As you can see that Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles Statue shows him standing tall with a folded-arm(: It was situated here as people believed that this was the place where he first stepped ashore.

Anyway, let me share with you more about Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. If you were to visit Singapore, this is one of the must-go sites!

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles was a British statesman. He first landed in Singapore on 29 January 1819 and he believed that Singapore was a great place for the British to start a trading settlement.

He started working as a clerk in 1795 in London. He studied, worked hard and was sent to Penang as Assistant-Secretary to the Governor of Penang in 1805. Hence, he mastered Malay there and became a Malay translator to the Government of India.

He became the Governor of Bencoolen too(now Sumatra). As time passed, his career became more glorious.

Have you ever wonder how smart Sir Thomas Raffles was? Can you imagine if you were a friend of his? What is the first question would you want to ask him then?

Do you know
After Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founded Singapore, he divided Singapore into different ethnic functional sub-divisions allowing different races to live together harmoniously.

Can you imagine that, without him how will Singapore be like in the past ? Conflicts will

He also named animals such as the Sun Bear and Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel. Plants named after him also includes Rafflesia, a genus of plants parasitic on palm trees.

Cream-Coloured Giant Squirrel

http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/history/p-raff-squirrel.jpg

However, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles died of a fall at his home, in July 1826 at the age of 45 years old (possibly brought on by a brain tumour). Moreover, its was his birthday-eve on that day. Isn't that sad?

Currently there are two statues of him in Singapore. On eis found by the Singapore River, a Polymarble statue, near Asian Civilisation Museum and the other is bronze statue by Thomas Woolner found in front of Vitctoria Theatre.

Have you ever wonder why there is two statues of him in Singapore ?

A interesting fact for you to know is, the Polymarble statue of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles was a copy of the bronze's as marking what is believed to be Raffles' landing site.

The Bronze statue was originally placed at Padang on Jubilee Day, 27 June 1887, facing the sea. However, it was found to be strucked frequently by flying footballs or used as seats for a vantage view of a field game at the Padang. Hence, the authorities felt that the statue should be placed in a more respectable venue.

Frankly speaking, I laughed when I read about him being strucked by the flying football.haha.No offence(: But I am glad that the authorities had moved this nobel and respectable statue to a better place.

The statue was moved on 6 February 1919, in front of the Victoria Memorial Hall. During World War II, the statue was moved to Raffles Museum. Some later suggested the Japanese had intentions to melt the statue as a part of war effort. However, the statue remained unmolested and was reinstalled at the Empress Place in 1946.

With all these information, I hope you understand why this statue is one of the must-go sites for tourist!(: Although it's nothing much, it's just a statue afterall, but it represents the came about of the little red dot country. Hence, taking a photo with it would really show that you have visited Singapore(:

Getting there: MRT (Raffles Place Station)