Busy street in Calcutta: Raffles visited Calcutta on several occasions to negotiate with the Governor General and other high-ranking officials in the East India Company. It is also a scene like this that was witnessed by Pieter Steffens when he was released from jail at the beginning of Living the Legacy.
Singapore Merlion: This is the ubiquitous symbol of modern Singapore [half lion, half fish]. The fish represents Singapore’s origin as a fishing village, when it was called Temasek, meaning “sea town” in Javanese. The lion head represents the name Singapura – meaning lion city. Legend tells us that the first king used this name when he saw a mythical beast as he approached the shore. He was told it was an Asiatic lion, but lions have never resided on the island.
Singapore Harbour: From the founding of the British settlement in 1819, Singapore became a central port of call in Southeast Asia for sailing vessels of all nationalities In A Strand of Gold, Raffles makes it quite clear that it’s free port status as well as its central location in the region is what attracts junks from China as well as the Indiamen from Europe.
Hokkien Street: This area is one of the early settlements for Hokkiens who, together with Teochews, Cantonese and Hakkas, were the four major dialect groups who migrated to Singapore from southeast China. In A Strand of Gold, most people would have spoken either Cantonese, Malay, or English. By 1825, when Hope Dares to Blossom is set, many other dialects would have been heard amongst the growing population.
Singapore Town Plan: This map, was drawn up by Lieutenant Philip Jackson, the Chief Engineer, on Raffles’ instructions. It received the approval of the Town Committee, which Raffles set up on his return to Singapore in 1822. It features in A Stand of Gold, when Raffles is presenting his ideas about land use – draining the swamps and reallocating key sites – to both European and local merchants.
Dense Forest in China: The mountainous coastal region of south-eastern China was covered in sub-tropical evergreen forest during the period in which Hope Dares to Blossom is set. Edmund is determined to collect only the plants that are prolific and to take them for scientific research. However, because an interest in natural history had become popular in 19th century Europe, there were many people who were not so conscientious and would go to great lengths to obtain rare species which could be sold at an enormous profit.
A traditional house in the Malay kampong: It is perfectly adapted to the tropical climate, being raised on stilts with low walls, many windows, open interior spaces, and a high sloping roof with large overhanging eaves. All these features encourage air circulation and keep out the rain. This scene resembles the houses lived in by Victor and Pieter Steffens [alias Stefan] in Living the Legacy.
Traditional Chinese gardens: For the past 3,000 years, everyone in China, from emperors and government officials to scholars and poets, have built their own garden. They are designed so the whole garden is not visible at one, but is made up of small scenes so that as you wander through the garden, you come upon several intimate settings to view. In Hope Dares to Blossom, Edmund and Dick visit the Qinghui Gardens in Shunde.
Vessels anchored near Whampoa in Pearl River: Only the smaller ships could negotiate the shallow waters close to Guangzhou. The Indiamen needed to anchor at Whampoa, where they took on both cargo and passengers. Chin Ming can board The Golden Phoenix at the quay in A Strand of Gold, but Edmund must ferry his plant collection out to The Repulse, in Hope Dares to Blossom.
Raffles House: Sir Stamford Raffles built the first official government house in 1822 nearby this present-day representation. The original house was large, but flimsy, made from wood and thatch. In A Strand of Gold, we discover he chose the site because it was cooler at the top of Bukit Larangan than down on the plain, where other Europeans lived. In Living the Legacy, a revamped version had become Government House. It is where Dick visits Kenneth Murchison [the Resident Councillor based in Penang] to report his concerns regarding illegal practices in the Settlement.
Flower Pagoda: Also known as the Six Banyan Trees Pagoda was first constructed in 1047. It stands at a height of 54 m and consists of 17 storeys, the roof layers curving like dark red petals. The temple is mentioned in A Strand of Gold, when Captain Lim is describing the view from the ship to Wing Yee, just before they leave Guangzhou.
Beside the old drawbridge, the town bustles with life : from a drawing by Barthelemy Lauvergne, a French artist who visited Malacca aboard the ship, La Favorite in August 1830. This is the same view seen first by Pieter Steffens [alias Kasim] and later by Edmund Beaumont when they visited Malacca in Living the Legacy.