Specimens of Time, River of Life

Entering the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum feels like embarking on a journey through billions of years. The museum is dimly lit, with an air of historical sediment, serene and mysterious. The first thing that catches your eye are three enormous diplodocus fossils, standing quietly as if they have yet to awaken from ancient times. Gazing up at these relics from the Jurassic period, one can't help but feel a sense of awe towards nature. Every curve of their bones whispers the resilience and vicissitudes of life. Walking into the Southeast Asian biodiversity exhibit, the display cases are filled with colorful insects, rare birds, and marine life. Their wings and scales shimmer under the lights, as if still murmuring the stories of the tropical rainforest. The museum's treasured Raffles specimen—a giant fish species that is now extinct in Singapore—serves as a reminder of the importance of coexistence between humans and nature. This is not just a museum, but a sanctuary of life. Here, I witness the passage of time and listen to the oldest echoes of nature, realizing the grandeur and transience of life amidst the vicissitudes of the world.