heavily emphasised by the government. To demonstrate the importance of imparting racial harmony knowledge to the youths, schools in Singapore celebrate Racial Harmony Day on 21 July annually. Students come to school dressed in different ethnic costumes, and some classes prepare performances regarding racial harmony. Ethnic areas Although ethnic enclaves no longer exist in Singapore, the country has several distinct ethnic neighbourhoods due to historical influences, including Katong, Kampong Glam, Geylang Serai, Chinatown and Little India. These neighbourhoods are widely accessible by public transport, especially by the Mass Rapid Transit or MRT. Both Geylang Serai and Kampong Glam are the focal points of the Malays in Singapore. A Malay Heritage Centre in Kampung Glam showcases the history and cultural exposure of the Malays, who are indigenous to the land. Both areas feature an annual month long Hari Raya Bazaar, during the fasting month of Ramadan. This is patronized by Malays and also other races. Katong was also home of the Peranakans, and the neighbourhood's identity is shaped by its unique architecture – colourful two storey shophouses, colonial bungalows, intricate motifs and ceramic tiles. It was designated as a national heritage conservation area by the Singapore Government in 1993. Little India is known and patronised by all races within the population for its thalis – South Indian "buffets" that are vegetarian and served on the traditional banana leaves. Singapore's Chinatown is an ethnic neighbourhood featuring distinctly Chinese cultural elements and a historically concentrated ethnic Chinese population. Chinatown is located within the larger district of Outram. Such former ethnic enclaves akin to those seen in major cities in many Western countries are largely non-existent. The remnant "enclaves" such as Little India, Chinatown and Kampong Glam are now mainly business hubs for their respective ethnic groups and preserved for historic and cultural reasons. The Housing Development Board enforces the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) to "preserve Singapore’s multi-cultural identity and promote racial integration and harmony" and sets proportions for each ethnic group in each housing estate. Cultural World Heritage Sites Founded in 1859 by an agri-horticultural society, the Singapore Botanic Gardens played a pivotal role in the country rubber trade boom in the early twentieth century, when its first scientific director headed research into the plant's cultivation. By perfecting the technique of rubber extraction which are still in use today as well as promoting its economic value to planters in the region, rubber output