BCSG 2017 Confirmed!
Not too long ago, I posted about tentative plans for the first BCSG. Since then, the BCSG organisers have announced that BCSG 2017 will be held on 18 November 2017 at the YWCA Fort Canning Lodge (6 Fort Canning Road, Singapore 179494; Google Maps). Other necessary details can be found on the BCSG 2017 webpage.
I think Fort Canning Lodge is a nice location for 2 main reasons. First, it is central and relatively accessible, being located in Singapore's downtown core.
Second, it is close to several places of interest where BCSG attendees can visit as tourists and/or to photograph their Blythes. Most of these spots are scenic and have a significant place in Singapore's heritage and history.
The first spot that comes to mind is Fort Canning Park. The Park is not only an expansive green space in Singapore's downtown area, but also a piece of her ancient history. I don't mean her colonial history, but her pre-colonial history. Within the Park is the Keramat Iskandar Shah, a sacred place dedicated to Iskandar Shah, the last ruler of the Kingdom of Singapura, a 14th century Malay kingdom that existed during 1299-1398.
In addition, various finds from the Park's archaeological excavation site have been dated back to the 14th century. Some to the Kingdom of Singapura, and some to Yuan dynasty China (1271-1368). These finds have cast question on the general belief that Singapore was a "sleepy backwater fishing village" when the British arrived. (To the British colonialists perhaps. I will leave my comment at that and refrain from posting a critique on British colonialism.)
The Park is also part of our colonial history, and is the location of various colonial sites such as the Gothic Gates, the Fort Wall and Gate, the Coleman cupolas, the Battle Box, the Sally Port, and several tombstones dating back to the 1800s at Fort Canning Green.
Also within the Park are Raffles' House, which was built by Sir Stamford Raffles sometime in 1822 or 1823, and the Spice Garden, a replica of the first experimental botanical garden that was established Sir Stamford Raffles.
Whenever I was in the vicinity, I would hunt for saga seeds. Partly out of nostalgia because the saga seed is also known here as the love bean, and in primary and secondary schools girls or boys sometimes collected them to give them to their school crushes. Sadly, these days I don't get to come by them as often.
Besides Fort Canning Park, Fort Canning Lodge is also within Singapore's Civic District where most of Singapore's heritage buildings are located. Many of these buildings are churches (some of which continue to hold church services), or colonial administrative buildings that have been converted to commercial or museum spaces.
Most of the churches in the vicinity have been gazetted as national monuments in view of their historical and architectural value.
There is the Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator (or just the Armenian Church), built in 1835 in the neoclassical style, and is Singapore's oldest Christian church. The Armenian Church is a reminder of the first Armenian settlers in Singapore following her establishment as a British trading port in 1819. Among the Armenian settlers in Singapore were the Sarkies family and Agnes Joaquim. The Sarkies brothers established the Raffles Hotel in 1887, and Agnes Joaquim created the Vanda Miss Joaquim (now Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim), the hybrid orchid cultivar that is Singapore's national flower.
Then there is the Saint Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore's largest cathedral and oldest Anglican house of worship. It was named after the patron saint of Scotland as Scottish merchants funded the early construction of the building.
Another heritage church in the area is the St Joseph's Church. The existing church building was built in 1906-1912. The original building was built in the 1850s, and had been funded by the Portuguese Mission. Saint Joseph's Church and Saint Andrew's Cathedral are often referred to as the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Singapore.
Also in the area is the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Singapore's oldest Catholic church. It was consecrated in 1847. The original cathedral is built in the Renaissance style with Doric columns, and was inspired by 2 churches in London: Saint Paul's Church in Covent Garden and Saint Martin-in-the-Fields at Trafalgar Square.
For people into museums, you'll find nearby the Singapore National Museum, the Peranakan Museum, the Philatelic Museum (closed, now the Children's Museum), the Singapore Art Museum, and the National Gallery Singapore. The BCSG travelling Blythe Miss Joaquim visited the National Gallery, a trip that I also separately posted about. Also nearby is the newly opened Istana Heritage Gallery, which showcases state artefacts, artworks and state gifts from foreign dignitaries to Singapore's former and current Presidents and Prime Ministers.
As mentioned, these museums are housed in Singapore's heritage buildings, and provide great backdrops for photographing Blythe dolls, as well as views into Singapore's history. Not far from the Civic District are other areas where both fun and heritage collide, such as the Chinatown, Kampong Gelam, Bugis and Little India. For a long time, Singapore has been known as a clean, almost sterile city. Though this is still somewhat true, do check out the wall art around Kampong Gelam and Yip Yew Chong's wall murals around Chinatown.
Art, architecture, heritage, history, green spaces, and great photo backdrops. And then there is the great food you can find around the Fort Canning area too. Singapore is known as a food paradise, and a favourite pastime of (most) Singaporeans is to eat, discuss and debate food.
On this point, I am ending this post without beginning a discussion on the great food places around the area. Just looking them up and posting about them, at the exclusion of everything else, will take me at least a week!
