Sam Tung Uk Museum

We made our way to Taipo in the morning, where we found a small preserved area of traditional architecture similar to Beijing's Si He Yuan. It was quite a stark comparison to the high rise buildings and shopping malls sprouting up everywhere nearby. These old compounds normally house a huge extended family, all living in houses within the grid like pattern. There must be at least 15 rooms, with each probably housing a nuclear family of 4 to 5. It tells us a lot of how the tightly-knit the community were then. They had to - they depended on the support of one another for just survival.

It draws new light to the situation in Singapore. Increasingly, interhuman relations have weakened - many people don't even konw their neighbours, although they might live right next door. Greetings and conversations in lifts are now rare events as well. People just seem content at looking at the display digit jump till their levels. Such indifference and coldness among the people is a societal phenomena probably brought about by the issues likHe the lack of necessity, the fear of lurking salesmen and the hectic lifestyles people want nowadays.

Is this culture of forming close ties with people around you still relevant? if we have to force it to others, would it still be considered a culture? Should and would a culture stand without any obvious practical use?