Maps of Singapore
by Kenneth Lyen
MAPS OF OLD SINGAPORE
I have been fascinated by maps for many years, and I have always wondered how they were drawn, and how accurate were they. Sailors, airplane pilots, and land explorers relied on maps to guide them to their destinations. I will try to show how the maps of Singapore's outline has changed over the years largely due to land reclamation, and how some of the land has been converted into reservoirs. Since 1965, the total land area of Singapore has increased by 25%. See references below for details.
THE PORTUGUESE
The Portuguese were the first European country to arrive in Southeast Asia, and in 1511 they occupied Malacca and remained there until 1641. They also colonized Macao from 1547 until 1999. They drew their own maps for their ships to use.
MANUEL GODHINO de EREDIA ((1563-1623)
Manuel Godhino de Eredia was a Malay-Portuguese cartographer and in 1604 he drew a map of Singapore as shown above. This is the oldest surviving Portuguese map of Singapore.
THE DUTCH
The Dutch came to Southeast Asia later than the Portuguese, arriving in the late 16th Century. Their main interest was in Java, Aceh, Lombok, Bali and Borneo. Their oldest surviving map was drawn by Abraham Ortelius (1570). See below.
ABRAHAM ORTELIUS (1527-1598)
The above is one of the earliest surviving map of Singapore (Cincapura) drawn by the the Dutch (Netherlands) cartographer Abraham Ortelius in 1570. Singapore is shown as a cluster of several islands.
Most of the surviving maps of Southeast Asia of the 16th to 17th century are drawn by the Dutch, as shown above. Below is the 18th Century Visscher Map of Southeast Asia used by the Dutch East India Company.
EAST INDIA COMPANIES
The Dutch East India Compay used an 18th Century map by Visscher. The British East India Company had their own map, and the one shown above was drawn in 1810, and it is speculated that this might be the map used by Sir Stamford Raffles when he came to Singapore in 1819. I suspect there must be a more detailed map for sailing navigators.
GERMAN MAPS (1888, 1898, and 1914)
German cartographers drew maps of Singapore which more closely resemble modern-day maps. The map of 1898 was drawn by the German John Von Cuylenburg, and was part of his mapping of the Malayan peninsula and Singapore. I am impressed by the details and accuracy of these maps.
JAPANESE MAP 1940s
When Japan occupied Singapore during the Second World War, they had a map of Singapore (see above).
Above are two maps of Singapore, one showing the major expressways, and the other the Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) of the 2020s. Our maps are inspired by the London Underground maps, where the MRT railway lines are straightened out. Below are the roads shown in white against a black background.
COLOUR AND MAPS
Artists have used colours to portray Singapore creatively.
They have also divided the different areas of Singapore very colorfully!
THE MINIMALISTS
At the other end of the spectrum are the minimalists, who simpiify maps using the minimum of colours and repeating patterns.
PATRIOTISM
Maps have been used in conjunction of the Singapore flag to promote nationalism and patriotism.
TOURISM
Singapore also wants to sell itself and attract tourists, which contribute significantly to our income. Travel agencies and the Singapoe Tourism Board also use the map for this purpose.
LINE DRAWING ARTISTS
What impresses me most are the detailed line-drawing artists who spend a considerable amount of time accurately portraying Singapore landscape and housing. The works of three outstanding contemporary artists are displayed below:
DING LI (b. 1979)
The plant and animal wild life of Singapore is drawn by Ding Li, an artist from China and is a versatile artist, sculptor, and photographer.
STEPHEN WILTSHIRE (b. 1974)
Stephen Wiltshire is an autistic British artist of Caribbean parentage. He came to Singapore in 2014, and after just one helicopter ride, he could draw from memory the panorama of Singapore seafront skyline in remarkable detail. Everyday for one week, I would go to the Paragon Shopping Centre to watch him draw. He would never erase anything or make any corrections, and he just kept on drawing.
LEE XIN LI (b. 1988)
Singapore artist Lee Xin Li has established himself as an outstanding artist specialising in documenting the urban and cultural heritage of Singapore. He is meticulusly and accurately detailed in his works. The above picture is titled "Peta Singapura II", and was completed in 2016. Xin Li has also written the graphic novel "Sayang Singapura" (2015).
CONCLUSIONS
Map making has advanced considerably over the past decades. Nowadays one can employ space satellites to map out the extent of deforestations, detect forest fires, flooding and other disasters. It is a great source of creativity. And perhaps by showing us the changes in our environment, maps might spur all of us to recognise the effects of climate change, and to take appropriate actions to prevent future catastrophes.
Written by Kenneth Lyen
Christmas Day 25 December 2021
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REFERENCES
Singapore through the years: A digital cartographic record.
https://fass.nus.edu.sg/news/2021/05/03/singapore-through-the-years/
Belmont Lay. Google Earth timelapse shows how much S'pore has evolved from 1984 to 2016.
Land reclamation in Singapore.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_reclamation_in_Singapore
List of islands of Singapore.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_islands_of_Singapore
List of dams and reservoirs in Singapore.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dams_and_reservoirs_in_Singapore
Jaclynn Seah. Singapore: The Country That Never Stops Growing.
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/singapore/articles/singapore-the-country-that-never-stops-growing/
Lee Xin Li: This Artist is Capturing Scenes of Singapore in his Detailed Illustrations - Before They are Gone
https://www.tatlerasia.com/culture/arts/singapore-artist-lee-xin-li-landscape-illustrations
