Maritime Experiential Museum @RW Sentosa
I liked this place.., first picture pa lang, nagulo na ang buhay ko hahaha! Eto..,
Those are two names, two separate attractions, thus, I hesitated saan ba ako pupunta! So I asked one staff. Ah ganun naman pala.., those are really two attractions, not one-and-the-same, but they're under one roof, where you must enter the museum first, before reaching and getting into the aquarium. Woa!
First is (it is) the Maritime Experiential Museum or the "MEM". This museum was the original purpose for which the building was constructed. It serves to educate and entertain visitors about the 'maritime silk route' connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans via the Straits of Malacca, thus via Singapore too.
In fact, the building's design was inspired by the hull of a boat (best seen from far and above)!
That's not my picture, okay? It's just an architectural perspective done by Michael Graves, the firm that designed this museum - and it's a view (actually of the back of the building) from the sea and high-up.
My picture above is at the entrance (the other end or front) of the building. But even there, you can still see a snippet of that red beam on the roof! Curious lang, will you design a capsized boat? Nakataob?
Interestingly, the museum has many levels, not going up, but down! So nakataob nga yung barko!
Second is the S.E.A Aquarium or South East Asia Aquarium, which, as I said above is under the same roof of the MEM. Entry is way down at a lower floor under MEM, that, I imagine, is already underwater.
I just noticed that this S.E.A. Aquarium is the more hyped-up of the two. I did not even see the name Maritime Experiential Museum posted anywhere, while that of the aquarium is everywhere outside the building and at many street signs and/or directories. Ah well maybe becuase it's the newer of the two.
Anyway, tickets are just outside (on the side) - for both walk-ins and those who bought theirs online..,
My yellow arrow points to the "ticket counter" which is where walk-in guests buy their tickets. My blue arrow points to the "guest services counter" where online purchasers just have to show the email and identification to pick-up their tickets. That said, lines could get really very long at that walk-in counter.
Here are 2 pics of the "Guest Services Counter" (click to enlarge)
I'm putting emphasis on that 'Guest Services Counter' and 'Online Booking', since I saw at a later time (on my way home) that the 'Ticket Counter' (for walk-ins) had a very long zigzagging line in front of it!
Sige.., come let's enter this (oh I mean these) attractions!
The Maritime Experiential Museum (MEM)
Building entrance (after getting tickets). This is entering the museum, not as that cute sign says!
That is (technically) not wrong though.., since the aquarium is inside, down under, and only after you passed by the maritime museum displays (howsoever quickly or extensively) and even some shops!
This is the museum lobby, generally overlooking everything. This life-sized back of a boat says it all!
That video screen at the 'butt' of the boat constantly shows introductory clips about the museum and the history and cultures of the peoples along the old maritime trade route (China to Arabia to Europe).
You see that ledge where people are seated? That's a good area to listen to annotations being said in those video clips - which includes not only places, but even personalities of eons ago! That ledge also overlooks about two floors down. You will see escalators there, mainly used to come up to this lobby.
No tickets are needed at this area. See those people at left? They're lining up to the real entrance!
Here is where you need your tickets. Entrance to the more specific and extensive museum displays.
This (by the way) is an interestingly different kind of museum setup. You walk on an 'alley' where each of the featured places have their demarcated 'blocks' to feature notable things related to the silk route (actually yung 'spice trade' route sa atin), during that time leading to the discovery that earth is round!
Not only see, watch or hear.., but visitors are encouraged to touch, even smell, all of what is displayed - as opposed to your common museum where everything is "don't touch" or "no picture-taking". There are interactive consoles to learn more info, while there are also real items like fruits, pepper or garlic!
First to catch my attention (since this is the first thing featured), the Bao Chuan boat/ship..,
This is that thing that this museum has created a life-sized replica of its rear. (the lobby photo above).
That blue information board says:
Bao Chuan Model.
Bao Chuan means "gem ship" or "treasure ship" - and are said to be the early ships recorded to ply the trade route from China to Europe via the Straits of Malacca. Other places called them "dragon ships".
