Celebrating our first UNESCO World Heritage Site

Prof Leo Tan, Chairman of the Garden City Fund

Mr Kenneth Er, CEO of NPARKS

Ladies and gentlemen

1. I am delighted to join you here today at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and also Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site! 

2. We have many reasons to rejoice because this is our first official event at the Gardens since it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site over the weekend. 

3. This is an exhibition that is befitting of the Gardens' new status. We have a high-quality international collection of botanical art from the Kew Gardens. This is from the Sherwood Collection, and it is being featured in our region, in Singapore for the first time.   

4. Also, as part of the exhibition, we also have an orchid display, featuring over 16,000 orchids, including heritage orchids that have played a role in Singapore's history. This is the first time that these orchids are being exhibited outside of the National Orchid Garden, which marks its 20th anniversary this year. 

5. So we are starting our journey, this new chapter of the Gardens as a World Heritage Site on a very high note. I know we are all very proud to have the Gardens as a World Heritage Site. Over the past week, we've seen many Singaporeans sharing their fond memories of the Gardens, and making an effort to visit the Gardens. I think it's a wonderful present for our Golden Jubilee. 

6. I want to acknowledge the many people who have worked hard to make the inscription possible. This was a journey we started more than 5 years ago when we did the feasibility study and many people have walked this journey with us. Many of you, as well as our friends from the heritage and nature groups, and the many government agencies. Thank you all for your contributions and hard work. 

7. But there is a special group of people I would particularly like to highlight. The staff and volunteers at NParks who work here in the Gardens.

8. They are the ones who work tirelessly to keep the Gardens safe and well maintained all through the years; they engage visitors and conduct research – these unsung heroes – the work they do is not always visible to the public, but these unsung heroes are the reasons why the Gardens are intact and well-preserved today.

9. This inscription would not have been possible without your passion and your commitment to this special place which all Singaporeans love. Let's give them a big round of applause!

10. Even as we celebrate the inscription as a World Heritage Site, I think it's also useful to reflect and ask ourselves: What does it really mean for the Gardens to be a World Heritage Site?

11. First and foremost, I think it's a unique chance for Singaporeans to see the Gardens through fresh eyes.

12. When we first decided to nominate the Gardens as a World Heritage Site, some were a bit sceptical. It's not that Singaporeans aren't proud of the Gardens. But the reaction I sometimes got was, it's just a Garden, why should this be a World Heritage Site? And so people don't realise the Botanic Gardens is more than a Garden. Its historical significance isn't very well known.

13. Not many know, for example, that this is the birthplace of plantation rubber. Without the unique harvesting techniques that were developed here at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, modern air travel and daily vehicle transport as we know today it might not exist today.

14. So while the Gardens may not be as ancient as some of the other sites you see on the World Heritage List, it has played its part in turning the tides of human history. 

15. Now that UNESCO has recognised the historical significance of the site and its place in our world heritage, we must ensure that Singaporeans and indeed all visitors also understand why the Gardens deserve to be on the world map. It's an opportunity to educate, to explain and to show to Singaporeans and visitors the historical significance of this place and I know that NParks has many programmes lined up to do this.

16. Secondly, this UNESCO inscription is significant because it represents the highest form of commitment that can be made to protect this site for future generations of Singaporeans and indeed, for all humanity.

17. Already we can be proud of how the site has been carefully preserved throughout the years. The British administration planted many gardens in the tropics. But out of all the gardens they planted in the tropics, the Singapore Botanic Gardens stands out as the best preserved example of its kind. And if you think about where the Gardens are located – right in the heart of the city in prime land – I think you will get some sense of what an achievement this is in Singapore. We truly made a sacrifice, and we did not just convert this into prime land. But we kept it, preserved it through the ages and kept the Gardens as it is.  

