The Asian Civilisations Museum’s (ACM) flagship premises at the Empress Place Building was officially opened on 1 March 2003 by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. The ceremony was witnessed by over 2,000 local and overseas guests. The first home of the ACM was in Armenian Street, in what was originally the Tao Nan School, and which is now the Peranakan Museum.

Though founded in 1997, the ACM traces its roots to the British-established Raffles Library and Museum and its collections. The mission of the newly formed ACM was to highlight the diverse cultures which influenced the development of Singapore: Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Islamic/West Asian.

 

Photo courtesy of National Archives of Singapore