Festivals Celebrated in Hefei, China

Festivals and customs in Hefei are almost the same with traditional Chinese festivals and customs. Spring Festival, Lantern Festival in January 15 on the lunar calendar, Tomb Sweeping Day, Dragon Boast Festival on the 5th day of the fifth month in Chinese lunar calendar, Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15 in the lunar calendar and Double Nine Festival on the ninth day of the ninth of Chinese lunar month will all be celebrated in Hefei.

NEW YEAR 
Temple fairs are an important and traditional part of the Chinese New Yea celebrations. Every year, temple fairs take place across the country, becoming a lively gathering point for locals and an interesting insight in Chinese culture for foreigners. At these temples, there are usually a number of traditional performances and a food street. 

LANTERN FESTIVAL
Around the antern Festival, many communities of Hefei city have organised various activites of apporeaciating lanterns and solving lantern riddles. Over a thousand palace lanterns are hung up in Shuhong New Village of Baohe district, and besides Shangpai Road and Tongcheng Road.On the night of the Lantern Festival, the residents can stroll in the streets, and guess lantern riddles.Those who have solved the riddles can win prizes.

One place to celebrate the Lantern Festival is in Hefei, Happy Island. The lantern Festival is the last day of "Hefei Greeting Spring Festival large-scale Lantern Fair" at Happy Island. There are eight exhibition areas, 80 sets of lanterns of different styles, and 1000 strings of twinkling star lanterns and more than 8000 coloured lanterns. The highlight of the lantern shoow is China's First Coloured Lantern of Giant Dragon which is 318 meters long and 8.5 meters high, made by a lantern expert from Zigong, Sichuan province. It has applied for Guiness World Record. When it is lit up, over 200 000 coloured lanterns on the dragon illuminate at the same time. The scales of the dragon are made of 200 000 waste CDs, and they give out colourful radiance in the light of the coloured lanterns. Besides appreciating lanterns, there are also activities such as tasting delicacies, solving lantern riddles, and receiving red envelopes.  

DUANWU FESTIVAL  
The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese calendar. For thousands of years, the festival has been marked by eating glutinous rice or zongzi and racing dragon boats.


DOUBLE NINTH FESTIVAL
Double Ninth Festival: The 9th day of the 9th lunar month is the traditional Chongyang Festival, or Double Nine Festival. In an ancient and mysterious book Yi Jing, or The Book of Changes, the number "6" was thought to be of Yin character, meaning feminine or negative, while the number "9" was thought to be Yang, meaning masculine or positive. So the number nine in both month and day create the Double Ninth Festival, or Chongyang Festival. Chong in Chinese means "double". Also, as double ninth was pronounced the same as the word to signify "forever", both are "Jiu Jiu", the Chinese ancestors considered it an auspicious day worth celebrating. That was why the ancient Chinese began to celebrate this festival a long time ago. 

The custom of ascending a height to avoid epidemics was passed down from long ago. he height the people will reach is usually a mountain or a tower. Even today, people still swarm to famous or little known mountains on this day. The Chinese will eat the Double Ninth Cake, because the chinese term for "cake", has the same pronunciation with "height" in Chinese. People do so just to hope for progress in everything that they are engaged in. 

The Double Ninth Festival is also a time when chrysanthemum blooms. China boasts diversified species of chrysanthemum and people have loved them since ancient times. So enjoying the flourishing chrysanthemum also becomes a key activity on this festival. Also, people willdrink chrysanthemum wine. Women used to stick such a flower into their hair or hang its branches on windows or doors to avoid evilness. In 1989, the chinese government decided the Double Ninth Festival as Seniors' Day. Since then, all government units, organisations and streets communities will organise an autumn trip each year for those who have retires from their posts. At the waterside or on the mountains, the seniors will find themselves merged into nature. Younger generations will bring elder ones to suburban areas or send gifts to them to this day. 