How did that happen? Will, the backs of these boats did have carvings that look like insignia, and they were the face of a dragon. Oh, on that boat above.., the dragon (atop the giant video screen) rotates (dances) and its eyes glare in fiery red (lights) while the nose spews smoke (hindi apoy don't panic)!
The first city featured is Quanzhou, where it is said these (bao chuan) boats originated from..,
Ang sabi.., noong 13th century daw "hundreds of ships crowded the bay, their masts were like a forest of trees, their holds were filled with goods from many countries". Sabi nila yan, sorry lang, di ko nakita!
Quanzhou, by the way is a city in south-eastern China, nakaharap sa Taiwan. Did you know maraming FilChi ang galing sa Quanzhou ang mga ninuno? This is near Xiamen (taga dun yata si Lucio Tan). Ah yes, Fujian province. If I'm not mistaken, Quanzhou to Xiamen is parang Catbalogan to Tacloban lang.
Next, Qui Nhon Vietnam (the Champa Kingdom). First stop of the bao chuan voyages from Quanzhou.
This is on the eastern coast of Vietnam. Meron din magagandang beaches sa lugar na ito, as this is in the middle from 'Danang'/'Hoi An' to its north and 'Na Trang' to its south. I think in present day writing, they spell that as "Quy Nhon". Ah basta anyway, iisang lugar lang 'yan, and is pronounced as "kwi non".
I looked at the map, aba, this is already about 1,600 kilometers from Quanzhou if you draw a straight line (passing by Paracel Islands)! While Qui Nhon to us, mga 1,000 kilometers lang, Lubang Island na!
Dyan daw sa Qui Nhon umaangkat ng bigas yun mga insik na naglalayag. Sosyal sila, Vietnam Rice!
After their Qui Nhon 'transits', these bao chuan expeditions would purportedly sail down to Singapore. Curiously though, the museum does not tell or portray what these expeditions did in Singapore, which was still part of Malaysia or Malaya whatever in those ancient times! Hmm, ano ito, nakaligtaan nila?
Anyway, the next "tableaux" is Palembang Indonesia, further down south from Singapore..,
This corner features some of the traditions/culture of the Javanese people, especially their dances..,
And the products that sailors go to Palembang for like 'Benzoin Resin' called Kemenyan in Indonesia.
Nanlaki ang mata pati butas ng ilong ko! So doon pala galing ito. It is called "Kamangyan' in Samar (or is it the whole Philippines?), and ito yung frankincense / incense (English) or "insenso" ng mga Pinoy!
Not that I even like the smell of that thing. Nasusulasok at nahahatsing ako sa amoy nyan! I was just happy to learn that this thing (parang shabu hehe), comes from the bark of a tree (dagta). We mostly relate this "smoke" with church ceremonies, esp yung sa misa ng patay, that's why many don't like it!
Another of those products is the 'Betelnut'. Hmm, matagal na pala talaga uso ang 'nganga'!
Teka intermission muna.. I looked down and this is the scene doon sa lower floor ng museum na ito..,
What seems to be a wooden wall at right is actually the 'hull' of the recreated Bao Chuan boat. So it is really big (compare that with those people walking down there). Amazing how ancient people did that!
Early 15th century? Me pako na ba noong panahon na yun? Ah, baka kahoy din ang ginagamit nila. By the way, I read somewhere, that these boats 'produced, used and popularized' by 'Zheng He' were very enormously bigger than that used by Marco Polo, up to 10x daw. Wow a, football field na lumulutang?
Here's another featured boat called the 'Jewel of Muscat', also involved in that maritime silk route.
This is another life-size reconstruction based on archaeological records. It is many times smaller than the Bao Chuan, but big enough to sail the open seas. Malaki na rin compared to how small people are. Note there are people on the lower floor, etong si Jewel of Muscat naka-tungtong on the 2 blue pillars.
Have you heard about the Jewel of Muscat? It's a "dhow", an Arabian boat, described here..,
But if you want to know more information about it, I suggest you try reading up on its story here.
