Take A Walk Through Singapore's History With This Lee Kuan Yew Retrospective

A century since his birth and less than a decade since his passing, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew remains a key figure in both our country's politics and nation-building. To remember his legacy, the National Museum of Singapore has commissioned local filmmaker Royston Tan to make LKY100: The Life and Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew (1923–2015). The film honours Singapore's founding prime minister for his contributions to and development of the country.

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With National Day soon approaching, the museum will be featuring an array of activities to remember the past, celebrate the present and anticipate the future. For those interested in heading down for a visit with the family, here is what you can expect.

Begin your trip with a walk through the Singapore History Gallery on level 1 and scan the QR code to embark on a digital trail through the hidden stories and anecdotes on the life of Mr Lee. The trail will lead you through seven different stops where you can widen your knowledge about our nation's history.

End the trail with Royston's film, which features a selection of speeches throughout our founding father's career. Watching Mr Lee's career flash before your eyes is an experience very few people in this generation have seen, so this stop is not to be missed. Anyone familiar with his multilingual ability would be happy to see snippets of speeches delivered in English, Malay, Mandarin and Hokkien, which aptly convey his push for multiculturalism.

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On making the film, Royston Tan mentioned that “Mr Lee Kuan Yew is fondly remembered as a charismatic speaker, and I wanted to capture his essence as a strong leader through the medium of his speeches. It is an honour to pay tribute to a historic leader like Mr Lee with this film, and I hope that it serves as a nostalgic and inspiring narrative for both the older and younger generations to continue creating a better future for our nation.” 

If one tour isn't enough, head on over to the museum's basement level to explore the Semangat yang Baru: Forging a New Singapore Spirit exhibition, featuring eight key touchpoints that hone in on our founding Prime Minister's legacy and values. Complete the entire trail and redeem a gift from the vending machine outside the Singapore History Gallery, inspired by Lee Kuan Yew's iconic red box.

Director of the National Museum of Singapore, Chung May Khuen, says this film and trail serve as a means of presenting how Mr Lee helped shape the modern city we know today. He feels that "Through this special film and the accompanying trail, we hope to encourage Singaporeans young and old to come together to explore, revisit, and be inspired by Mr Lee’s legacy that we can continue building upon for generations to come, and in navigating the challenges ahead.”

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End your day with a stunning light display outside the museum. As part of the National Day celebrations, the museum will feature snippets of the film and a short light display projected onto its exteriors. The light display will run from now till August 9, from 7.30pm 'til midnight daily.