Fascinating facts about Singapore that you probably didn't know

Fascinating facts about Singapore that you probably didn't know · There are 64 islands · The Night Safari is the world's first night zoo · Jewel ... GotothecontentGotothefooterNothanks🙌Awesome,you'resubscribed!Thanksforsubscribing!Lookoutforyourfirstnewsletterinyourinboxsoon!Weknowthiscity.Doyou?WeuncoverthebestofthecityandputitallinanemailforyouEnteremailaddressDéjàvu!Wealreadyhavethisemail.Tryanother?NothanksByenteringyouremailaddressyouagreetoourTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicyandconsenttoreceiveemailsfromTimeOutaboutnews,events,offersandpartnerpromotions.Nothanks🙌Awesome,you'resubscribed!Thanksforsubscribing!Lookoutforyourfirstnewsletterinyourinboxsoon!Lovethemag?Ournewsletterhand-deliversthebestbitstoyourinbox.Signuptounlockourdigitalmagazinesandalsoreceivethelatestnews,events,offersandpartnerpromotions.EnteremailaddressDéjàvu!Wealreadyhavethisemail.Tryanother?NothanksByenteringyouremailaddressyouagreetoourTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicyandconsenttoreceiveemailsfromTimeOutaboutnews,events,offersandpartnerpromotions.ThingstoDoFood&DrinkCultureTravelShopping&StyleNewsLoveLocalSeparatorMoreKidsMusic&NightlifeRestaurants&CafesBarsContestsNewsletterPhotograph:JiachenLin/UnsplashFascinatingfactsaboutSingaporethatyouprobablydidn’tknowInteresting,morbidanddownrightweird–theseinterestingfactsaboutSingaporegobeyondthehistorybooksWrittenbyCamKhalidFriday23April2021FacebookTwitterPinterestEmailWhatsAppAdvertisingYes,Singaporeisamoderncitythatneverfailstodraweveryoneinduetoitsfuturisticfacadethatlooksstraightoutofasci-fifilm.Butdoyouknowthesecretsthatlieinitspast?Fromtheoriginsofitsnametothenumberofislandsitsmadeupof,herearesomeinteresting factsaboutSingaporethataren'tmentionedinthetextbooks. RECOMMENDED:HistoricalbuildingsandthestoriesbehindthemandthelostlandmarksandbuildingsinSingaporeAnemailyou’llactuallyloveGetintoarelationshipwithournewsletter.Discoverthebestofthecity,first.EnteremailaddressDéjàvu!Wealreadyhavethisemail.Tryanother?ByenteringyouremailaddressyouagreetoourTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicyandconsenttoreceiveemailsfromTimeOutaboutnews,events,offersandpartnerpromotions.🙌Awesome,you'resubscribed!Thanksforsubscribing!Lookoutforyourfirstnewsletterinyourinboxsoon!Photograph:SuppliedThereare64islands IfyouthinkyoucancountSingapore'sislandswithyourfingers,thinkagain. Surroundedbyaplethoraofminiislands,Singapore hasupto64offshoreislandsincludingStJohn'sIsland,KusuIsland,PulauSemakau,PulauUbin,LazarusIsland,andSentosa,thelargestof'emall.Whiletheresomeoftheseoffshoreislandswelcomevisitorstoexploretheirgrounds,othersareoff-limits.Herearetheonesyoucancheckoutoncethecircuitbreakerisover.Photograph:WildlifeReservesSingaporeTheNightSafariistheworld'sfirstnightzooOpenedin1994,theopen-conceptnightzooinvitesvisitorsfromallovertheworldtoobserve morethan 