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An Old New World

An Old New World is an interactive exhibition curated at the National Museum of Singapore, which is under the institution of the National Heritage Board.




This exhibition allows curious visitors to learn and explore the '200 years leading up to the establishment of an entrepôt in Singapore in 1819'.

The exhibitions start with an area dedicated to the maps used and discovered of the 17th to 19th century that show how the East Indies were navigated, surveyed and documented.
There is also an interactive globe, which when you turn the globe to face a certain side, the projector on the wall will change accordingly, allowing you to learn about what topic you picked.


We then set foot to an area where we can learn more about the ships and sails used during back in the days. There is also an interactive ship to let people find out how sailors navigate the seas in the past, the items people brought for their long journeys, and the challenges faced at sea.


Then, trading became one of the most important things that happened during the financial growth of Singapore. The English and Dutch East India Companies were set up in the 1600s to take advantage of trade with the East Indies.


There is also an area where it showcases the herbs and plants and spices used to cure certain illnesses or diseases. They call it the 'Local and Scientific Knowledge' area. People can match the plants to the correct illnesses on the board, based on the description of the plants and what can it do.


The last two parts of the exhibition are the 'New Landscapes and Portraits' and 'Prelude to the Founding', which describes the places and peoples of the East Indies that were often fashioned into landscapes and portraits that reflected the imagination of Europian artists, and what happened to regional and international politics in the years leading up to 1819 respectively.


And that's about it.
Would recommend people who are interested to learn things in a new type of media.
Free admission for Citizens & Permanent Residents.
There are also other programs offered by the exhibition like storytelling sessions, etc. 




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