Fashion of the Chinese

古代

中国服饰艺术不是突出人体美，从中国清朝以前的服装款式来看，遮蔽人体的宽袍大袖是中国传统服饰的主流。即使某些人的形体很美，这种服装也不去展现这个美的形体。

唐朝

唐代国家统一，经济繁荣，形制更加开放，服饰愈益华丽。唐代女装的特点是裙、衫、帔的统一。唐朝女服较之其它朝代，具有强烈的自信心与流行意识，更加追求大气飘逸与华丽绚烂。

 

清朝

清王朝时段推行剃发易服，男子剃发留辫，辫垂脑后，穿瘦削的马蹄袖箭衣、紧袜、深统靴。清代女装发展情况不一。汉族妇女在早期时期还保留明代款式，时兴小袖衣和长裙；乾隆以后，衣服渐肥渐短，袖口日宽，再加云肩，花样翻新无可底止；到晚清时都市妇女已去裙着裤，衣上镶花边、滚牙子，一衣之贵大都花在这上面。满族妇女着“旗装”，梳旗髻，穿“花盆底”旗鞋。

辛亥革命（1911 revolution）结束了2000多年的封建君主专制，中华民族的服饰进入了新时代。

中山装是由孙中山先生创导并率先穿着的，综合了西式服装和中式服装的特点，曾被赋予了革命及立国的含义和“三民主义”（民族、民权，民生）。封闭的衣领显示了严谨治身的理念，穿起来收腰挺胸，舒适自然。中山装夏用白色，其它季节用黑色；外观轮廓端正，线条分明，有庄重的美感。

 旗袍本是满族女子喜爱的服装，20世纪20年代以后，汉族女子也开始穿着，它经历了无数次的变化，终于成为具有独特民族风格的中国女性的主要服装。旗袍的流行，原因有二：一是简洁；二是具有东方神韵。旗袍加上高跟皮鞋的衬托，最能体现出东方女性的优雅俊美。

现在

 

中国的服饰渐渐变得开放，和西方文化渐渐结合，但是在重要场合时，国人的衣着依然带着典型的中国味道。

6⃣Culture of Hefei: Food

The representative of Hefei food is the Anhui cuisine. It is famous for being one of the Eight Cuisines in China (Shandong Cuisine, Guangdong Cuisine, Sichuan Cuisine, Hunan Cuisine, Jiangsu Cuisine, Zhejiang Cuisine, Fujian Cuisine and Anhui Cuisine). Anhui cuisine is famous for its use of wild game and herbs and simple methods of preparation. It composes mainly of local flavors of Huizhou and other areas along the Yangtze River and the Huai River. In the capital city of Anhui province, the Anhui cuisine in Hefei is the most traditional one. The Anhui cuisine in Hefei keeps the original flavor of the Anhui cuisine in the ancient time. Among the dishes on the Ahhui cuisine menu, you will find more braised dishes than fried or quick-fried dishes. People here are inclined to add ham as seasoning and sugar candy to enrich the freshness and are quite accomplished in the art of cooking. 

Traditional dishes include
Braised turtle with ham: The oldest dish using the special 'Mati turtle'. The delightful taste of this dish has inspired poets.

Fuliji Grilled chicken: The cooking technique was derived from Dezhou braised chicken of Shandong Province, with improvement of the technique by the Fuliji chef. The grilled chicken is golden and tempting, and the meat is so well cooked that it falls easily from the bone.

