初恋这件小事

Following Singapore’s unique journey as a city-state to reveal its complexity_我的网站

调解面对面

A | 　　种地这件事，中国人干了几千年，还能出现什么新做法?山东聊城茌平区，有一个地方叫小刘新村，正在试图回答这个问题。 Editor's Note:
In an era of profound global shifts and increasingly complex regional dynamics, a proper understanding of the world must be rooted in "grounded experience" and localized insights. Global Times English edition, in collaboration with the Academy of International and Regional Communication Studies, Communication University of China, is proud to launch "Local Insights," an English-language column dedicated to original, field-based observations.
We invite Chinese scholars and professionals who are studying, conducting exchanges, or working outside China, as well as international students and friends living and studying in China who are familiar with the social contexts of their home countries or third countries, to begin from first-hand field experience and engage with social, cultural, and contemporary issues beyond China. The fourth article in this column, through the author's on-site experience, unpacks Singapore's distinctive national identity via its deliberate independence, structured multicultural integration policies and forward-looking urban and digital development plans.
For many years, Singapore has been a favored destination for tourists and a highly sought-after place for education and employment. But when we talk about Singapore, what exactly do we mean? Is it the cityscape dominated by the Merlion and Marina Bay Sands? Is it a global standard for effective governance and economic success? Or is it a nation with a Chinese majority that is nonetheless founded on the principles of multiracial, multireligious, and multicultural nation-building?
In late May, as part of a media delegation from China invited by Singapore's Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), I had the opportunity to explore the country in depth. Following a narrative journey through the past, the present, and the future, I discovered a Singapore far more complex than its well-known global image suggests.

    The view of Singapore Photo: VCG
The birth of a nation: A deliberate choice
To truly understand Singapore, one must first understand its origins. For a long time, the prevailing story portrayed Singapore's independence on August 9, 1965 as a sudden break - Lee Kuan Yew's emotional announcement of separation from Malaysia, often seen as a forced expulsion. However, materials displayed at the National Library Board and MDDI's The Albatross File exhibition provide a more intricate picture.
The exhibition, which makes confidential documents from founding leaders like Goh Keng Swee and oral histories from Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo available, reveals a strategic, negotiated process behind the separation. These documents suggest that both parties - Singapore and Malaysia - increasingly recognized that given the circumstances, long-term stability was unattainable. Independence then emerged as a deliberate political choice, the result of calculated negotiations and a growing belief that a new nation based on equality beyond ethnicity was the only viable path forward.
The significance of The Albatross File lies not only in the historical details it unveils but in the shift in narrative from "forced survival" to "chosen destiny." The exhibition itself is equally revealing. Historical documents, immersive installations, AI-enabled experiences, and digital interfaces allow visitors not just to observe history, but to question and participate in its interpretation.
Leaving the exhibition, I gained more than just a deeper understanding of Singapore's founding; I became aware of how Singapore actively constructs its own historical narrative. In this young nation, history is about both the past and the shaping of future generations' understanding of what "Singapore" means.
         China media delegation and officials from Singapore's Ministry of Digital Development and Information pose for a photo in Singapore. Photo: Courtesy of Wang XiaofangCreating 'Singaporeans' in a multicultural society