Next on the 'featured destinations' of Zheng He as displayed at this museum is Malacca (Malaysia)..,
Instead of reading histories and immediately looking at their displayed items, nagmuntikan muna ako magnakaw ng bata! Paano kasi, look at that stroller. A baby was in there, awake, not crying, bagkus eh ngumiti pa sa akin. Where were the parents? Yung couple in black shirts sa wall nakaharap ke Sinbad!
I really thought 'itakbo ko kaya ang bebe na 'to'! Cute eh, parang blue-green na parang gray ang mata!
Anyway.., we all know that Malacca (Melaka) was the 'international trade center' of nineteen-kupung-kupung, right? Barter center sya nung unang panahon. But there were products from the place itself.
Like, ayan sa picture, paminta! And nutmeg? Ah di ko alam yan, wala yata sa Pilipinas nyan. Ayan nasa kanan na basket, live yan kahit medyo mabubulok na! Di ko inamoy, eh mukhang me amag na e! But a staff told me "makes you drunk" (nakaka-high daw?), that's why it's banned in some countries. Ganun?
At least I learned something new again! Here's another corner displaying their toys..,
I'm sure many of you are familiar with the first one. Conkak sa kanila Sungka sa atin. Pareho lang!
How about these? Pareho sa atin, di ba? Sepak Takraw or "sipa" and 'trumpo' or spinning-top (peg-top)
English yung spinning top or peg-top. Sa Malay, ang tawag dyan "gasing". In a lot of places in Visayas and Mindanao, even Balabac, ang tawag dyan "kasing". And the string? "Tali" both Tagalog and Malay!
This is also a "gasing", but I think I have not seen this gigantic version in the Philippines!
Ira-ira atara, an iiroyan nama it han mga iroy han kasing! Murumuru manda bawo, pisi nama it it higot!
And then it was a long journey over the Indian Ocean to Galle in southwestern Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
With a naturally protected harbor (bay), Galle became a favorite 'stop' for merchant ships coming from and going to east or west, especially when they had to seek cover (refuge) from bad weather. Trading naturally occurred, which continued until present times, and there remains a good number of different races/nationalities living in the city. It remains a lively bustling trading port, with many tourist spots.
Then the story proceeds to a place named Calicut in India - also dubbed a 'spice city' in the past..,
Napa-ngiti ako. I was thinking 'bakit yung mga usual na daanan nung mga traders of yesteryears lahat me magagandang beaches'! Hmm, maybe in my previous life I probably was one of them! Calicut is in western India sa Kerala bandang baba lang ng Goa, even just about 100km lang to the north of Kochi!
While Calicut and other Indian coastal areas recognize that historically they had been trading with the Chinese and Arabs even before Europeans, the most prominent "foreigner" here was Vasco Da Gama!
Ah, true to the museum's being experiential, there is a table dedicated to Henna Tattoo!
Artists are on-hand to do the tattooing on any part of your body (me bayad syempre. sila pa, di ba?)!
Here's a sample of the 'interaction points' seen at every tableaux. It's really 'modern' yet 'artful'..,
But it's good to remind ourselves, that those ancient merchants did not visit Calicut for the tattoos!
This was a busy trading port, and it is said that its exports exceeded its imports. This city was sought after, mainly because of the spices, yet they also became a popular source for textiles - muslin cloth!
These trading voyages then crossed the Arabian Sea to Oman, the gateway to Arabia, even Persia..,
Teka, natuwa lang ako.., booths or dioramas are not only marked with info boards or banners..,
Talagang pati sa sahig eh merong no less than metal plate identifiers. Sa museum natin, ano meron?
Nice that this tableaux featured the camel, a veritable work-horse (oops work-camel nga naman pala)!
I learned more about camels, like the trade-significance of hairy or non-hairy and 1-hump or 2-humps!
Ah, the products featured in those trades of yesteryears are even still in-demand these days!
Carpets, silver craft, silver-lined or silver-decorated porcelain, dates, many things from the Arab world!