130speciesofnocturnalanimalsintheirnaturalhabitatwithoutanybarriers.That'sright–it'stheonlyplaceinSingaporewhereyougettowatchleopardsforageinthedarkafterdusk.There'sa50-minutetramridethattakesyouaroundthezootoobservemajesticlionsgnawingontheirmeatdinners,coymountaindeerstrikingposes,and,ifyou’relucky,anoisyrhinotakingabath.Youcangetoffthetramatthedesignatedpointtofollowfourwalkingtrailsthatletyougetclosetoflyingsquirrels,danglingbats,andaleopardortwo.AdvertisingPhotograph:JewelChangiAirportJewelChangiAirportishometotheworld’stallestindoorwaterfallWhilethefirstman-made30-metrewaterfallinSingaporewasbuiltatJurongBirdParkin1971,thetallestonetodateishousedatthestateoftheartterminalatChangiAirport.Standingat40-metresandsurroundedbytheterminal'slushindoorgardens,the HSBCRainVortexisagorgeoussighttosee,especiallyfrom7.30pmtomidnightwhenthehourlylightandsoundshowisinsession.Therearealsoplentyofthingstodo,eat,andseewhileyouadmiretheJewelChangiAirport'smainstarpost-circuitbreaker.Photograph:KashmiraKasmuriMoreofaTigerCitythanLionCitySomuchforbeingcalled‘Singapura’,whichsimplytranslatestotheSanskritwordfor‘lioncity’.TheprinceofSrivijaya,betterknownasSangNilaUtama,wasshipwreckedontheislandandfoundhimselfinthepresenceofamassivecatthathemistakenlythoughtwasalion.Unlessthelionwas onboardashiscrew,there'snowayonecouldhavebeenfoundastheislandwasmainlyinhabitedbyMalayantigersthen.AdvertisingPhotograph:UnsplashItdisappearedfromthemapSpeakingofnon-existence,therewasaperiodoftimewhenthecitywaswipedoutfromthemap.WiththeexchangeofhandsbetweentheMajapahitEmpireandSiam’sAyutthayaKingdom(nowThailand),aswellasmarkingitselfasanimportanttradingportfortheSultanateofJohor,Singaporebecame hotsaucefortraders.ThisledtoPortuguesepiratesburningthecitydownin1613,leavingthecity obsoleteformorethanahundredyearsuntilmigrantsfromaroundtheregionstartedsettingcamp,risingitfromitsashes.In1819,SirStamfordRaffles establishedaBritishtradingpost,andwordaboutSingaporegotaround.Photograph:UnsplashTime-zoneswerechangedsixtimesWemaynothaveallfourseasonsbuttherewasatimewhenweweremovingclocksfordaylightsavings,acommon practiceintheWest.SingaporewassevenhoursaheadofGMT(GreenwichMeanTime)from1905to1932.Then,itmoved20minutesforwardfrom1933to1941,andafurther10minutesfrom1941to1942.Duringthe JapaneseoccupationinWorldWarII,ourclocksmovedanhourand30minutesaheadtosyncwithJapan’s.Whenthewarended,ourclocksrevertedbackandfinallysettledtosyncwithMalaysia’sin1982(whichmakesmoresenseifyouaskus).AdvertisingPhotograph:SingaporeBotanicGardensThefirstBotanicGardenswasatFortCanningThegardenofallthingsfloraopeneditsgatesatFortCanningHillin1822butitsrunendedsevenyearslater.Itwasthenreopenedtothepubliconceagainin1836butleftabandoned1846–whatluck!Eventually,theSingaporeBotanicGardensthatweknowandlovewasfoundedin1859atitspresenthomeatBukitTimah.It’salsohonouredasaUNESCOWorldHeritageSite.Photograph:ShutterstockAndersonBridgehasamorbidpast Completedin1910andnamedafter thenGovernoroftheStraitsSettlementsandHighCommissionerfortheFederatedMalayStates,SirJohnAnderson,thesteelyexteriorofAndersonBridgelookslikesomethingoutofadystopianflick.Butithasa morbidpasttoo.BeforebecomingpartofthefamousF1Singaporestreetcircuit,ithadseveredheadsofspiesandcriminalshungarounditbysoldiersduringtheJapaneseOccupation