Famous Dishes in Hefei today include
Luzhou Roast Duck: The Luzhou Roast Duck is similar to the Peking Duck, however the golden yellow shininess, crisp skin and tender meat of this Hefei dish differs from the thin, crisp skin and little meat served with scallion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce rolled around with pancakes of the Beijing dish. Moreover, compared to the Peking Duck, the Luzhou Roast Duck has moderate fat and salt, rich taste, and plentiful nutrients. There are many stories about how the Luzhou Roasted Duck came about. One story says that the Luzhou Roast Duck came about in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). The Luzhou Roast Duck was originally cooked by the local families. When became the Emperor during the Ming Dynasty, he introduced the dish to the royal court, and thus it became the imperial dish. Later, when he shifted the capital from Nanjing to Beijing during the 15th century, the art of the roasted duck was brought to Beijing and resulted in it being a popular dish. It became the signature dish of Beijing, which evolved into today's Beijing Peking Duck. Regardless of the different speculations surrounding the dish, when you come to the city, the Luzhou Roast Duck will be the first recommended cuisine by the local tour guide.

Lord Bao Fish: The well-known dish gets its name from the source of the fish. The material--fish is originated from a moat called Lord Bao River. This cuisine is a traditional cold dish which comprises of tender meat and dark reddish crisp skin. It can be found in most restaurants in the city.

Caocao Chicken: Also called 'Xiaoyao Chicken', it was said to have been liked by the Wei Emperor Caocao during the period of Three Kingdoms (220 - 420). The chicken is made with medicinal herbs, thus is good for health. It can be found in most restaurants in the city.

Hongzhang Hodgepodge Cuisine: It is a cuisine said to be an invention of the Li Hongzhang's cook once when Li Hongzhang (a minister of Qing Dynasty who was in charge of foreign affairs) treated some American guests. The cuisine combines lots of flavors and raw materials which includes holothurian (sea cucumber), sleeve-fish, chicken, ham, pig liver and spinach which are all braised with chicken soup, thus causing it to smell fragrant and taste delicious.

In addition, Honggao (baked cake), Mabing (sesame cake), Baiqie (white sesame slices), Cunjin (sesame cookie) are recommended high quality specialties, made with refined, shelled sesames along with choice white sugar, flour and sesame oil, and treated with a special technique. Crisp, sweet, and fragrant are these cookies' characteristics.

Folks of the people living in Hefei,China

BACKGROUND AND BELIEFS OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN HEFEI,CHINA

The people living in Hefei comprises of many who have different religions. They are as such - Christianity, Chinese Buddism , Taoism as well as Muslim. Chinese Buddism and Taoism are the most popular religions followed by Christianity with Muslim for the minorities.

The people in Hefei speak Jianghuai Mandarin which also refers to Lower Yangtze or Xiajing Mandarin. Jianghuai Mandarin is one of the most abundantly dissonant of the Mandarin Dialects as it revolves around the Wu, Hui as well as Gan Chinese languages.

In Hefei, There is 黄梅戏 which origin comes from as a version of ancient folk songs and dances that has been in existence for the last 2 centuries or more. It is one of the most famous opera in China and it was special in a sense that it as the aura that does not sound like the typical Chinese Opera. Today, it is a traditional performance which is a piece of beautifully collaged art in China.

There is also a special type of cuisine in Hefei, called the Anhui cuisine, one of the great traditions of Chinese Cuisine. It is famous due to the fact of its usage of herbs both from the land and the sea.

All In all, the people living to me in Hefei are very interesting, with their dialects, cuisine as well as religions. I am very excited to go to Hefei and experience the joy of their livelihood with my classmates!

Our first impressions of Chinese people

Group work

Would the Merlion make the best national Icon for Singapore?

Merlion combines "mer" meaning the sea and "lion". The fish body represents Singapore's origin as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which means "sea town" in Javanese. The lion head represents Singapore's original name—Singapura—meaning "lion city".

The choice of the Merlion as a symbol for Singapore has its roots in history. The Merlion commemorates the ancient name and the legend taken from the "Malay Annals" explaining how Singapore received its present name.In ancient times, Singapore was known as Temasek, which is Javanese for the sea. It was then as it is today, a centre of trade.

