Itinerary

Start –
1. Opposite Hwa Chong Institution Bus Stop
2. Take buses 170/ 66/ 67 for 14 Stops
3. Arrive at Bus stop number: 40019
4. Next Destination- Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple (15 mins)
a. The temple is the live embodiment of the influence of Hinduism in Singapore. This temple has been dedicated to Goddess Kali who is supposed to be the destroyer of demons. It is said that she had been the slayer of demons and made a garland of their heads and hung it round her neck; a fierce image of Goddess Kali is available at Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple in Singapore.
b. Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple is without doubt a very popular religious spot in Singapore. Thousands of people throng every year to offer their prayers to goddess Kali.
5. Destination 2- Shanghai Toy Museum (30 mins)
a. China’s various national industries began to take shape after the May Fourth movement in the 1919. During that time, the semi-colonized China was constantly subjected to the divisions of the big powers.
b. A group of patriots began manufacturing & developing national products. Amongst them were some toy manufacturers & publishers like Shanghai Commercial Press, China Can Company and The New Art Toy, who took the lead in the development of the toy industry in China.
6. Destination 3- Kampong Kapor Methodist Church (15 mins)
a. Understanding of other cultures
7. Destination 4- Little India Arcade Area (20 mins)
a. Free time to roam around the area and to buy souvenirs to experience the culture
8. Destination 5- Tekka Market (30 mins)
a. Time for athletes to taste local food and learn more about the history of the market
Total Walking Time: 40 mins
Visiting Areas: 110 mins

Expenditure:
• Bus ride: $0.91
• Toy Museum: $5.00
• Food: $8.50
• Souvenir: $5.00
• Spare change: $0.59


Hwa Chong Institution Heritage Tour Itinerary



Places of Interest: Clock Tower, Kah Kee Statue, Heritage Centre, Library, Lee Kong Chian Statue



Duration: 1hr

· Destination 1- Clock Tower (10 mins)

o History about the school campuses and uses for the clock tower in WWII

o History of the clock tower.

· Destination 2- Library (10 mins)

o The CSE program that is offered to the students.

o CSE stands for the Centre for Scholastic Excellence. It is an initiave piloted in 2008 that seeks to provide independent learner students of the upper secondary cohort from the four Consortia with an integrative and effective learning environment to further nurture their talents and passions in the academic areas of their individual choices. This would allow the athletes understand the education of Hwa Chongnians better.

o Allows students to learn with ease as there is a huge pool of resources for the students to tap on.

· Destination 3-Tan Kah Kee Statue/ Lee Kong Chian Statue (10 mins)

o Introduction of the founder of the school

o Contribution of both men to the school’s developpment

· Destination 4- Heritage Centre (15 mins)

o Consolidates information of the school’s history

o Development of the School

§ Eg. Uniform, HCJC and CHS merger

o Advances of the school

§ Eg. Future School, Student Welfare



Total Walking Time: 15 mins

Visiting Time: 45 mins

Little India Video Tour :)

Hwa Chong Institution

The Chinese High School, as it was known then, was founded in 1919 by Mr. Tan Kah Kee. The purpose of its establishment was to offer education to overseas Chinese in South-East Asia who had only primary school education.

Today, The Chinese High School is now known as the Hwa Chong Institution High School section. As with in the past HCI is dedicated to developing leaders in all areas and prides itself with its ability to provide a well-rounded holistic education. It is one of the finest educational institutions in the region and attracts many overseas scholars as well as local students.
Notable Icons



The Clock Tower

The clock tower, completed in 1925 is one of the noticeable features that distinguish Hwa Chong from other schools. Standing at 31 metres tall, it stands out from the other relatively low-rise private housing estates. It also has its mark in history. The clock tower’s strategic location atop a hill gave commanders a good view of the area and was used by the British during the Battle of Singapore. The Japanese also used it during their occupation, as both a lookout point and a concentration camp during the events of the Sook Ching Massacre.

On 19 March 1999, the clock tower was gazetted a national monument to mark the significance of HCI as the first Chinese-medium secondary school to be built in South-East Asia. This was announced two days before the 80th anniversary of the school.







The Library

The school library originally located at where the current art block now stands was completed after the school was shifted to it present location. In the new premises, the Kuo Chuan Library was one of the first facilities to be completed. It was officially opened on the 21st of March 1957, on the school's 38th anniversary. The construction of the building cost $111,000. Its completion was possible due to a generous donation made by Mr. Lee Kong Chian.



In 1984, the library was relocated to Kuo Chuan Art Block. The bust of Datuk Kong Chian was unveiled during the school's 65th anniversary celebration by former president, Mr. Ong Teng Cheong, a distinguished alumnus of the school. In 1997, the library was moved once again to its present location behind the Tower block.

The Heritage Centre

The heritage centre is an interesting location within the school’s campus. It contains much information on the history and heritage of the school and shows how HCI has evolved throughout the years. It houses many of the accolades that the school won in the past. In addition, there are displays of past uniforms and furniture that the school used a certain points in time. Also interesting to note is that the heritage centre houses a piece of calligraphy which was the original motto of the school. From here you can learn much about HCI and see what it was like in the past.



Student Activities and Leadership Training Centre(SALT Centre)

The Ong Teng Cheong Student Activities and Leadership Training Centre was officially opened on 21 March 2007 by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State for Education and Manpower. The Centre is named in honour of distinguished Hwa Chong alumnus and Singapore's first elected President, Mr Ong Teng Cheong, who was both an outstanding leader and a passionate supporter of the Arts.

Under the Hwa Chong Integrated Programme, the Centre serves as a platform to develop students holistically, particularly in areas of the Arts and leadership excellence. Key features of the Centre which support this vision include the Leadership Training Centre, the Performing Arts Centre, the Clubs and Societies Centre and the Student Resource Centre.