In any event, I see no point in my contributing to the Singapore food annals, which are faithfully kept and added to by many many many very good Singapore food bloggers.
Second, it is close to several places of interest where BCSG attendees can visit as tourists and/or to photograph their Blythes. Most of these spots are scenic and have a significant place in Singapore's heritage and history.
 |
| Fort Canning Green and Fort Canning Centre (photographed in 2014) |
The first spot that comes to mind is Fort Canning Park. The Park is not only an expansive green space in Singapore's downtown area, but also a piece of her ancient history. I don't mean her colonial history, but her pre-colonial history. Within the Park is the Keramat Iskandar Shah, a sacred place dedicated to Iskandar Shah, the last ruler of the Kingdom of Singapura, a 14th century Malay kingdom that existed during 1299-1398.
In addition, various finds from the Park's archaeological excavation site have been dated back to the 14th century. Some to the Kingdom of Singapura, and some to Yuan dynasty China (1271-1368). These finds have cast question on the general belief that Singapore was a "sleepy backwater fishing village" when the British arrived. (To the British colonialists perhaps. I will leave my comment at that and refrain from posting a critique on British colonialism.)
 |
| First Christian Cemetery, Fort Canning Park (photographed in 2014) |
The Park is also part of our colonial history, and is the location of various colonial sites such as the Gothic Gates, the Fort Wall and Gate, the Coleman cupolas, the Battle Box, the Sally Port, and several tombstones dating back to the 1800s at Fort Canning Green.
Also within the Park are Raffles' House, which was built by Sir Stamford Raffles sometime in 1822 or 1823, and the Spice Garden, a replica of the first experimental botanical garden that was established Sir Stamford Raffles.
 |
| Saga seeds that I found at Fort Canning Park! |
Whenever I was in the vicinity, I would hunt for saga seeds. Partly out of nostalgia because the saga seed is also known here as the love bean, and in primary and secondary schools girls or boys sometimes collected them to give them to their school crushes. Sadly, these days I don't get to come by them as often.
Besides Fort Canning Park, Fort Canning Lodge is also within Singapore's Civic District where most of Singapore's heritage buildings are located. Many of these buildings are churches (some of which continue to hold church services), or colonial administrative buildings that have been converted to commercial or museum spaces.
 |
| One of the transepts of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd |
There is the Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator (or just the Armenian Church), built in 1835 in the neoclassical style, and is Singapore's oldest Christian church. The Armenian Church is a reminder of the first Armenian settlers in Singapore following her establishment as a British trading port in 1819. Among the Armenian settlers in Singapore were the Sarkies family and Agnes Joaquim. The Sarkies brothers established the Raffles Hotel in 1887, and Agnes Joaquim created the Vanda Miss Joaquim (now Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim), the hybrid orchid cultivar that is Singapore's national flower.
Then there is the Saint Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore's largest cathedral and oldest Anglican house of worship. It was named after the patron saint of Scotland as Scottish merchants funded the early construction of the building.
Another heritage church in the area is the St Joseph's Church. The existing church building was built in 1906-1912. The original building was built in the 1850s, and had been funded by the Portuguese Mission. Saint Joseph's Church and Saint Andrew's Cathedral are often referred to as the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Singapore.
Also in the area is the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Singapore's oldest Catholic church. It was consecrated in 1847. The original cathedral is built in the Renaissance style with Doric columns, and was inspired by 2 churches in London: Saint Paul's Church in Covent Garden and Saint Martin-in-the-Fields at Trafalgar Square.
 |
| Miss Joaquim at the National Gallery Singapore. |
For people into museums, you'll find nearby the Singapore National Museum, the Peranakan Museum, the Philatelic Museum (closed, now the Children's Museum), the Singapore Art Museum, and the National Gallery Singapore. The BCSG travelling Blythe Miss Joaquim visited the National Gallery, a trip that I also separately posted about. Also nearby is the newly opened Istana Heritage Gallery, which showcases state artefacts, artworks and state gifts from foreign dignitaries to Singapore's former and current Presidents and Prime Ministers.
As mentioned, these museums are housed in Singapore's heritage buildings, and provide great backdrops for photographing Blythe dolls, as well as views into Singapore's history. Not far from the Civic District are other areas where both fun and heritage collide, such as the Chinatown, Kampong Gelam, Bugis and Little India. For a long time, Singapore has been known as a clean, almost sterile city. Though this is still somewhat true, do check out the wall art around Kampong Gelam and Yip Yew Chong's wall murals around Chinatown.
Art, architecture, heritage, history, green spaces, and great photo backdrops. And then there is the great food you can find around the Fort Canning area too. Singapore is known as a food paradise, and a favourite pastime of (most) Singaporeans is to eat, discuss and debate food.
On this point, I am ending this post without beginning a discussion on the great food places around the area. Just looking them up and posting about them, at the exclusion of everything else, will take me at least a week!
In any event, I see no point in my contributing to the Singapore food annals, which are faithfully kept and added to by many many many very good Singapore food bloggers.
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