From Arabia, the Bao Chuan voyages goes down to Africa (wala pang Suez Canal during that time).
Malindi ka! Hahaha, the next featured destination in this maritime trade route is Malindi!
This is one of the coastal towns in Kenya, just about a hundred kilometers north of Mombasa..,
A commercial port where agriculture flourished but also the center of slave trade in those days. Nice to learn that the Swahili language and culture was not African but a mixture with Arabic, Bantu, Hindi and Persian. Wow, an international trading port on the east coast of Africa as early as the 9th century!
A known exporter not only of ivory and rhino horns, but also of oranges, coconut and rice. Whoa!
No wonder the Bao Chuan replica has giraffes in one of its load compartments, because it is said that Zheng He was gifted a live giraffe by Malindi's leader. I wonder if it survived on the trip back to China!
Interestingly, Malindi was not only known for drum-making but also for the ebony wood trade.
Leather too (notably panther skin) from many places in East Africa, was heavily traded in Malindi
And so was iron coming from interior kingdoms of Africa, and exported via eastern ports like Malindi.
Wow! This was the most informative section of this Maritime Experiential Museum (for me). Not just plainly informative, it's also very educational. The displays are awareness-raising, thought-provoking, to even downright intriguing - I had to immediately call some people to ask for more information. Da!
Like I learned further that, Malindi was a walled city surrounded by farms and orchards. In Africa? Oh wow! But that rapidly declined to 'negligible' when slave trade and slavery was abolished (much later).
That Vasco Da Gama was also a 'star' in Malindi and all of Kenya, aside from Calicut in India where he died! Hmm, okay sige na, mukhang mas sikat nga sya sa kabayan nyang si Fernando De Magallanes (a.k.a. Ferdinand Magellan) nga gi-tigbas-patay ni Lapu-lapu didto sa Mactan. Da, human ang istorya!
Anyway, as I lingered at the Malindi booth, the 'Typhoon Theatre' already commanded my attention..,
But it was only 11:46AM and the show was already on (wala nang pila o). The next shows were still at 12NN, 12:20PM and 12:40PM, so I said maybe I should go down to the S.E.A. Aquarium first and just come back up here later since the shows are apparently every 20 minutes. Taralet's to the aquarium!
But OMG, this is getting too long. Let's just do the SEA Aquarium in the next entry. Promise!
First is (it is) the Maritime Experiential Museum or the "MEM". This museum was the original purpose for which the building was constructed. It serves to educate and entertain visitors about the 'maritime silk route' connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans via the Straits of Malacca, thus via Singapore too.
In fact, the building's design was inspired by the hull of a boat (best seen from far and above)!
My picture above is at the entrance (the other end or front) of the building. But even there, you can still see a snippet of that red beam on the roof! Curious lang, will you design a capsized boat? Nakataob?
Interestingly, the museum has many levels, not going up, but down! So nakataob nga yung barko!
Second is the S.E.A Aquarium or South East Asia Aquarium, which, as I said above is under the same roof of the MEM. Entry is way down at a lower floor under MEM, that, I imagine, is already underwater.
I just noticed that this S.E.A. Aquarium is the more hyped-up of the two. I did not even see the name Maritime Experiential Museum posted anywhere, while that of the aquarium is everywhere outside the building and at many street signs and/or directories. Ah well maybe becuase it's the newer of the two.
Anyway, tickets are just outside (on the side) - for both walk-ins and those who bought theirs online..,
I'm putting emphasis on that 'Guest Services Counter' and 'Online Booking', since I saw at a later time (on my way home) that the 'Ticket Counter' (for walk-ins) had a very long zigzagging line in front of it!
Sige.., come let's enter this (oh I mean these) attractions!
The Maritime Experiential Museum (MEM)
Building entrance (after getting tickets). This is entering the museum, not as that cute sign says!
This is the museum lobby, generally overlooking everything. This life-sized back of a boat says it all!
You see that ledge where people are seated? That's a good area to listen to annotations being said in those video clips - which includes not only places, but even personalities of eons ago! That ledge also overlooks about two floors down. You will see escalators there, mainly used to come up to this lobby.