While the archive tells the story of Singapore's birth, the city itself shows how a society of diverse ethnicities, languages, religions, and immigrant backgrounds has been transformed into a shared national identity.
Walking through Telok Ayer, Little India, and Kampong Glam, one experiences the reality of a society molded by Chinese, Malay, Indian, and global migrant communities. Temples, mosques, and churches stand close to each other. Thian Hock Keng, Al-Abrar Mosque, Nagore Dargah, and Christian churches coexist as part of a long-standing arrangement of pluralism.
This is not passive coexistence but a carefully cultivated social order shaped by decades of governance and policy design.
In 1991, Singapore's Parliament issued the Shared Values White Paper, outlining five core principles: Nation before community and society above self; Family as the basic unit of society; Regard and community support for the individual; Consensus instead of contention; Racial and religious harmony. In a young nation without a single dominant ethnicity, religion, or shared historical tradition, this value system serves as an ideological anchor that transcends differences.
At the Harmony in Diversity Gallery, key concepts like "mutual respect," "mutual understanding," and "finding common ground" are consistently highlighted. From "Many Faiths, One People" to "We, the Citizens of Singapore," the narrative repeatedly circles back to a central idea: Differences may persist, but a shared community must be maintained.
This idea of collective identity takes on another dimension at the SingapoREN exhibition at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre. Rather than focusing solely on preserving Chinese cultural heritage, the exhibition follows the transformation of migrants from temporary residents to citizens - from those who once saw themselves as transient to those who now fully identify as Singaporeans. It's not just a story of cultural preservation but one of identity transformation.
Perhaps the most tangible mechanism sustaining this multicultural cohesion is Singapore's public housing system, planned and developed by the Housing & Development Board (HDB). The apartments built by HDB are home to close to 80 percent of Singapore's resident population, of whom about 90 percent own their home. To promote racial integration and harmony, HDB introduced the Ethnic Integration Policy in 1989, which sets limits on the proportion of households from each ethnic group in housing blocks and neighborhoods to ensure a balanced mix of various ethnic communities in HDB towns.
Across HDB towns, public housing projects continue to evolve in response to demographic shifts and the rising aspirations of residents.
For example, Harmony Village @ Bukit Batok is an assisted living resident community jointly developed by HDB, Singapore's Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Health to expand the continuum of public housing options for seniors. Known as community care apartments, Harmony Village @ Bukit Batok is Singapore's first public housing development that integrates senior-friendly housing with care services that can be scaled according to care needs, as well as social activities to support seniors to live independently within the community.
Meanwhile, Punggol Point Cove is a public housing project situated along the shoreline of Singapore's north-eastern coastline. This waterfront development features wave-like architecture inspired by its location and the town of Punggol's heritage as a fishing village. Residents enjoy panoramic sea views and easy access to Punggol Promenade. It is also located near the Punggol Digital District, Singapore's first smart business district, where residents can benefit from job opportunities and new amenities near their home. Hawker centers further embody multiculturalism in everyday life. Dietary restrictions shaped by religion are managed through regulated food environments, allowing people of different ethnicities and income levels to share the same dining spaces. Whether it's Hainanese chicken rice, Indian roti prata, Malay nasi lemak, or Teochew fish ball noodles, cultural diversity is transformed from an abstract concept into daily practice.
Through shared space, shared consumption, and shared routines, Singaporeans, despite their varied ancestries, languages, and beliefs, become woven into a single social fabric. It is within this daily negotiation of differences that a true sense of national community emerges.
         Nagore Dargah, a historic Indian Muslim shrine, on Telok Ayer Street, Singapore Photo: Courtesy of Wang Xiaofang
The future is already here: from planning to execution
At Gardens by the Bay, many visitors see a picturesque landmark. For Singapore, however, it is a model for future urbanism. Built on reclaimed land, the Gardens showcase how ecological design and engineering innovation can create a functioning ecosystem within an urban environment to support diverse flora and fauna. It reflects a belief that even within environmental constraints, human design can create new ecological possibilities.
If Gardens by the Bay represents the future of human-nature relationships, the Punggol Digital District embodies Singapore's vision for the future economy and society. As the country's first integrated smart district, it brings together industries of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and robotics within a unified urban space. The Singapore Institute of Technology is directly embedded within the district, ensuring that research outcomes translate into real-world urban solutions rather than remaining confined to academic publication.
The district's Open Digital Platform (ODP) aggregates data from more than 20,000 sensors in the district and connects various systems in real time, enabling deep integration among data systems, algorithms, and physical urban space.
This forward-thinking approach extends to national digital governance. In 2026, Singapore set out 10 refreshed priorities for the next round of AI development, including boosting AI transformation across strategic sectors, and nurturing 100,000 AI bilingual talents with domain expertise and AI capabilities who can apply AI meaningfully in their domains.
At the same time, the country actively tackles emerging risks such as deepfakes and cyberbullying, through a mix of legislation, platform accountability, digital literacy education, and community coordination.
From the existential survival concerns of its early years of independence to contemporary challenges like AI disruption and climate change, Singapore consistently demonstrates a strong focus on the future. It anticipates risks early, designs policies preemptively, and seeks solutions before crises fully emerge.
Looking back on this journey, the question I began with now has a different answer.
Singapore is more than an economic success story or a model of efficient governance. It is a nation born of political choice, held together by institutions that cultivate inclusion across diversity, and sustained by a continual capacity to adapt and reinvent itself.
Perhaps this is what we mean when we talk about Singapore.
The author is a PhD candidate in International Communication, and research fellow at the Academy of International and Regional Communication Studies, Communication University of China

。但他们的答案，听起来有点不合常规。     　　他们不跟大自然同步，自己给樱桃树“造”出了一年四季。他们觉得一亩地不够用，就把草莓架到四层来种植。他们嫌鱼塘效率太低，干脆给鲈鱼盖了栋“公寓楼”。更让人意外的是，做这些事的，是一家搞热电、电解铝的工业企业。     　　他们把烟囱里回收的二氧化碳，送进了大棚当“气肥”。把电厂排掉的余热，变成了大棚的暖气。把粉煤灰压成砖，砌成了冬暖夏凉的墙。