asadeterrent.AdvertisingPhotograph:ShutterstockButtheoldestbridgeisCavenaghBridgeBuiltin1869,itwasoriginallynamedEdinburghBridgeaftertheDukeofEdinburgh’svisit.ButitlaterbecameCavenaghwhenitwasnamedafterthelastIndia-appointedGovernoroftheStraitsSettlement,SirOrfeurCavenagh.TheCavenaghcoatofarmsandoriginalsignagesstillstandateachendofthebridgethat'sstillusedbypedestrians.Basedonthevintagepolicenoticesthatarestillup,novehicles–evencattleandhorses–areallowedtocrosstothisdate.ReadmoreaboutSingapore'shistoricbridgeshere.Photograph:Shutterstock/Hit1912CHIJMESwasn’tallfunandgamesBeforetransformingintoahubofachinglycoolbarsandrestaurants,CHIJMES(ConventoftheHolyInfantJesusMiddleEducationSchool)wasaconventthatlaterturnedintoaschool,orphanage,andrefugeforabandonedbabiesandchildren.AdvertisingPhotograph:Unsplash/NathanDumlaoAhairysituationChewinggum?Illegal.Vaping?Illegal.Beingapublicnuisance?Topofthelist.Butdidyouknowthatgrowingoutyourhairwasonceconsideredillegalformales?Fromthe1960stothe1990s,thegovernmentdeemedlonghairtobenegativeanddetrimentaltothecountry.Therefore,popularbandslikeLedZeppelinandtheBeeGeeshadtocanceltheirSingaporetoursduetotheban.Photograph:UnsplashThoseiconictearsRememberateary-eyedLeeKwanYewwhenheannouncedSingapore’sindependence?Thoseweren’ttearsofjoy.Singaporeistheonlycountryinthemodernworldtogainindependenceagainstitsownwill.ThelatePrimeMinisterwantedamergerandunity.However,duetoextremepoliticalfallouts,theMalaysianparliamentunanimouslyvotedtoexpelSingapore,forcingthelittlereddottostandasanindependentandsovereignstate.LearnmoreaboutSingaporePhotograph:NationalMuseumofSingaporeThelostlandmarksandbuildingsinSingaporeThingstodoReadmorePhotograph:ShutterstockInterestingstoriesbehindthebridgesalongtheSingaporeRiverThingstodoReadmoreAdvertisingPhotograph:ConstanteKenLim/UnsplashFunfactsyoudidn'tknowaboutSingapore'sMRTstationsThingstodoReadmorePhotograph:SuppliedThepopularmythsandlegendsofSingaporeThingstodoReadmoreShowmoreAnemailyou’llactuallyloveGetintoarelationshipwithournewsletter.Discoverthebestofthecity,first.EnteremailaddressDéjàvu!Wealreadyhavethisemail.Tryanother?ByenteringyouremailaddressyouagreetoourTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicyandconsenttoreceiveemailsfromTimeOutaboutnews,events,offersandpartnerpromotions.🙌Awesome,you'resubscribed!Thanksforsubscribing!Lookoutforyourfirstnewsletterinyourinboxsoon!Recommended[image][title]PopularonTimeOut[image][title]Youmayalsolike[image][title]AdvertisingAnemailyou'llactuallyloveGetintoarelationshipwithournewsletter.Discoverthebestofthecity,first.EnteremailaddressDéjàvu!Wealreadyhavethisemail.Tryanother?ByenteringyouremailaddressyouagreetoourTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicyandconsenttoreceiveemailsfromTimeOutaboutnews,events,offersandpartnerpromotions.🙌Awesome,you'resubscribed!Thanksforsubscribing!Lookoutforyourfirstnewsletterinyourinboxsoon!CloseTimeOutFollowusfacebooktwitteryoutubeinstagramAboutusPressofficeInvestorrelationsOurawardsWorkforTimeOutEditorialguidelinesPrivacynoticeDonotsellmyinformationCookiepolicyAccessibilitystatementTermsofuseManagecookiesContactusSignuptonewsletterGetListedAdvertisingTimeOutMarketTimeOutproductsTimeOutWorldwideTimeOutmagazinePrinteditionDigitaleditionSiteMap©2022TimeOutEnglandLimitedandaffiliatedcompaniesownedbyTimeOutGroupPlc.Allrightsreserved.TimeOutisaregisteredtrademarkofTimeOutDigitalLimited.