Using the fish in its design alludes to the idea of Singapore as a port city and its dependence on maritime trade, especially in the days of Temasek, as Singapore was historically known prior to the arrival of the British colonisers. The lion is a reference to a tale narrated in theSejarah Melayu (Malay Annals), which describes how a prince from Palembang, Sang Nila Utama, reportedly encountered a lion when he first stepped on the shores of Temasek, leading him to rename the island Singapura (“lion city” in Sanskrit). 

National symbols intend to unite people by creating visual, verbal, or iconic representations of the national people, values, goals, or history.These symbols are often rallied around as part of celebrations of patriotism or aspiring nationalism (such as independence, autonomy or separation movements) and are designed to be inclusive and representative of all the people of the national community.I think the Merlion would make the best national icon for Singapore because it allows Singapore to remember our roots in history and teaches foreigners more about Singapore, especially when it was only a small fishing village in the past. Although it is something that has been dated so far back, I find that it can still unite the people up to this date because it represents the national values. There is so much to know about the Merlion, such as its unique physical features, its special name, and the great story behind the beautiful creature. It has become our marketing icon because of all its specialties and has become a national personification of Singapore, where we can better understand the tales and legends told in the past, as well as to be able to learn more about Singapore and how we got to where we are today. 

Even though the Malay Annals is only a fictional tale, I still think that the Merlion would make the best national icon for Singapore. In fact, I believe that it is easier to be accepted by others if the origin of the Merlion was a legend, because people would not have to be forced into believing something that they find unrealistic. Moreover, it is even more likely that they will be more interested in finding out more about Singapore and the interesting tale behind the origin of the merlion. 

There will definitely be people who share different perceptions of the Merlion. Tourists may find the Merlion an icon of Singapore, because it is something they will see when they come over to our country, and for Singaporeans, most would be proud of the Merlion. While there would definitely be some people who beg to differ, I do not think that they should affect how most people view the Merlion. The negative points of view should not mean that Merlion is not going to be the best national icon for Singapore, because we can never satisfy everyone. 

I believe that it will mean a lot to Singaporeans if the Merlion is indeed the best icon. We will be proud of Singapore because it represents us, and since most tourists visit Singapore's Merlion statue when they come over to our country, it will mean a lot more if it was made the best icon, so that more people would be more aware of this icon and may even attract more people to come to Singapore. 

In conclusion, I feel that the Merlion is the best national icon for Singapore because it can attract a lot more tourists over because it is a wonderful tourist attraction, and will also be the pride for Singaporeans, where they can officially call Merlion a part of their national pride. 

Is the Merlion the best national icon for Singapore?

Indeed, the Merlion is definitely the best national icon for Singapore. Formed by the words 'mer' and 'lion' .The word 'mer' refers to the sea, representing how Singapore was like long ago, a small fishing village surrounded by water. The word 'lion' comes from a legend . This legend is about a prince called Sang Nila Utama who arrived at Temasek on one of his adventures. He saw a majestic creature and asked his advisor what it was . He then told him it was a lion. Thus , he named the island Singapura , meaning Lion City. In my opinion, the Merlion shows how Singapore has changed over the years. From a small fishing village to a metropolis, we eventually proved to others that anything is possible . Even if we are just a small red dot with little resources , as long as we have the determination and put in the substantial hard work , we can still become one of the leading countries in the world. When we see the Merlion, we think of our own roots and the long way that we have came together. We are motivated to do even better thus the Merlion is the best national icon of Singapore.
  Of course, everyone has their own different point of views. Some may prefer Singlish or even the Esplanade to be our national icon. There is no right or wrong in this statement. However, based on my point of view, it reminds us of our long history and the determination and hard work we have put in together. Some assumptions must be made by the man who designed the merlion though. For example, he needs to assume that the citizens and tourists would like the Merlion alot as the Merlion is a very important part of the tourism industry and much revenue can be collected if the Merlion really becomes a famous tourist attraction. Fortunately , the Merlion is popular around the world and we owe our place in the world to it somehow. Looking at how important the Merlion is to us, it definitely deserves to be our national icon .

