Ideas How port cities like Singapore shaped the world
Mar 17, 2026
Pooja Nansi, poet and teacher in Singapore, reflects on identity and creative life. Imran bin Tajuddin, NUS academic, maps Kampong Glam’s architecture and trade ties. Kenny Ting, museum professional, contextualizes maritime artifacts like the Tang wreck. Kamal Al-Solaylee, journalist and professor, traces Singapore’s port roots and modern evolution. They discuss architecture, trade networks, culinary fusion, migration, and the city’s shift from containers to data ports.
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Personal Ancestral Connection To Singapore
- Kamal Al-Solaylee felt an immediate ancestral connection when he visited Singapore, sensing his Hadrami roots in the cityscape.
- He traces family links from Hadramut to 19th-century Singapore and describes the city as both future-facing and rooted in port history.
Ancient Shipwreck Shows Early Global Trade
- The Tang shipwreck proves Southeast Asia was a long-distance trade hub connecting China and the Middle East over a thousand years ago.
- The wreck's 50,000+ ceramics show Chinese kilns made wares for Arab/Persian tastes, revealing early reciprocal market adaptation.
Aljunid Family Wealth And Loss In Singapore
- Saeed Taha bin Sait Najib Aljunid recounts family wealth from 19th-century trade and property, once owning large parts of Singapore.
- He explains land appropriation and modern redevelopment erased much of the Aljunid family's visible legacy.