No tickets are needed at this area. See those people at left? They're lining up to the real entrance!
Here is where you need your tickets. Entrance to the more specific and extensive museum displays.
This (by the way) is an interestingly different kind of museum setup. You walk on an 'alley' where each of the featured places have their demarcated 'blocks' to feature notable things related to the silk route (actually yung 'spice trade' route sa atin), during that time leading to the discovery that earth is round!
Not only see, watch or hear.., but visitors are encouraged to touch, even smell, all of what is displayed - as opposed to your common museum where everything is "don't touch" or "no picture-taking". There are interactive consoles to learn more info, while there are also real items like fruits, pepper or garlic!
First to catch my attention (since this is the first thing featured), the Bao Chuan boat/ship..,
That blue information board says:
Bao Chuan Model.
The Ming Dynaty's Taizong Shilu, or 'True Records', and Tianfei Scriptures describe the look of Zeng He's bao chuan. The Museum's models are based on these and on scholars' boatbuilding knowledge. The line on this model indicate the portion of the ship re-created in full size in the main space of this Museum. Due to constraints within the building, some elements of the bao chuan recreation had to be adjusted. In particular, the size of the sails had to be scaled back.
Bao Chuan means "gem ship" or "treasure ship" - and are said to be the early ships recorded to ply the trade route from China to Europe via the Straits of Malacca. Other places called them "dragon ships".
How did that happen? Will, the backs of these boats did have carvings that look like insignia, and they were the face of a dragon. Oh, on that boat above.., the dragon (atop the giant video screen) rotates (dances) and its eyes glare in fiery red (lights) while the nose spews smoke (hindi apoy don't panic)!
The first city featured is Quanzhou, where it is said these (bao chuan) boats originated from..,
Quanzhou, by the way is a city in south-eastern China, nakaharap sa Taiwan. Did you know maraming FilChi ang galing sa Quanzhou ang mga ninuno? This is near Xiamen (taga dun yata si Lucio Tan). Ah yes, Fujian province. If I'm not mistaken, Quanzhou to Xiamen is parang Catbalogan to Tacloban lang.
Next, Qui Nhon Vietnam (the Champa Kingdom). First stop of the bao chuan voyages from Quanzhou.
This is on the eastern coast of Vietnam. Meron din magagandang beaches sa lugar na ito, as this is in the middle from 'Danang'/'Hoi An' to its north and 'Na Trang' to its south. I think in present day writing, they spell that as "Quy Nhon". Ah basta anyway, iisang lugar lang 'yan, and is pronounced as "kwi non".
I looked at the map, aba, this is already about 1,600 kilometers from Quanzhou if you draw a straight line (passing by Paracel Islands)! While Qui Nhon to us, mga 1,000 kilometers lang, Lubang Island na!
Dyan daw sa Qui Nhon umaangkat ng bigas yun mga insik na naglalayag. Sosyal sila, Vietnam Rice!
After their Qui Nhon 'transits', these bao chuan expeditions would purportedly sail down to Singapore. Curiously though, the museum does not tell or portray what these expeditions did in Singapore, which was still part of Malaysia or Malaya whatever in those ancient times! Hmm, ano ito, nakaligtaan nila?
Anyway, the next "tableaux" is Palembang Indonesia, further down south from Singapore..,
This corner features some of the traditions/culture of the Javanese people, especially their dances..,
And the products that sailors go to Palembang for like 'Benzoin Resin' called Kemenyan in Indonesia.
Not that I even like the smell of that thing. Nasusulasok at nahahatsing ako sa amoy nyan! I was just happy to learn that this thing (parang shabu hehe), comes from the bark of a tree (dagta). We mostly relate this "smoke" with church ceremonies, esp yung sa misa ng patay, that's why many don't like it!
Another of those products is the 'Betelnut'. Hmm, matagal na pala talaga uso ang 'nganga'!