5⃣Would the Merlion make the best national icon for Singapore?

Yes, I think that the Merlion would make the best national icon for Singapore.

The Merlion is a mythical creature with a lion’s head and a fish’s body. "Merlion" can be seperated into 2 words- "mer" and "lion". 

"Mer" means "sea" in Javanese, which refers to Singapore's roots as the ancient fishing village, which was Temasek. "Lion" refers to a folktale about Prince Sang Nila Utama, who rediscovered Singapore. While searching a suitable place for a new city, he spotted Temasek from afar and decided to visit it. Unfortunately, his ship was caught in a terrible storm on the way. When he finally arrived at Temasek, the first animal he saw was the lion, which he believed to be a good omen- a sign of good fortune coming his way. Thus, he decided to build his new city in Temasek, and renamed it "Singapura" which means "lion(singa) city(pura)" in Malay.

National icons intend to unite people by creating visual, verbal, or iconic representations of the national people, values, goals, or history. The Merlion is the personification of Singapore's history as an important seaport. The original statue was built at the mouth of the Singapore River, which marks where the immigrants first landed. It is unique only to Singapore and is a Singapore icon attracting visitors from all around the world. 

However, there are others who would disagree that the Merlion is the best national icon. They argue that others tourist icons such as Changi Airport, Garden by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands etc are more prominent than the Merlion, and should be the best national icon. While Singapore is famous for many things, I think that they do not truly reflect on what Singapore is. The Merlion represents Singapore's humble origins. It is not only just a monument, it reminds both tourists and Singaporeans of how we started out as a sleepy fishing village to becoming a metropolis.

Is Merlion the best national icon for Singapore?

Yes, I feel that the merlion would make the best national icon for Singapore. The merlions's name is made up of two words- "Mer" and "lion".

"Mer" means sea which is an accurate representation of Singapore as it was a fishing village surrounded by the Sea before the Late Mr Lee Kuan Yew revolutionised it into a metropolitan city. "Lion" was in the name as folklore has it that Sang Nila Utama was going on an expedition in order to explore sites. As he was exploring, he saw and island and sailed towards it. Unfortunately, a storm struck and the ship began to flouder in the rough waves. Everything was thrown over the ship and only until Sang Nila Utama threw his heavy crown into the sea and the heavy storm instantly stopped. After drifting towards the island, Sang Nila Utama and his men went hunting. They saw a strange animal and before they could identify it, it went away. One of his men suggetsed that it could be a lion. Sang Nila Utama then decided to name the island, Singapura which means Lion City, where singa in sanskirt means "Lion" while pura means "City". Thus, the "lion" in its name.

Even though the merlion is said to represents Singapore's tourism's icon, I still feel that it thourougly represents Singapore's national icon as it reminds every Singaporean of its roots, from a small, simple fishing village to now, a metropolis. Some ideal icons would be the Singapore flyer and esplanade.

Yes, I understand that foreigners or even our own Singaporeans may have that different points of view, such as thinking that the merlion is a mistake, ugly or even just a working symbol, however I personally feel that the Merlion represents Singapore due to its significant meaning in its name and its story behind it.

Is Merlion the best national icon for Singapore?

To me , the Merlion is indead the national icon of Singapore . 

A national icon is something of entity that represents the country . It can show the rich and mysterious history of the country , the goal that it is trying to achieve , and the life of the people in that country. 

The Merlion is a majestic creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish . The name combines "mer" meaning the sea , which represents Singapore's origin as a small fishing village which was called Temasek , while "lion" represents Singapore as the busy and prosperous city now .

