Istana

A few weeks ago we visited the President of Singapore's official residence, called Istana. Unlike the White House in Washington, D.C., Istana is only open for public viewing a few days of the year. Istana is located in the center of a major commercial zone, next to the Plaza Singapura shopping center.

Google Earth coordinates of entrance:
  1°17'59.13"N, 103°50'38.07"E

There was a long line of visitors waiting outside the gates waiting to go through a quick security check before entering. Walking along the road up to the house, the first thing one notices is the fairway of the President's golf course. It appears to be a 9-hole course, and its extravagance is obvious in such a compact city-state.

The grounds were covered with visitors enjoying the open spaces. There is a distinct lack of open space in Singapore in general, and large grassy areas are almost non-existent. Children were running around. People were taking photographs of each other with the spaces or the house in the background. The fountain in front of the house was a popular gathering place, although no amount of shade and splashing water can bring relief in 90-degree heat.

After exploring the grounds, we stepped inside the house itself. This cost a few more dollars.

There is actually not much to see inside. Visitors are only allowed into three rooms on the first floor. We dutifully filed past gifts from the world's governments with the requisite respect. There were paintings, silver tea sets, gold figurines, vases, and dozens of other decorative items of the sort that haunt anyone who has ever moved. Some of the gifts were one-of-a-kind pieces from some of the world's poorest countries; Bangladesh should use its money to ensure safe drinking water for its people before spending it on a priceless trinket for the President of Singapore. However, I suppose it's polite to give a gift to someone when you visit their home. And to present something unfit to be viewed in a glass case would be an embarrassment to one's country. So, all of these gifts make sense, but they also feel like curios for a king that will one day be stored in a closet, replaced by a new knickknack from Bahrain or Chile.

After 20 minutes of walking amid the glittering gifts, we left the comfort of the air-conditioned house to take photos of the flowers and go home.

Having visited the White House last year, it was still fresh in our minds. Istana feels so distant in more ways than one. Both residences are in the center of their cities, but Istana feels removed from the surroundings, given the long walk required to reach the house from the entrance. And the house lacks any of the personal photos and memorabilia that make a tour of the White House so memorable. Of course, the White House feels cold and distant because of the excessive security required to enter. But that is another matter. Visiting Istana was a rare opportunity to see the official residence of the President of Singapore, but not something I would do again.