Monsoon Voyages

Tag: Singapore

  • Next Station: Sembawang

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    by

    Zoe Cheang
    in

    For many Singaporeans, Sembawang is just another small town up North of Singapore. But long before it became a quiet residential town with parks and MRT stations, did you know that Sembawang was once home to one of the largest naval docks in the world? As the crown jewel of British naval power in Asia,…

  • Tan Kim Ching and the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company, Singapore

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    by

    Zoe Cheang
    in

    Previously, we have highlighted the strategic role of Singapore as a colonial port, focusing on the developments in the late 19th century (check out our recent blog HERE). Around that period, discussions around opening the Suez Canal further cemented Singapore’s status as a shipping port with great potential, such as reduction in travel time between…

  • The Lifeline of Colonial Trade – Singapore

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    Zoe Cheang
    in

    This week, let us dive into the lifeline of colonial trade, focusing on the Singapore Straits. Serving as a crucial corridor between the East and West, it connected the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea, allowing goods like spices, silk, opium, and textiles to flow between Asia, Europe, and beyond. As a crucial entrepôt…

  • Understanding Data: A Window into History and Climate

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    Zoe Cheang
    in

    Let us go back by a century, and imagine ourselves to be one of the crew onboard a ship sailing vast global seas. Surrounded by the blue ocean and open sky, part of your daily routine would be to jot down weather observations in a logbook – a notebook filled with careful notes about what…

  • Let’s sail into climate past, charting historical rainfall in Southeast Asia

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    Praveen Rao Teleti
    in

    The historical rainfall rescue project, Monsoon Voyages is a new initiative that seeks to digitise and analyse old rainfall records, shedding light on historical weather patterns in Southeast Asia. These records, dating back as far as the 19th century, are a treasure trove of information that can enhance our understanding of climate change, inform water…

  • Maritime Trade in the Strait of Malacca and Sumatra

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    by

    Fiona Williamson
    in

    The Malay Archipelago has historically been a significant region for maritime trade and diasporic settlement. It encompasses a vast area of Southeast Asia, from the Philippines in the northeast, south to the Celebes Islands, Moluccas and New Guinea and west to Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. This project focuses in on the region of the Strait…