The choice of the Merlion as a national icon for Singapore has its roots in history . The Merlion commemorates the legend taken from the "Malay Annals" explaining how Singapore received its present name . It describes how a prince from Palembang , Sang Nila Utama , reportedly encountered the majestic lion , which leads to him deciding to settle  here when he first stepped on the shore of Temasek , and to rename the island Singapura , which means " lion city ". This is the reason for its lion head , which now also reminds us that Singapore is a vary powerful country and well-respected in the world , just like how the lion is the king of the jungle.

Having the fish as the body of merlion also highlighted the fact that not only is Singapore a small fishing village from the past , but also a port city which was known for its maritime trade , which was a big factor in making singapore one of the richest country now .

Even though the story of Sang Nila Utama was just a fiction tale , it was still very impactful and a lot of people believe that the merlion will foretell the future of Singapore . This is showed when the Merlion in the Merlion Park was strucked by lightning in 28 February 2009 . Some people were worried that it was the Omen of bad times ahead for Singapore, that singapore was going to face a more difficult time . This means that people in Singapore really put trust in the Merlion , and not only treat it as any other statue . Hence I think Merlion is truely the national icon for Singaporeans .

Another significance of the Merlin is that we love it so much that as of February 2013, all new $1 coins feature the mythical creature !

I think another reason for the Merlion to be the best national icon for Singapore is because it teaches foreigners more about Singapore and its origin . The US-based and internationally respected Internet outfit, Trip Advisor website , has made many comments on the Merlion over the years . 421 reviewers commented on the Singapore merlion, 93 rated it excellent, 205 very good, 89 average, 25 poor and the remaining 9 terrible. Based on this, we can conclude that the Singapore merlion has been accorded a favourable world-wide endorsement by a diverse group of generally well travelled and worldly visitors . It has become our marketing icon because of all its specialties and has become a national personification of Singapore, where both the foreigners and us can better understand and learn more about Singapore and how we got to where we are today. 

Everyone will have different views on the Merlion .Tourists may find the Merlion just as an icon of Singapore as they see it when they come over to our country , but for us Singaporeans, we are proad of the Merlion . This is because the Merlion will always reminds us the hardwork our pioneers had put in to develope Singapore from the small fishing village to the successful country we have now . The Merlion encourages us to strive on to make Singapore a better place for us to live in . 

Thus I think that the Merlion is the national icon for Singapore as it make Singaporeans proud of our country and understand the country better

Singapore - A Golden Age

Mr Lee Kuan Yew was great man. As a visionary and a wise leader, he changed Singapore from a small fishing village to a modern city. However, this did not come easily . He and his team worked tirelessly and eventually proved to others that a small red dot in the world can survive and even surpass others one day .In times of adversity, he showed true determination and perseverance . He never stopped worrying about us. There won't be another man like him .

  He wept for the nation and now, the nation weeps for him . On 23 March 2015 , in the wee hours of the morning, our founding father passed away . We are all saddened beyond words for the loss of our leader . During the week of mourning , people from all walks of life came together to pay their last respects to Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Although i do not know him well and neither have i witnessed the the changes he made in Singapore before, i can certainly feel the respect and love from the citizens towards him . Queues up to 9 hours can't stop them . The tyrannical weather can't stop them. Why do they do this? Its simply because they just want to get to see a last glimpse of his face and thank him for all that he had done.

  Although Mr Lee is gone, there are still many signs of him around us. Mr Lee realized that every country needed its own defence and started NS . He knew that we could not depend on Malaysia for water forever and started NEWater. He understood that to make everyone feel like they have a part in Singapore ,he made sure everyone had a house. He also improved the public transport, made Singapore a clean and green city and implemented CPF savings for every household. 

  In my opinion, Singapore is at her own golden age right now. Our economy is booming, we don't need to worry about our next meal and we live in such a safe environment. What more do we need to ask for? We must be grateful to Mr Lee Kuan Yew for what he has done for Singapore , carry on his legacy for many generations to come and bring Singapore to greater heights .