The Leadership Centre also houses a multi-purpose hall modeled after the Singapore Parliamentary Chamber, creating the space for students to hone their debating skills and formulate policies directly impacting the student population.

Top 20 Things to Do in Little India

1. Try some of the colourful Indian sweets and desserts at one of the Indian confectioneries
2. Take a peek into one of the few traditional barber shops at Dunlop Street
   
   
3. Saviour traditional roti prata and watch how it is prepared by being thrown into the air by the cook
4. Feast on a spicy curry meal in one of the restaurants in Race Course Road
5. Saviour a South Indian vegetarian meal with your right hand
6. Watch Hindu devotees at prayers inside a Hindu temple
   
   
7. Have your fortune told by a parakeet bird at an Indian fortune-teller stand along the five-foot ways of shophouses
8. Witness Hindu devotees breaking coconuts at the temple entrance, a ritual signifying the breaking of one's ego before entering temple grounds
9. Have your hands painted with traditional henna designs by a henna artist
10. Catch the betelnut seller prepare his betelnut concoction wrapped in betel leaves
    
    
11. Spin the wheel of fortune and have your luck read at Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple
12. Ring one of the bells upon entering a Hindu temple - a gesture asking God to grant your requests
13. Bring home a concoction of exotic spices from a traditional provision shop
14. Take a peek into the last charcoal shop in Little India at No 133 Dunlop Street
    
    
15. Feast your eyes on the array of colourful fabrics inside a sari shop
16. Pay a visit to the sacred tree "dressed" in a yellow sash at the junction of Upper Dickson Road and Clive Street
17. Have a cup of teh-tahrik and watch it being "pulled" in front of you
18. Get a vantage view of the bustling wet market from the 2nd floor of Zhujiao Centre every morning

Catch one of the last spice millers milling aromatic spices in a yellow building in Cuff Road

Little India

Little India is an ethnic enclave found in Singapore that is composed mainly of Indian cultural elements. Little India lies to east of the Singapore River—across from Chinatown, located west of the river—and north of Kampong Glam. Both areas are part of the urban planning area of Rochor.

Little India is distinct from the original Indian settlement, Chulia Kampong, which under the Raffles Plan of Singapore, was originally a division of colonial Singapore where Indian immigrants would reside under the British policy of ethnic segregation. However, as Chulia Kampong became more crowded and competition for land escalated, many ethnic Indians moved into what is now known as Little India. (The Chulia Kampong district no longer exists as a distinct area.)

Although ethnic Indians no longer tend to stay solely segregated in one place as previously arranged under the modern People's Action Party (PAP) policy of racial harmony, for the sake of cultural heritage, many of the ethnically Indian commercial or cottage industry usages are concentrated in Little India, although Indian-dominant commercial zones are also found in HDB estates. This neighbourhood has the patronage of people of all races who wish to eat or buy something specific to Indian culture, such as curry or Indian clothing.

Fruits, spices, garlands and souvenirs

As you walk along the streets of Little India, you will find that many shops sell fruits, spices and garlands at good prices. Many Indians buy garlands for good luck and for decoration. There are also many souvenir shops in Little India where you can buy many souvenirs for your friends and family. One such example is the Little India Arcade

Food

Within Little India lie many restaurants that offer a wide range of delicious food. Though there are some Chinese and Thai restaurants and diners, most of them are Indian and serve Indian cuisine. One of the dishes that Indians are known for is curry and there are a few eateries that offer different variation of curry. Another well known dish is roti prata and almost all of the eateries in Little India sell roti prata. In addition it is not uncommon to find many convenience stores selling various snacks and titbits. Located within the Little India enclave is the more modern shopping centre, The Verge, there you can find various stores selling food other than those found at the eateries throughout Little India. Opposite you can find Tekka food centre which has stores selling various types of foods similar to those found in other hawker centres. Most interesting is that while found within the Little India enclave; its name has hokkien roots and translates roughly as ‘small bamboo clumps’. This shows the diversity of Singaporean culture.

Places of attraction

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is a Hindu temple located in the middle of Little India in the southern part of Singapore.

The Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, fierce embodiment of Shakti and the god Shiva's wife, Parvati. Kali has always been popular in Bengal, the birthplace of the labourers who built this temple in 1881. Images of Kali within the temple show her wearing a garland of skulls and ripping out the insides of her victims, and Kali sharing more peaceful family moments with her sons Ganesha and Murugan.

The building is constructed in the style of South Indian Tamil temples common in Tamil Nadu as opposed to the style of Northeastern Indian Kali temples in Bengal, where Her worship is extremely widespread but the style of temple construction differs considerably.

Museum of Shanghai Toys

The Museum of Shanghai Toys, located along Rowell Road is the first museum of its kind in the world. With his enthusiasm for toys and the way they had held on to their cultural heritage, Mr Marvin Chan founded the museum back in the mid 1990s. As an avid Chinese toy collector, this museum is truly a testament to his lifelong labour of love. By visiting this museum, you will be able to get a feel of what it was like to live in those times. Additionally it may be interesting to learn and discover the exciting stories behind these vintage toys.

Kampong Kapor Methodist Church

Although Little India is Indian dominated, there is the Kampong Kapor Methodist Church along Kampong Kapor road. Founded back in 1894, it offers many different worship services with various languages. This is yet another example of religious diversity of Singapore culture.

IDS Secondary 2

Hwa Chong Institution Heritage Tour and Little India Heritage Tour.
Topics to be covered:
1) Tour Package
2) Web Report/Presentation
3) Gallery

Group Break-down
1)Teo Wen Song - Topographer
2)Daniel Chin - Accountant
3)Soo Guo Sheng - Photographer
4)Ng Zuhao - Researcher