Watch "Vice & Virtue: 1800s Singapore", featuring our very own Dr John van Wyhe

February 03, 2016

Vice & Virtue: 1800s Singapore

From colonial power struggles to government sanctioned drug cartels and prostitution rings, 19th century Singapore is full of fantastic stories of vice and virtue. Academic and history buff, Dr. Farish Noor takes us on a journey to uncover these forgotten stories.

You can watch the video here.

The Tembusu (Fagraea fragrans) is a large evergreen tree in the family Gentianaceae. It is native to Southeast Asia. Its trunk is dark brown, with deeply fissured bark, looking somewhat like a bittergourd. It grows in an irregular shape from 10 to 25m high. Its leaves are light green and oval in shape. Its yellowish flowers have a distinct fragrance and the fruits of the tree are bitter tasting red berries, which are eaten by birds and fruit bats.