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Series 1 (60-Minute Versions): 10. Singapore

Michael Portillo’s south east Asian railway tour reaches its final stop - Singapore. The island city-state at the southern tip of Malaysia is one of Asia’s biggest success stories.\n\nTravelling on the extensive MRT - or mass rapid transit - rail network to the west side of the island, Michael visits a vast construction site that is to become the world’s largest fully automated container port, which is taking shape on land reclaimed from the sea. The grand project reflects Singapore’s towering economic ambition. \n\nBack in the centre, Michael hears of the nation’s maritime roots and how Englishman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles established the first port here in 1819. On a boat trip along the Singapore River, Michael discovers how trade flourished under British colonial rule and, at the iconic Raffles Hotel, he takes a seat in the famous Long Bar and treats himself to its signature cocktail, a Singapore Sling.\n\nOn his second day in the city, Michael walks the streets of Chinatown with a local artist and uncovers the history of the Chinese community, who make up three quarters of the population here. At the historic Singapore Botanic Gardens, Michael sees how a piece of rainforest that once covered this part of Asia has been preserved for future generations.\n\nIn Tai Seng, Michael goes underground to marvel at the world’s largest subterranean rail depot, where self-driving MRT trains are maintained. On Singapore’s south coast, Michael takes a cable car to Fort Siloso, on the island of Sentosa, where he hears of Britain’s worst military defeat in 1942 and Japan’s subsequent brutal occupation.\n\nDowntown, over a coffee with the head of the Singapore Stock Exchange, Michael learns about the island’s astonishing success as a financial centre and, in the residential district of Ang Mo Kio, he visits one of a new breed of urban farms, looking to the future to feed the increasing population by growing fruit and vegetables on a car park roof. His tour ends in the centre of the city at Boat Quay, where he examines the life and achievements of Lee Kwan Yew, who as prime minister for 31 years was responsible for Singapore’s extraordinary growth.

Source: BBC 4