Winning Entry

While exploring for activities in Singapore, now that overseas travel is restricted, I chanced upon this opportunity for a unique experience in nature. It’s a hands-on pottery workshop with Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle.

Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle is the oldest surviving dragon kiln in Singapore, located in a forested area at Lorong Tawas Kiln Village. It is the oldest dragon kiln that is open to the public (no admission fee!) and is fired 2-3 times a year. In the olden days, ceramic pottery was fired in long chambers that are stepped as they ran up a slope. Thow Kwang Pottery also has a wide range of products, all individually handcrafted from scratch.

In June 2020, they received the National Heritage Board’s “The Stewards of Singapore Intangible Cultural Heritage Award”. Definitely a place to visit to learn more of Singapore’s history and pick up a new skill at the same time!

Andy Wong, IMDA

Congratulations, Andy! You win a $100 gift voucher for Room To Imagine, so you stretch your creativity in new areas. Here’s to many more hands-on experiences!

Other Winning Entries

Exploring around the Sembawang Hill area, I chanced upon a very interesting find: a vintage-looking taxi stand. It’s a taxi hut where people would gather and wait for the taxis they have booked. I went to read up about the history, which is very interesting. I am happy to learn about and the history of this taxi stand and how it actually helped to serve the community in that area.

Su Ronghua, MOE (Victoria School)

Recently, I have taken to spending my weekends on historic bus routes. During a conversation with a friend, he mentioned several bus routes that are still mostly retained from the ’70s. I found a website that archived these routes and have been trying to take such bus services around town. Along the way, I almost always have a wonderful view of our old heritage buildings as well. I have a deep appreciation for architecture and history so these bus rides have been immensely enriching for me.

Celeste Beh, MFA

Do you know how many islands there are in Singapore? How many have you travelled to?

Other than the main island of Singapore, I went “over (the) seas” and visited five different islands in the month of August. Among the three islands pictured, one has a nice marina with Sydney vibes (Sentosa), another has sand that’s as fine as what you can find in Bintan (Lazarus Island), and one has a boardwalk along turquoise waters that can only be reminiscent of what you see in Thailand (Pulau Ubin).

Wu Sau Ling, PMO

I have started planning little tours for my friends and family. I would choose an area of interest and get a map of the historical buildings/sites from roots.sg, supplement the information with additional research (e.g., the backgrounds of different architectural styles, like Art Deco and Gothic, to tie it to certain points in history) and organise little walks around these sites.

Most recently, I organised one around the city area, covering the former Hong Wen School, Chijmes and the Abdul Gafoor Mosque. Walking around Tiong Bahru was fun too – who knew there was a well-known bird corner! The common use of the bird motif around Tiong Bahru suddenly made sense. I discovering Hua Bee, where the movie Mee Pok Man was filmed, and where butter kopi is still served. My next stop for exploration: Balestier.

Raqvind Kaur, MSF

Related Stories:

• Rediscover Singapore’s Hidden Gems: Exciting Destinations For The Local Tourist
• Beyond Tiong Bahru’s Hip Cafes
• Behind-The-Scenes of NHB Heritage Trails
• Corners of Heritage