Teka intermission muna.. I looked down and this is the scene doon sa lower floor ng museum na ito..,
Early 15th century? Me pako na ba noong panahon na yun? Ah, baka kahoy din ang ginagamit nila. By the way, I read somewhere, that these boats 'produced, used and popularized' by 'Zheng He' were very enormously bigger than that used by Marco Polo, up to 10x daw. Wow a, football field na lumulutang?
Here's another featured boat called the 'Jewel of Muscat', also involved in that maritime silk route.
Have you heard about the Jewel of Muscat? It's a "dhow", an Arabian boat, described here..,
Next on the 'featured destinations' of Zheng He as displayed at this museum is Malacca (Malaysia)..,
I really thought 'itakbo ko kaya ang bebe na 'to'! Cute eh, parang blue-green na parang gray ang mata!
Anyway.., we all know that Malacca (Melaka) was the 'international trade center' of nineteen-kupung-kupung, right? Barter center sya nung unang panahon. But there were products from the place itself.
At least I learned something new again! Here's another corner displaying their toys..,
I'm sure many of you are familiar with the first one. Conkak sa kanila Sungka sa atin. Pareho lang!
How about these? Pareho sa atin, di ba? Sepak Takraw or "sipa" and 'trumpo' or spinning-top (peg-top)
This is also a "gasing", but I think I have not seen this gigantic version in the Philippines!
And then it was a long journey over the Indian Ocean to Galle in southwestern Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
Then the story proceeds to a place named Calicut in India - also dubbed a 'spice city' in the past..,
While Calicut and other Indian coastal areas recognize that historically they had been trading with the Chinese and Arabs even before Europeans, the most prominent "foreigner" here was Vasco Da Gama!
Ah, true to the museum's being experiential, there is a table dedicated to Henna Tattoo!
Artists are on-hand to do the tattooing on any part of your body (me bayad syempre. sila pa, di ba?)!
Here's a sample of the 'interaction points' seen at every tableaux. It's really 'modern' yet 'artful'..,
But it's good to remind ourselves, that those ancient merchants did not visit Calicut for the tattoos!
These trading voyages then crossed the Arabian Sea to Oman, the gateway to Arabia, even Persia..,
Teka, natuwa lang ako.., booths or dioramas are not only marked with info boards or banners..,
Nice that this tableaux featured the camel, a veritable work-horse (oops work-camel nga naman pala)!
Ah, the products featured in those trades of yesteryears are even still in-demand these days!
From Arabia, the Bao Chuan voyages goes down to Africa (wala pang Suez Canal during that time).
Malindi ka! Hahaha, the next featured destination in this maritime trade route is Malindi!
This is one of the coastal towns in Kenya, just about a hundred kilometers north of Mombasa..,
A known exporter not only of ivory and rhino horns, but also of oranges, coconut and rice. Whoa!
Interestingly, Malindi was not only known for drum-making but also for the ebony wood trade.
Leather too (notably panther skin) from many places in East Africa, was heavily traded in Malindi
And so was iron coming from interior kingdoms of Africa, and exported via eastern ports like Malindi.
Wow! This was the most informative section of this Maritime Experiential Museum (for me). Not just plainly informative, it's also very educational. The displays are awareness-raising, thought-provoking, to even downright intriguing - I had to immediately call some people to ask for more information. Da!
Like I learned further that, Malindi was a walled city surrounded by farms and orchards. In Africa? Oh wow! But that rapidly declined to 'negligible' when slave trade and slavery was abolished (much later).
That Vasco Da Gama was also a 'star' in Malindi and all of Kenya, aside from Calicut in India where he died! Hmm, okay sige na, mukhang mas sikat nga sya sa kabayan nyang si Fernando De Magallanes (a.k.a. Ferdinand Magellan) nga gi-tigbas-patay ni Lapu-lapu didto sa Mactan. Da, human ang istorya!
Anyway, as I lingered at the Malindi booth, the 'Typhoon Theatre' already commanded my attention..,
But OMG, this is getting too long. Let's just do the SEA Aquarium in the next entry. Promise!
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