【院生ゼミ】4月30日
【大学院】
First, we discussed the significance of the statue of Raffles in its historical and social context of Singapore. In doing so, we found the article "Raffles Must Fall? The Memory and History of Colonialism" written by Gareth Knapman particularly useful, which handles the matter in a balanced manner, paying special attention to the historical change of the way the statue has been used as part of an official narrative by succesive governments both colonial and post-independence.
After this we continued the photo challenges, in which we covered the following images:
5. The That Luang stupa is a Theravada Buddhist monument located in the center of Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. The original structure was built in the 16th century. The statue of king Setthathirath, the founder of Vientiane in the 16th century, is situated in front of the monument.
6. Lapulapu's statue. As a local ruler, he defeated the Spanish in a battle in 1521, in which the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed. Magellan's shrine is seen at the far end of the photo.
7. Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras. They were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995, as they were believed to be older than 2,000 years.
8. Kampung Hulu Mosque is the oldest Muslim mosque in Malacca, Malaysia. The structure was originally built in the early 18th century. An example of Islamization SEA, where a mixture of local and foreign traditions is obvious.
In the next week, on May 7, we continue the photo challenges, before we proceed to the discussion on the topics in chapter 5 of Osborne's Southeast Asia: An Introductory History.