Culture

Singapore is a small and relatively modern mixture of an indigenous Malay population with a 3rd-generation Chinese majority, as well as Indian and Arab immigrants and intermarriages. There also exist Eurasian and Peranakan (known also as 'Straits Chinese') communities. Singapore has also achieved a significant degree of cultural diffusion with its unique combination of these ethnic groups, and this has given Singapore a rich mixture of diversity for its young age.

Arts

Since the 1990s, the government has been striving to promote Singapore as a centre for arts and culture, including theatre and music, and to transform the country into a cosmopolitan and diverse community at the 'gateway between the East and West'. The highlight of these efforts was the construction of Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, a centre for performing arts that opened on October 12, 2002.

Architecture

The architecture of Singapore is extremely varied. Due to the lack of available space, few historical buildings remain in the urban areas of Singapore. However, Singapore has become a centre for modern architecture as older buildings are cleared away to make space for newer, larger buildings. Historically, the demand for high-end buildings has been in and around the Central Business District (CBD). After decades of development, the CBD has become an area with many tall office buildings. These buildings comprise the skyline along the coast of Marina Bay and Raffles Place, a famous tourist attraction in Singapore. The three tallest buildings in Singapore, namely Republic Plaza, UOB Plaza One and OUB Centre, are all 280 metres in height.

A few signs of Singapore's colonial past remain in the form of 'Black and White Houses'. These large houses are situated further away from the CBD and were built in the early to mid 19th century. These homes were built to house the British generals and governors when Britain occupied the country. Later, they became home to many Japanese generals after the fall of Singapore during World War II.

Neighbourhoods

Singapore has several ethnic neighbourhoods, including Little India and Chinatown. These were formed under the Raffles Plan to originally segregate the immigrants, but now have a diverse patronage whose main intentions are to either eat or buy something specific to that culture. The policy for the primarily commercial ethnic neighbourhoods stands in contrast to the housing policies of the Housing and Development Board (HDB). HDB policies attempt to promote a mix of all races within each housing district in order to foster social cohesion and national loyalty.

Recreation and Sports

Singaporeans participate in a wide variety of sports and recreational activities. Favourite sports include soccer, swimming, badminton, basketball and table tennis. Most people live in public residential areas that often provide amenities including swimming pools, outdoor basketball courts as well as indoor sport centres that can be used for badminton, table tennis and volleyball.

Living on an island, the people also enjoy many water activities including sailing, kayaking and waterskiing. There are also many avid recreational scuba divers and one of their favourite diving spots is a southern island called Pulau Hantu, known for its rich coral reefs.

The main spectator sport is soccer where there is a semi-professional S.League. Launched in 1996, the league now consists of 10 teams competing with each other in stadiums around the country. In 2006, the Singapore national football team became the three-time winner of the Tiger Cup, a soccer league involving countries from South-East Asia. The team had previously won the trophy in 1998 and 2004.

While not a major sporting power, Singapore's sportspersons have performed relatively well in regional as well as international competitions, especially in table tennis, badminton, bowling, sailing, silat, swimming and water polo. Some athletes, such as Li Jiawei and Ronald Susilo, have become national celebrities.

Places of Worship

Many places of worship were constructed during the colonial era, a practice encouraged by the British to promote religious tolerance. Sri Mariamman Temple, the Masjid Jamae Mosque and the Church of Gregory the Illuminator are among those that were built during the colonial period. Work is now underway to preserve these religious sites as National Monuments of Singapore.