Singapore Moves to Reclaim Its History
The government has unveiled a plan to preserve hundreds of historical buildings in some of Singapore’s most popular tourist spots, including Chinatown, Little India and a warren of narrow streets near the 100-year-old Raffles Hotel.
Over the last 20 years, many old buildings have disappeared amid nonstop skyscraper-building, prompting a recent report on tourism to warn of a growing feeling abroad that anything interesting in Singapore had been torn down.
In its preservation plan, the government of this prosperous city-state has earmarked 250 acres of Singapore’s center for improvement and will spend about $200 million renovating public property.
Featured in the improvements will be houses along covered walkways, decorated by plaster motifs, with louvered windows with interiors finished in tropical hardwoods.
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