The museums of Singapore

Back to the quays for the ACM

Today I went to the Asian Civilization Museum (ACM) which is located at one of the quays. Upon entering the museum I saw that there was an option for buying a combined ticket to the Peranakan Museum. Never heard of that one, so what does one? Yes, Lonely Planet! Well the museum looks interesting, so why not. So ready to buy tickets, the question was dropped whether I am a student. Yes, I am, but not a full time student as was needed to get a discount. I clearly stated that I was not a full time student but nevertheless she requested to see my student card. OK, why not. Next thing that happened was that my money was returned and that I had to write my name on some paper to visit the museum on complimentary base. According to the lady at the counter I could visit all the museums indicated on the paper, which she had given me in the meantime.
The ACM is about all the different civilizations of Asia (as the name suspects). The museum displays artifacts of the different religions and ethnic groups. What was quite nice, are the interactive displays with one person which was related to the specific showcase of gallery. These persons will give some more depth on the items showed and it is also nice to see a face by certain kind of ethnic groups as names of groups do not say that much.

A big bronze drum

Buddha

Jewelery

Me, reading something interesting

Archway

Indonesian artifact

Chinese book

As extra an exhibition of the art of Congo was on display in the museum. Do not know whether I can add Congo to the continent of Asia from now on forth, but the display was quite nice. :P
Also some real Picasso's, which was clearly inspired by the Congo art, were on display.

Armenian Church

About an hour later I left the museum and thought, why not try to walk to the other museums. If it is really that far, I will get a train somewhere else, but I will see another part of the city. So off I went, in the direction I hoped to be the correct one. After a few blocks I already saw that I was on the right track as I saw the Armenian Church which should be on the way to the Peranakan Museum. After about 15 minutes I reached the museum.
At this museum I took the complementary guided tour, as it was only a quarter of hour until it would start. The Peranakan Museum is about, well, the Peranakan culture. These people hold a combination of the Malaysian and Chinese lifestyle and were formed because of Chinese merchants would take a second wife on the island of Singapore. You must place this all before it became an English colony. This culture was "alive" until the Japanese arrived in WWII. After it it never flourished again like it did before. The guided tour, which was very well, took about one hour.

Companion

After the Peranakan Museum I decided first to lunch where after I would go the the National Museum of Singapore. After lunch and walking for about 15 minutes uphill I arrived at the museum, at level 3, where you supposed to enter by level 1. The door used for entering was open and no "no entrance" signs were present, so after descending 2 floors I got myself another complementary ticket, and went up again.
In this museum the history of Singapore from the arrival of the English until somewhat after WWII. With my "companion", a sort of computer which could give audio guidance but also text and video guidance, I entered the museum. You had two options, to explore the history according to historical facts or to explore it by tales of people present. At each resting area you could switch between the two paths. Tired as I was I chose for the historical facts path and sticked to it the whole time. It was rather interesting museum, but when you have walked all day some thing are not that impressive anymore. But I must say that I definitely not want to have missed this museum.

Old architecture combined with new