18. The UNESCO inscription elevates our commitment even further. As a World Heritage Site, there are expectations to meet; there is a need to be transparent and open with the World Heritage Committee. Sites that risk having their heritage value eroded by development may find themselves on the “danger list” (List of World Heritage in Danger). So we must uphold ourselves to high standards and prove that we are serious about our commitment.

19. This is a major step for heritage conservation in Singapore. It's the first time we've made such a strong international commitment on heritage issues. I think it bodes well for how we are striking that important balance between heritage preservation and development needs as we move into the future.

20. The third and final point about the significance of this UNESCO inscription is that it will be a source of inspiration for generations to come. 

21. No doubt, the breakthroughs that transformed the region through rubber happened many years ago under colonial administration. But among all the botanic gardens that were used for research, the Singapore Botanic Gardens is quite rare in that it has stayed true to its roots, to its mission and purpose. 

22. For example, after the rubber seeds were planted here, the Gardens also pioneered the breeding of orchid hybrids which spurred the development of our flower industry. Later, after we became independent, the Gardens spearheaded the vision of turning Singapore into a Garden City. Till today, the Gardens remains a leading international centre in plant science and research, especially in tropical botany and horticulture. 

23. So we have taken what we inherited, and we have built on it; we have taken it even further. 

24. All of these key points were taken into consideration when the external experts came to evaluate the Gardens, and eventually in the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's decision. And it explains partly why there was such unanimous and whole-hearted endorsement of the Gardens by all 21 members of the Committee. I wish you were there with us in Bonn, Germany, when the World Heritage Committee deliberated over the issue of whether the Gardens should be inscribed. They were going through country by country, all the different bids for World Heritage Sites. And in most cases, from the 21 Member States, a few members will raise their hands to speak up and they would say very short phrases on whether they support or disagree with the bid. But when the Gardens came up for discussion at the World Heritage Committee, all 21 members put up their hands to say something. And they didn't just mention short interventions, they made very personal, sincere, warm-hearted interventions about the Gardens. The sincerity and support was real, was overwhelming. Some people even came to us before the decision was made, after the decision was made, and even more people came to us. The whole delegation was overwhelmed. It shows the high standing that Singapore and the Botanic Gardens has in the international community. 

25. The inscription of the Gardens as a World Heritage Site is really a celebration of our Singapore Botanic Gardens story. A story that has gone on over the last 150 plus years and it's a story that is still being written. So it's our duty and responsibility now to write the next chapters – to keep it a special one, and to conserve the Gardens as a world treasure for all to enjoy.  

26. With so much to celebrate, we really need to have a big party. Today's exhibition kick-starts the SG50 celebrations at the Gardens. This will lead us into the Golden Jubilee Weekend, which will be a double celebration – for our first-ever World Heritage Site here in the Gardens, and also for our nation's 50th birthday.  

27. From 7 to 9 August, there will be a Jubilee Weekend carnival featuring games from the past, crafts and other activities for the whole family.  

28. On the evening of 7 August, we are going to have a concert to re-create the feel of the “Aneka Ragam Ra'ayat” or “People's Variety Show”. These concerts were organised up till the early 1960's by the Ministry of Culture to bring people together and promote understanding among the ethnic groups. And the first edition of the concert was held right here in the Gardens, in 1959. So this will be a symbolic trip back in time, to celebrate the early years which laid the foundation for our strong multiracial and multi-religious community today. 

29. It will be at this very symbolic concert that we will also make history by unveiling the official Singapore Botanic Garden's World Heritage Site inscription. The plaque will be installed at the Garden's Tanglin gate. On the 8 of August, we will continue to have a carnival and a concert. And finally, on National Day itself (9 August), there will be a live broadcast of the National Day Parade.  

30. So there will be a full line-up of festivities happening at the Gardens. Bring your friends, your families and loved ones. Come and see the Gardens with fresh eyes, and discover both old and new reasons to cherish the Singapore Botanic Gardens – our pride and joy and our very own UNESCO World Heritage Site! Thank you very much.