Singapore Part IV

Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: £££££

• This is a small update to my main article on Singapore that you can read here
• Fourth trip to Singapore where I filled in some gaps of things I wanted to see including Asian Civilizations Museum, Spectra Light Show, and watching the Rugby Sevens

Singapore Part IV

If you go all the way back to the very first article I wrote on Singapore from my first trip a decade ago, you'll see that I didn't really like it all that much. 

Yet, here I am, writing about my fourth trip. And the truth is, the city state has grown on me over the years although it still falls a little short on my list of best cities that I have visited.

This article is a small update. If you want a real in-depth look at Singapore, check out my main article after my third visit (you can read it here).

​There are only three things I want to cover here from my most recent 10-day trip to Singapore and those are things I've wanted to do for a while - visit the Asian Civilizations Museum, check out the Rugby 7's, and see the fountain show.

10 days is a long time when you're not rushing around to see places or landmarks, and so I also got a chance to enjoy the city in a more relaxed way, and I'll share my thoughts on that too.

Asian Civilizations Museum

Recently, I read that a small Sikh exhibition is housed in the Asian Civilizations Museum, and to me, that was a good enough reason to want to visit when I returned to Singapore this year.

The museum officially opened in 1997 at Armenian Street but relocated to its current site in 2003, following a major restoration project. It is operated by the National Heritage Board and is part of Singapore’s broader efforts to document and celebrate the multi-ethnic narratives that shape its national identity. If you've read my earlier in-depth articles on Singapore, you'll recall my views on the multi-ethnic nature of the city state.

The museum's collection spans a wide geographical scope, including artefacts from China, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Islamic world. These exhibits are presented thematically across three levels, with a focus on trade, religion, and design – three areas through which Asian civilisations interacted over the centuries.

The Asian Civilisations Museum building itself is beautiful and is called the Empress Place Building which sits along the Singapore River. It's a colonial-era structure that was originally built in the 1860s and formerly housed various government offices but has been refurbished fantastically and look particularly stunning when lit up during the evening.

On the first floor, the museum features a major gallery dedicated to maritime trade, which was a key driver of cultural exchange across Asia. A central highlight is the Tang Shipwreck collection, consisting of over 60,000 artefacts salvaged from an Arab ship that sank in the 9th century near Belitung Island, Indonesia. The wreck, discovered in 1998, contains a vast cargo of Chinese ceramics and gold, providing strong archaeological evidence of early global maritime commerce during the Tang dynasty.

The wreck is laid out in an easy-to-follow manner and has some beautiful artefacts. The thing that stood out most to me was the way that ceramic dishes from the shipwreck were displayed as waves under a model ship. 

The second floor is focused on religion and belief systems. The galleries here explore how faith has shaped art and society across Asia, with displays of Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Christian, and Daoist artefacts. Many of these items reflect both devotional practices and the cultural syncretism that occurred as religions spread along trade routes. Notable pieces include stone sculptures from Gandhara, Islamic calligraphy, and Chinese altarpieces reflecting Confucian and Daoist traditions.

For me, the highlight was a very, very small area dedicated to Sikhi. Compared to the areas on Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism it was tiny and the description of the religion was definitely rooted in a colonial understanding of Sikhi (it's even described as "Sikhism") but it was better than nothing. Within the area was some chakkars of Nihang Singhs, an ornamental decoration for Guru Granth Sahib Ji, a painting of Guru Nanak, and the char aina (four mirror) body armour of Sikhs from the 19th century.

It wasn't a lot, but I am glad there was something.

The top floor houses galleries that examine materials and design. These collections showcase craftsmanship in ceramics, textiles, metalwork and wood carving. Items from the Peranakan community – descendants of Chinese immigrants who settled in the Malay Archipelago – are prominently featured, highlighting the hybrid cultural expressions unique to Southeast Asia. For me, this was the most skippable of the various exhibitions.

Admission is free for Singaporean citizens and permanent residents, but tickets cost 15 Singapore dollars for everyone else which makes it fairly pricey, but I think it's a museum well worth visiting. The Sikh element might not be so large, but it is important that it is included here, especially after the complaints I had about the lack of Sikh representation in the National Singapore Museum that I covered in my previous article (here).

Rugby 7's

Growing up, I really enjoyed watching rugby (the union version of the sport) and while it is an almost completely different sport from the smaller and faster Sevens version, it has always fascinated me.

