Singapore

The Cavenaugh Bridge is a must-see for visitor, especially newlyweds.According to Malay legend, a Sumatran  prince encountered a lion – considered a good omen – on Temasek, prompting him to found Singapura, or Lion City. It mattered little that lions had never inhabited Singapore (more likely the prince had seen a tiger); what did matter was the establishment of the region as a minor trading post for the powerful Sumatran Srivijaya empire and as a subsequent vassal state  of the Javanese Majapahit empire in the mid-13th century.

Traditional Malay dancers throw petals to the audience.Singapore might have remained a quiet backwater if not for Sir Stamford Raffles’ intervention in 1819. The British had first established a presence in the Straits of Malacca (now called Melaka) in the 18th century when the East India Company set out to secure and protect its line of trade from China to the colonies in India. Fearing another resurgence of expansionism in the Dutch – which had been the dominant European trading power in the region for nearly 200 years – Raffles argued for an increased British presence, which he was promptly given. Under his tutelage, Singapore’s forlorn  reputation as a fetid, disease-ridden colony was soon forgotten. Migrants attracted by a tariff-free port poured in by the thousands, and a flourishing colony with a military and naval base was established.

Tags: Singapore