B | 　　这趟调研将揭秘，当地是如何用工业的思维，给农业来了一场“时空大改造”。　　给樱桃树“造”一个春夏秋冬　　什么时候吃樱桃?五月、六月，春末夏初，满大街都是，价格也亲民。　　但如果在茌平，樱桃二月份和九月份成熟，中秋和春节都能吃到刚从树上摘下来的国产大樱桃，最好的果，一斤卖到498块。　　这背后，是他们对樱桃树的生长节律进行人工干预的结果。　　樱桃大棚技术负责人刘丽萍是从大连请来的。大连是中国樱桃的核心产区，她在家乡种了一辈子露天樱桃，来到山东茌平之后，开始在大棚里跟樱桃树的生物钟斗智斗勇。刘丽萍介绍，用空调制冷，一年四季都可以有产出，几月份都可以下果，完全是依靠棚内的条件，来自由调节生长。

C | 　　“自由调节生长”这六个字，他们是通过反复试验换来的。光搞清楚樱桃树到底需要“睡”多久，就试了三轮。

D | 　　露天种植和大棚种植有什么区别? 　　刘丽萍表示，区别特别大。

E | 露天种植，成熟期只有45天。但是在温室里，大概需要100天。

F | 在这100天里，每一天都要时时关注温度、湿度、二氧化碳的含量，需要和谐统一，才能达到一个特别高的标准。　　从45天到100天，并不是简单把时间拉长，而是每一天都在跟细节较劲。

G | 五六月份樱桃大批上市，农民辛辛苦苦种一年，卖不上价。但把上市时间挪到春节前后——市场上几乎没有竞品的时候，价格自然就不一样了。　　但反季节种植，一个关键问题就是能耗。

H | 冬天给大棚升温，价格很高。很多地方知道反季节种植能挣钱，但一算能源账就放弃了。　　答案就藏在墙里。用粉煤灰压成的砌块跟普通的土墙完全不一样。

I | 信发旗下有电厂，粉煤灰以前是废料，现在做成新型保温砌块。60厘米厚的墙体，保温效果远超传统土建大棚。　　更关键的是能源。大棚里冬天需要的暖气，是从隔壁电厂拉过来的工业余热，通过管道源源不断地送进来。夏天制冷呢?靠的是电。园区屋顶铺了光伏板，加上信发电厂发的电，制冷就有了低成本的电价支撑。　　冬天供暖用“废热”，夏天制冷用“绿电”。工业的“废”，在这里成了农业的“宝”，这笔账是这么算出来的。　　草莓的“立体城市” 　　传统草莓怎么种?地里一垄一垄的，蹲着干活，产出少，一年也就卖一个月。　　但在信发的草莓大棚里，草莓不种在地里，而是住在一层层的栽培架上，从头顶垂下来，像一条条红色的瀑布。工人站着就能摘草莓，不用弯腰，不用踩泥。整个大棚，像一个草莓的“立体城市”。　　现在一亩地能产多少草莓? 　　信发农业草莓车间技术员刘哲介绍，3层的种植，一亩地能产20000斤，4层能达到亩产27000斤，传统种植一亩地大概就产4000斤，产量是传统种植的6倍。产量提升的背后，是他们用工业思维对种植环节进行了一系列改造。　　第一个，是灯。草莓结果子，光照很关键。自然光不稳定，阴天、雾霾、冬天日照短，都会影响草莓的甜度和产量。

J | 所以，他们决定给草莓补光。最终用光谱仪测红蓝光的比例，反复校准光照高度和强度。试了一年，投入一千多万。　　第二个，是盆。以前用栽培槽，一行一行连着种。但草莓容易生病，一株染病，整行全传染。后来他们想了一招：改成一盆一盆种，每盆相互独立。哪一盆生病了，单独端走就行。这背后是工业上的“模块化”思维——把风险隔离，把损失控制在最小单元。　　第三个，是苗。以前从外面买苗。最惨的一次，140万棵苗，全死了。

K | 后来他们决定自己育。从草莓匍匐茎的茎尖剥离出生长点，做原原种，建立三级育苗体系。　　从光照到育苗，他们把种植过程拆解成了一个个具体参数，反复测试调优。这种做法，更像是工程师在调试一条生产线。　　那么，在这样的“工厂”里，农民的角色是什么? 　　村民卓玉英告诉记者，以前种十七八亩地，一年挣不了多少钱，风吹日晒，起早贪黑。

