Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
115
bank of the river would become the nerve center for sea trade, and the right bank, at the
foot of the hill, would be clear ed for the center of government activity.
Raffles's Town Plan of 1822 had special plans for this district, r eferred to in this topic
as the Historic District but also called the City Centre. The center point was the
Padang,
a large field for spor ts and cer emonies. Ar ound the field, go vernment buildings w ere
erected, each reflecting preferred British tastes of the day. European hotels popped up, as
well as cultural centers, and the park along the marina became a lively focal point for the
European social scene.
The oldest part of the city is Fort Canning Park, the hill where Raffles built his home.
Its history predates Raffles, with excavation sites unearthing artifacts and small treasures
from earlier trading settlements, and a sacred shrine that's believed to be the final resting
place of Iskander Shah, founder of the Sultanate of Melaka.
Armenian Church
Of all colonial buildings, the Armenian Chur ch (more for-
mally called the Chur ch of S t. Gregory the I lluminator) is one of the most beautiful
examples of early ar chitectural style her e. Designed by George Coleman, one of S inga-
pore's most pr olific and talented ar chitects, it is his finest wor k. Although ther e w ere
many alterations in the last centur y, the main style of the str ucture still dominates. The
round congregation hall is powerful in its simplicity, its long louvered windows letting in
cooling breezes while keeping out the imposing sunlight. Roman Doric columns support
symmetrical por ticos that pr otect the str ucture fr om rain. All in all, it 's a wonder ful
achievement of combined European eclectic tastes and tropical necessity.
The first permanent Christian chur ch in S ingapore, it was funded primarily b y the
Armenian community, which was at one time quite po werful. Today few Singaporeans
can trace their heritage back to this influential gr oup of immigrants. The church was
consecrated in 1836, and the last appointed priest ser ving the parish r etired in 1936.
Although r egular Armenian ser vices ar e no longer held, other r eligious organizations
make use of the church from time to time. The cemetery in the back of the church is the
burial site of many pr ominent Armenians, including Ashgen Agnes J oachim, discoverer
of the Vanda Miss Joachim, Singapore's national flower.
60 Hill St., across from the Grand Plaza Park Hotel.
&
65/6334-0141.
Free admission. 15-min. walk from
City Hall MRT.
Asian Civilisations Museum
If you have time for only one museum, this
is the one I r ecommend. This fantastic and w ell-executed exhibit of S outheast Asian
culture highlights the history of the region and explores the Chinese, South Indian, and
Islamic heritage that helped to shape regional cultures here. Well-planned galleries show-
case fine arts, furniture, porcelain, jade, and other relics with excellent descriptions.
The E mpress P lace Building that houses the museum stood as a symbol of B ritish
colonial authority as sea trav elers enter ed the S ingapore Riv er. The stately building
housed almost the entire government bureaucracy around the year 1905 and was a go v-
ernment office until the 1980s, housing the R egistry of Births and Deaths and the Citi-
zenship Registry.
Don't forget to stop at the M useum S hop (
&
65/6336-9050
) to br owse ex quisite
ethnic crafts of the region. Also, check out the museum's website to find out more about
their free lecture series.
1 Empress Place.
&
65/6332-7798.
www.acm.org.sg. Adults S$5 (US$3.35/£2.25), childr en and seniors
S$2.50 (US$1.65/£1.10); free on Fri 7-9pm. Mon 1-7pm; Tues-Sun 9am-7pm (extended hours Fri 9am-
9pm). Free guided tours in English M on 2pm, Tues-Fri 11am and 2pm, with an ex tra tour on weekends
at 3:30pm. 15-min. walk from City Hall MRT.
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