Singapore's Golden Age

Many years ago, the Tang Dynasty had its Golden Age, and behind its success is of course, the influence of a great leader. Today, I believe that Singapore has reached its "Golden Age" in its 50 years under the great influence of our leader,our nations's founding father the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away peacefully on the 23 of March 2015 at 3.18am. During the 1 week of acknowledgement to Mr Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore, I started to learn more and more of what Mr Lee Kuan Yew has done to our country. He brought Singapore from a small fishing village to a big metropolis. Even after the merger failed with Malaysia, he still did not give up on Singapore who had no resources then and thought of new ways to help Singapore. He sacrificed his time, family and personal time for Singapore. Even though many sacrifices had to be made, it was all for the sake of Singapore. Even after many years later, when his wife died in 2010 despite being filled with grief and sadness, after seeing litter along the Benjamin Sheares bridge, he told his secretary to remind the cleaning services to clear it up- Mr Lee Kuan Yew still thought of the well being of Singapore. This event moved me and made me respect Mr Lee Kuan Yew even  more.

Now, during the 1 week of mourning for Mr Lee Kuan Yew, many people from the young to the old were seen queueing up towards the parliament house. Even though they queued up under the hot and blistering sun for more than 8 hours, they still persisted. There were even volunteers who gave food and water to those who queued up and their act of unity and kindness made me very proud to be a Singaporean. Besides, queuing up under the hot sun for many hours to pay respects to our late Mr Lee Kuan Yew is nothing compared to the contributions and time he had spent for the sake of Singapore.

Without Mr Lee Kuan Yew, there would be no houses, no education, no clean and bustling green city but only a fishing village. I personally feel that, even after Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away, we, as the future generations of Singapore, we will carry on his legacy and ensure that his legacy will be passed down to future generations. Singapore is  currently at its prime and we should make Singapore progress further more in the years to come.

Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

The Tang dynasty was largely a period of progress and stability. It was in the Tang dynasty that people set out to solve internal problems within the government which had constantly plagued past dynasties. This reminded me of what Mr Lee Kuan Yew had done. Like many countries, Singapore had problems with corruption. Mr Lee introduced legislation giving the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) greater power to conduct arrest, search, call up witnesses, and investigate bank accounts and income-tax returns of suspected persons and their families. Mr Lee believed that ministers would be well-paid in order to maintain a clean and honest government. In 1994, he proposed to link the salaries of ministers, judges and top civil servants to the salaries of top professionals in the private sector, arguing that this would help recruit and retain talent to serve in the public sector. 

Singapore can be seen to be its own "Golden Age", because some of its reforms are so similar to the Tang dynasty. I believe that like the Tang dynasty, Singapore is truly one of the leading countries after its period of progress and stability. Singaporeans really owe it to Mr Lee to be able to come to where we are today. Without Mr Lee, our small country would definitely remain as pathetic as its own size, but because of him, we are able to live comfortably, without ever having to fear about riots and corruption. Mr Lee was always alert and he was capable about enforcing strict laws that would ensure the safety and security of his own fellow Singaporeans. He always thought of us, and never stopped thinking about ways to improve Singapore. 

One of Mr Lee's abiding beliefs was in the efficacy of corporal punishment in the form of caning. Thee PAP government extended its use to an ever-expanding range of crimes.Those routinely ordered by the courts to be caned now include drug addicts and illegal immigrants.  

Similar to the Tang dynasty, where soldiers were recruited and replaced every three years or longer, Mr Lee requested help from other countries for advice, training and facilities, and in 1967, Mr Lee introduced conscription whereby all able-bodies males Singaporeans age 18 and above are required to serve National Service. 

To me, Mr Lee had a very different mindset compared to most of us. Sometimes, we may not be able to understand his actions, but in the long run, we can see his efforts pay off. Mr Lee was always thinking about the future, never getting too absorbed in the past, but still enjoying the present. He always had long term plans, trying to change the country for a better Singapore. Singapore is truly at its golden age, where we are one of the leading countries in the world. 