L | 现在在玻璃大棚里干活，冬暖夏凉，收入一年5万多。没来之前什么也不懂，来了有技术员手把手教，施肥、浇水、怎么剪苗，都教会了。　　把鲈鱼“请”上楼，一立方水养出100公斤鱼　　如果说草莓和樱桃还是在折腾“地”和“天”，第三件事，折腾的是“水”。而且对水的利用方式，比前两件事还要极致。

M | 他们让鲈鱼，住进了“楼房”。在信发的养殖车间里，地面是干净的，空气是干燥的，也闻不到鱼腥味。一排排蓝色的大圆桶，摞了三层楼高，整整齐齐。624个这样的桶，组成了全国首座三层立体循环水鲈鱼养殖车间。　　信发现代农业产业园副总经理潘兴旺介绍，现在一立方的水已经达到了200斤，这种养殖模式是传统养殖的90倍。一立方米水体，200斤鱼。传统池塘的产量，只有它的一个零头。怎么做到的? 　　第一，水干净。

N | 用的是电厂蒸汽冷凝后反渗透处理的纯净水，每小时循环过滤一次。水干净，鱼就不易得病。

o | 　　第二，温度恒定。车间常年24度，冬天用工业余热加温，夏天用地下水降温。鱼一年四季都在长，5到6个月就能上市，一年出两茬。　　第三，全程自动化。

p | 增氧、控温、排污，全是系统自己管。一个车间，一个人值班就够了。春节前后别人池塘冻住了捞不出鱼，他们每天稳定上市，专打时间差。　　这套系统，还解决了高密度养殖的环保问题。这么高密度的养殖，每天产生的鱼粪、废水，如果排出去，那是巨大的污染源。但在这个园区里，这些东西没有被当作“废”排掉。　　产业园董事长白东林告诉记者，养鱼的尾水经过处理，鱼粪过滤出来发酵成有机肥，供给樱桃。

q | 过滤完的水浇灌樱桃，剩余的水送回电厂做循环水。

r | 草莓拔的苗、樱桃剪的枝，粉碎发酵做有机肥。

s | 他们还买了联合收割机，免费帮老百姓收玉米，玉米秸收储起来和兔子粪、鱼粪、锯末一起发酵。每棵樱桃树，每年上自己发酵的有机肥200斤。　　工业的“废” 农业的“宝” 　　信发集团的创始人张学信，今年80岁。四年前，76岁的他回到家乡小刘新村，决定投资50亿元，建一个现代农业产业园。一个搞了一辈子工业的人，到了颐养天年的年纪，为什么要回来种地? 　　张学信的说法是，他是来“打样”的。他想用工业的思维、工业的技术、工业的循环经济理念，给农业提供一个样本。他想证明：农业可以不是面朝黄土背朝天，农民可以站着挣钱，种地可以旱涝保收。　　如今，这个“样”正在一点一点变成现实。樱桃的休眠时间从600个小时试到了1200个小时。草莓的光谱被反复校准。鲈鱼住进了恒温的楼房，喝上了纯净水。工业的余热、废气、废渣，在这里变成了农业的暖、农业的气、农业的墙。　　周边的村民，土地流转有租金，园区打工有薪金，集体入股有股金，年过七十还有补贴金，评优树先有奖金。人均年收入突破了4.5万元。63岁的村民张学平，以前种十五六亩地，一年万把块钱。现在在园区种樱桃，一个月五六千元，一年能收入六七万元。　　让农民舒舒服服地挣钱，这是张学信想做的事。眼下，他又上马了肉兔养殖，下一步要做到年产上千万只的规模。

t | 　　这个产业园，到底改变了什么? 　　是技术吗?是。草莓立体种植、樱桃反季节调控、鲈鱼三层养殖，这些并不多见。是规模吗?2.75万亩的规划，多个“全国首个”的技术配置——这样的农业园区，放在全国来看也是独树一帜。　　但它最值得说的，是一套逻辑。一套把工业的“废”重新定义为农业的“宝”的逻辑。当别人还在为供暖成本发愁的时候，他们用上了隔壁电厂的余热。

u | 当别人花钱处理粉煤灰的时候，他们把废料变成了大棚的保温墙。当别人为养殖尾水达标排放头疼的时候，他们把尾水变成了樱桃的肥料。　　这不再是传统意义上的“工业反哺农业”——工厂赚了钱，拿一点出来补贴农村。这是工业和农业连在了一起，你中有我，我中有你，共同生长。　　从“看天吃饭”到“知天而作”，再到“胜天半子”。