Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
120
their royal ancestors lived and were buried on the site. A top the hill, a mysterious kera-
mat, or sacred grave, marks what is believ ed to be the burial site of I skander Shah (also
known as Parameswara), the Palembang ruler who came to S ingapore in the late 1300s
before settling in Melaka.
From the start, Raffles chose this hill to build his home (at the site of the pr esent-day
lookout point), which later became a residence for Singapore's diplomats and governors.
In 1860, the house was torn do wn to make way for F ort Canning, which was built to
quell British fears of invasion but instead quickly became the laughingstock of the island.
The location was ideal for spotting invaders from the sea, but defending Singapore? Not
likely. The cannons' range was such that their shells couldn't possibly have made it all the
way out to an attacking ship—instead, most of the to wn belo w would hav e been
destroyed. In 1907, the fort was demolished for a reservoir. Today the only reminders of
the old for t are some of the walls and the F ort Gate, a deep stone str ucture. Behind its
huge wooden door you'll find a narrow staircase that leads to the r oof.
Raffles also chose this as the location for the first botanic gar den on the island, with
ambitious plans to develop commercial crops, particularly spices. The garden was short-
lived due to lack of funding; ho wever, the park still has a pr etty interesting selection of
plants and trees, like the cannonball tr ee with its large r ound seed pods, and the cotton
tree, whose pods open to reveal fluffy white “cotton” that was commonly used for stuffing
pillows and mattresses. In many parts, these plants are well marked along the pathways.
Also look for the ASEAN sculpture garden; five members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations each donated a work for the park in 1982 to represent the region's unity.
Fort Canning was also the site of a European cemetery. To make impr ovements in
the park, the grav es were exhumed and the stones placed within the walls surr ounding
the outdoor performance field that slopes fr om the Music and Drama Society building.
A large Gothic monument was erected in memory of James Napier Brooke, infant son of
William Napier, Singapore's first law agent, and his wife, M aria Frances, the wido w of
prolific ar chitect G eorge Coleman. Although no r ecords exist, Coleman pr obably
designed the cupolas as w ell as two small monuments o ver unknown graves. The Music
and Drama Society building itself was built in 1938. Close by, in the wall, are the tomb-
stones of Coleman and of Jose D'Almeida, a wealthy Portuguese merchant.
Inside the par k, the Battle Box is an old World War II bunker that displays in wax
dioramas and a multimedia show the surrender of Singapore. It's open daily from 10am
to 6pm; adults S$8 (US$5.35/£3.60), childr
7
en S$5 (US$3.35/£2.25); & 65/6333-
0510.
The National Parks Board gives free guided tours of the park, but not the Battle Box,
every last Saturday of the month at 4pm; call & 65/6332-1302 to register.
51 C anning R ise. & 65/6332-1302. w ww.nparks.gov.sg. F ree admission. M ajor entranc es ar e fr om
behind the Hill Street Building, Percival Rd. (Drama Centre), National Library Carpark, and Canning Walk
(behind Park Mall). Dhoby Ghaut or City Hall MRT.
Hill Street Building Originally built to house the British Police Force, the building
was sited directly across from Chinatown for easy access to quell the frequent gang fights.
Later it became home to the N ational Archives, and it is believ ed that inquisitions and
torture w ere carried out in the basement during the J apanese occupation. F ormer
National Archives employees have claimed to have seen ghosts of tortured souls sitting at
their desks.
Today this color ful building houses the M inistry of I nformation, Communications
and the Ar ts (MICA), and the N ational Arts Council. I nside the cour tyard, check out
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