4⃣Remembering LKY

The Tang Dynasty was the most prosperous era for China, the "Golden Age of China". Different aspects of China(Art and Culture, Business and Economy, Education, Governance, Science and Technology) flourished during that period. Without him, Singapore would not be where it is now, the "Golden Age of Singapore".

The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew is recognized as the founding father of independent Singapore, leading the country to progress from the "third world to the first world in a single generation". He devoted his entire adult life to Singapore. He served over 3 decades as Singapore's Prime Minister. He had many visions for Singapore and cared for the well-being of Singaporeans, which inspired various development policies, from homeownership and urban planning to the greening of Singapore. 

Mr Lee Kuan Yew brought us from a tiny fishing village to a modern city. Because of him, Singapore is a prosperous country. Singapore's economy is ranked 4th in the ASEAN countries and holds good relations with other countries. Singapore has a strong culture, the government has a "no-corruption policy", and Singaporeans uses technology for daily needs. We live comfortably, knowing that we have a roof over our heads, can get a proper education, have a steady supply of clean drinking water and can co-exist harmoniously with other races. Without him, Singapore would not be where it is now, the "Golden Age of Singapore".

However, we have to remember his legacy, what he has sacrificed for us, to honour his memory. We have to make sure his entire life was not spent in vain, and continue his life's work to push Singapore to greater heights.

Golden Age of Singapore

Just like the Tang Dynasty , behind every successful country is a great leader . This truly explains the relationship between Mr Lee Kuan Yew and the Singapore we have now .

Mr Lee Kuan Yew was the founding father of Singapore , who lead the country through all the hardships , overcome all the difficulties and make what Singapore is today . He was a person who is respected by everyone including the world leaders , and the love he received from all his citizens was truly showed when people came together to pay their last respect to him . Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away on 23 March 2015 peaceful . He was 91 .

During the short week of mourning , both Singaporeans and even foreigners queued up at the Parliament House to pay respect . People had to queue for long hours thoughout day and night , but everybody waited patiently as we belived that this was the last chance to thank Mr Lee for what he have done for us . I belive that all of this happened due to the great impact of what Mr Lee contributed to the country . Without him , Singapore will remain as a small fishing village from fifty years ago .

Mr Lee Kuan Yew , who was the former prime minister of singapore , dedicated his whole life to build Singapore from a third-world to a first-world country . Singapore was just a little red dot on the world map with no resources . But because of Mr Lee , people from different races and religions coexist peacefully in Singapore . Because of Mr Lee , everyone of us in Singapore have a roof on top of our head . Because of Singapore , we have sufficient clean water running in our taps . Because of Mr Lee , students in Singapore receive very high standard of education . Because of Mr Lee , our country is called the garden city .

To me , Singapore is at its " golden age " now , being one of the leading countries in the world . Our standard of living is very high compared to most of the countries , and the society is organised and safe . Singapore is also well respected by many other huge countries because of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's hardwork . As mentioned in Mr Obama's tribute to the late Mr Lee , he was the " giant of history " . Singapore had made a really great progress in all aspects during the last fifty years after our independence . We citizens do not need to worry about riots caused by racism as racial harmony is ensured in Singapore , with everyone with different skin colours living peacefully together . The blue sky and white clouds in Singapore is also a rare sight in other countries , as Singapore is famous for being a green and clean city with Mr Lee himself planting a tree for Singapore . With HDB flats all over Singapore , poverty is greatly reduced with everyone having a cosy house to live in , and different ways to increase water supply ensured enough clean drinking water for everyone .

 However , as the future generation of Singapore , we have to understand that if there is no one to keep the legacy that Mr Lee left alive , Singapore will no longer be at its “ golden age ” . We need to take up the responsibility in our own hands and continue to develope Singapore and push it to a even higher point . The only way to not dissappoint Mr Lee Kuan Yew is to live Singapore to the better .