I had been in Singapore and Hong Kong before when the Sevens tournaments were being hosted in those cities but had never had a chance to watch. This year, I finally managed to fix that.

For those that don't know Rugby Sevens is a variant of rugby union characterised by its high pace, smaller teams, and shorter match durations. Each team consists of seven players, and matches are played over two halves of seven minutes each, unlike the traditional 15-a-side format with 40-minute halves. The Sevens version itself grew out of the UK over a century ago and has since developed into a globally recognised sport. Its fast-paced style, frequent scoring opportunities, and simplified rules have contributed to its popularity among spectators and broadcasters.

Sevens became internationally prominent in the latter half of the 20th century, particularly with the establishment of the Hong Kong Sevens in 1976, a tournament that remains one of the most prestigious in the calendar. In 1999, World Rugby launched the World Sevens Series, a circuit of international tournaments featuring national teams from across the world. The sport made its Olympic debut at the Rio 2016 Games which I loved watching.

The format lends itself well to festival-style tournaments, often held over two or three days in major stadiums, combining multiple games in quick succession and that was exactly what happened in Singapore - I managed to attend the second day which included the knockout games and finals.

Tickets were fairly easy to get, I got fantastic seats for $75 SGD, which, considering how expensive Singapore is, I thought was fairly reasonable. Singapore has a beautiful stadium right in the city centre, and entry was fairly easy. I took my seat near the front and then spent half a day watching some great rugby.

The 2025 event featured 12 men’s and 12 women’s national teams, and although Great Britain did okay, the men's cup was won by Fiji and the women's cup was won by New Zealand. There was a much more relaxed feel to Sevens here than the full version of the game back home - but it was a great day out and something I'd recommend if you get the change - even if you haven't had previous exposure to the sport.

The Fountain Show at Marina Bay Sands

I've visited Marina Bay Sands each time I've arrived. I've been to the top on two separate visits, and been to Gardens by the Bay to see the light show every time. I visited Cloud Forest, Supertree Grove and had a great time - but for some reason, I've never stuck around for the fountain show.

The Spectra Light and Water Show at Marina Bay Sands (as it is fully known) is a free outdoor performance that takes place on the promenade outside The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. It runs every night of the week and blends music, fountain displays, projections, and lighting effects into a short visual story set against the city skyline. 

Spectra runs twice a night from Sunday to Thursday, at 8:00pm and 9:00pm, and three times on Fridays and Saturdays, with shows at 8:00pm, 9:00pm, and 10:00pm. Each performance lasts around 15 minutes. It is held at the Event Plaza, a dedicated viewing area facing Marina Bay, although I could also see it from my hotel room which was pretty cool. 

I got there 15 minutes early and the seating area was already filling up, but there was plenty of standing room so you don't have to trek out too early. The current show follows the history of Singapore, but it's the type of abstract modern art kind of content that doesn't really make much sense to me. That being, it was still fun the see. The visuals are coordinated with lights, water jets, and music, and the skyline forms a dramatic backdrop, with skyscraper reflections in the water.

I'm not saying it's a must-do, but if you're around Gardens by the Bay and you have the time, it's worth checking out. 

Hanging out in Singapore

Having a fair bit of time in Singapore and not having to rush around was a nice experience. I revisited the excellent Bhai Maharaj Singh Memorial and Silat Road Gurdwara and spent a lot more time sitting and meditating there than I did last time. For me, the memorial remains of the most beautiful and peaceful Sikh places I have ever visited, and the small circular darbar hall is designed in a way that brings different people close together in the form of sangat. 

I spent a lot of time walking around different neighbourhoods in the Chinatown area and I spent a little more time going back to the iconic Maxwell Road Hawker Centre. Of course, no trip to Singapore is complete without spending some time in the Gardens by the Bay, but this time I also managed to do longer walks to Fort Canning Park and going past the many places I had visited before like the National Museum of Singapore, Chijmes, Raffles, and the beautiful colonial-era buildings in the area.

The chance to walk with no intended destination allowed me to slow down and see Singapore in a slightly different way - and it's nice for sure, but it's also ridiculously hot and humid and it isn't exactly cheap. That being said, it's city that after four visits has grown on me and I've begun to enjoy the small cafes, the excellent food, the courtesy people show each other, the cleanliness, the great public transportation

Maybe I am just getting older and appreciating different things. Remember, if you want a more in depth look at my trips to Singapore - check out this article here.