一名新加坡人，我本身比较喜欢新加坡的美食。 我是个挑食的人，而新加坡有韩国料理，日本佳肴，中西餐，让我想吃什么就能吃任何一样。

Golden Age of Tang Dynasty

Tang dynasty was the golden age of Chinese literature and art. A government system supported by a large class of Confucian literati selected through civil service examinations was perfected under Tang rule. This was when poetry became an important topic. Famous and talented poets were looked up to. 

Golden Age of Singapore

The definition of Golden Age is the most flourishing period in the history of a nation. 

If we think back, we did have a golden age in Singapore. It was when Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father turned this little red dot into one of the most developed countries in the world. Mr Lee Kuan Yew spent his whole life in changing a small fishing village into a modern city. Due to Mr Lee building up our nation, there was a Golden Age for Singapore. I am really thankful to him for building up this nation well.

Shu Hong's Reflection


'Golden Age of Singapore'

     The Golden Age is a period where a country is prosperous. peaceful and filled with happiness.
     Singapore did experience this before, and it was lead under our late founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Mr Lee turned Singapore from a third world country to a first world country. He was able to turn a country that was kicked out of Malaysia, into an self-dependent country. A little red dot to one of the top few countries in the world. Mr Lee had created Singapore's Golden Age.
     However. in order to create Singapore's Golden Age, there were steps that had to be made. When Singapore first gain independence in 1965, Mr Lee became the Prime Minister. To ensure the security of the country, he implemented a new system, 'National Service' a.k.a NS. This system is one that ensures all men at the age of 18 that they will undergo training as a soldier, learning how to fight in the situation of a war. Indeed, many of us are unsatisfied with the NS programme. But have you ever wondered, if Mr Lee had not implemented this NS programme, Singapore will be defenceless and people will be unable to live in peace, everyday having to fear of being conquered by other countries.
     Mr Lee had made Singapore prosperous by stretching out to investors from overseas to invest in Singapore. Mr Lee showed no biasness towards any religion and all races were given fair opportunities. The citizens of Singapore was very contented with the way Mr Lee worked. Thus, Mr Lee was the one who had created the 'Golden Age of Singapore'.

Tang Dynasty Golden Age

      The Golden Age of Tang Dynasty was due to the the arts flourishing during the Tang Dynasty. It was during this time that poetry became an integral part of the Chinese culture. Poetry was a required study for those who wished to pass the civil service exams. Talented poets were well-respected and often recited their poetry as entertainment at parties.
        While the Tang Dynasty is most famous for its poetry, other arts also became popular during this time. Many forms of literature were written including short stories, encyclopedias, and histories. Also painting was very popular and the era produced famous painters such as Wu Daozi, Wang Wei (also a famous poet), and Zhou Fang.

CID reflection 5- Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

Tang Dynasty is very rich in arts and culture. That era is known for their pottery, painting and poetry. Their painting is extremely well known, even till today. They are famous for their landscape painting also known as "山水画". Chinese pottery during the Tang era made significant advances and pottery created was often exported to exotic countries where it's priced highly. Tang Dynasty is a golden era because there was economic growth during that period of time. Exquisite art paintings and pottery were traded and sold for a high price. People from all around the world would also have a better understanding of what art and culture in China represents. Also, poetry was also greatly appreciated during the Tang Dynasty and it became an integral part of Chinese culture. People who wished to pass important exams are required to study and do well for poetry. Art and culture thus flourished during the Tang Dynasty and made it a golden era.

                               

Next, I'm going to talk about Mr Lee and his contributions to Singapore. Mr Lee contributed greatly to Singapore and oversaw Singapore’s transformation from a Third World country to a First World country. He was the man that helped transform Singapore from a small, undeveloped fishing village into the metropolitan city we have today. In addition to the industrialization of the country, he was able to create trade contracts with other countries. These trade agreements allowed the country to continue producing goods while obtaining important resources from the other. He helped us build and strengthen relationships with other countries. He wanted the world to know what Singapore, a small country is capable of. Mr Lee believed strongly in building a nation that does not discriminate and citizens lived here in harmony. That's why he broke of the merger with Malaysia even though it was an extremely difficult decision for him to make. He wanted to have an equal society while the Malaysian government believed in Malay supremacy. He trusted his decision and believed that Singapore would be able to flourish under his rule. Mr Lee also made English the common language in Singapore to integrate the immigrant society and to facilitate trade with the West. However, Lee also made schools bilingual for students to preserve their mother tongue roots and cultural identity. Because of Mr Lee's strong belief in maintaining bilingualism, we are then able to study in a SAP school where higher Chinese is heavily emphasized on. Without him, We would not even be studying in a SAP school now. He was, indeed a great man who have led Singapore to where it is today. Everyday when I now see the Singapore flag flying high in the sky, I think of him, and the contributions he has made for Singapore. 

 

       

We are able to live in harmony though from different races all because of Mr Lee's efforts in ensuring that we have a democratic society. 

 

Singapore is seen as its own version of "the golden age" as people of all races here live in harmony with no conflicts. Singapore is flourishing in wealth and we have good relations with all the countries in the world. We have managed to prosper even though we do not have much natural resources,without much help from other countries. We are independent. All children in this country undergo good education and have equal opportunities to get a job. We have good healthcare and healthcare is subsidized by the government at poly clinics. The pioneer generation is cared well for and they do not have to work at a old age. We have created our own water system known as "NEWater", and do not have to rely on importing clean water into our country. We are what we are today all because of Mr Lee. He believed in this small nation and with his vision of Singapore, we flourished. 

      

Singapore in its golden age era, flourishing in wealth and having people from different races living in peace and harmony.