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Fort Canning Hill, formerly Government Hill, Singapore Hill and Bukit Larangan (''Forbidden Hill'' in Malay), is a small hill, about high, in the southeast portion of the island city-state of
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
, within the Central Area that forms Singapore's central business district. It is named after Viscount Charles John Canning, the first Viceroy of India. Although small in physical size, it has a long history intertwined with that of the city-state due to its location as the highest elevation within walking distance to the city's civic district, within the
Downtown Core The Downtown Core is the historical and downtown centre of the city-state of Singapore and the main commercial area in Singapore excluding reclaimed lands with many integrated resorts such as the Marina Bay Sands, one of the most expensive buildi ...
. It is also a popular location for exhibitions, concerts and outdoor recreation. The Malays called the hill ''Bukit Larangan'' or Forbidden Hill since olden times. This is due to the belief that it is the place where the kings of ancient Singapore were laid to rest, and it was believed to be haunted. It is also believed that a palace once stood on the hill. A settlement on the hill in the 14th century was referred to as '' Ban Zu'' (from the Malay ''pancur'') by the Yuan dynasty traveller
Wang Dayuan Wang Dayuan (, fl. 1311–1350), courtesy name Huanzhang (), was a Chinese traveller of the Yuan dynasty from Quanzhou in the 14th century. He is known for his two major ship voyages. Wang Dayuan was born around 1311 at Hongzhou (present-day Na ...
. Later, Sir Stamford Raffles built his residence there, which was also used by other Residents and Governors. It became known as Government Hill until it was renamed Fort Canning in 1861, when a military fort was built on the site. Today it is the location of both the Fort Canning Reservoir and Fort Canning Park.


History


Temasek/Ban Zu

It is believed that the Fort Canning Hill area was once the centre of ancient Singapura that thrived in the 14th century, and was occupied by a palace with various buildings of political, religious and commercial significance. In around 1330, the Chinese traveller
Wang Dayuan Wang Dayuan (, fl. 1311–1350), courtesy name Huanzhang (), was a Chinese traveller of the Yuan dynasty from Quanzhou in the 14th century. He is known for his two major ship voyages. Wang Dayuan was born around 1311 at Hongzhou (present-day Na ...
visited the island of Singapore he named as ''Danmaxi'' (
Temasek Temasek (also spelt Temasik) is an early recorded name of a settlement on the site of modern Singapore. The name appears in early Malay and Javanese literature, and it is also recorded in Yuan and Ming Chinese documents as ''Danmaxi'' ( or ...
). Wang described in his work '' Daoyi Zhilüe'' the two distinct settlements of Temasek: ''
Long Ya Men Long Ya Men (; Malay: ''Batu Berlayar'') or Dragon's Teeth Gate, is the name Chinese explorer Wang Dayuan recorded for ''Batu Belayar'', a craggy granite outcrop that formerly stood at the gateway to Keppel Harbour in Singapore. In his descri ...
'' and '' Ban Zu''. ''Ban Zu'', located on a hill behind ''Long Ya Men'', is thought to be today's Fort Canning Hill. In contrast to the inhabitants of ''Long Ya Men'' who were described as being prone to acts of piracy, the people of ''Ban Zu'' were described as honest. The people were said to "wear their hair short, with a turban of gold-brocaded satin", and they also wore red-coloured clothes and had a leader. Evidence of the significance of Fort Canning Hill had been found; in 1928, a cache of Javanese-style gold ornaments dating to the mid-14th century were discovered while workers were excavating for the Fort Canning Reservoir. A series of archaeological digs that began in 1984 have uncovered evidence of workshops for glass and gold that dated to the 14th century, and a ceremonial or religious area near the summit. Historical sources also indicate that around the end of the 14th century, Singapura was attacked by either the
Majapahit Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese Hindu-Buddhist thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was based on the island of Java (in modern-day Indonesia ...
or the Siamese, forcing its ruler Parameswara to move on to
Melaka Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
where he founded the
Sultanate of Malacca The Malacca Sultanate ( ms, Kesultanan Melaka; Jawi script: ) was a Malay sultanate based in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia. Conventional historical thesis marks as the founding year of the sultanate by King of Singapura, Paramesw ...
. Archaeological evidence suggests that the settlement on Fort Canning was abandoned around this time, although a small trading settlement continued in Singapore for some time afterwards. Ruins of the settlement on Fort Canning Hill were still visible in the early 19th century and described by the Resident
John Crawfurd John Crawfurd (13 August 1783 – 11 May 1868) was a Scottish physician, colonial administrator, diplomat, and author who served as the second and last Resident of Singapore. Early life He was born on Islay, in Argyll, Scotland, the son of ...
who also found indication of ruins of an ancient orchard, shards of pottery and Chinese coins, the earliest of which dating to 10th century
Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...
. Crawfurd described the ruins of a square terrace of square that may have been a temple near the top of the hill, with another terrace almost as big on the northern slope of the hill said to the tombs of a Malay king,
Iskandar Shah Iskandar, Iskander, Askander, Eskinder, or Scandar ( ar, إسكندر ( fa, اسکندر ''Eskandar'' or سکندر ''Skandar''), is a variant of the given name Alexander in cultures such as Iran (Persia), Arabia and others throughout the Middle Ea ...
, although there is no evidence of a burial there. ''Ban Zu'' is likely a transcription of the Malay word ''pancur'' meaning a spring or stream. Spring used to exist on the west side of the hill, called ''pancur larangan'' or "forbidden spring", where the women of the ruler's household were said to bathe in ancient times. In the early period of 19th century Singapore, the stream was used to provide clean drinking water for all ships stopping at the port until the demand exceeded the capacity, and the spring dried up as wells were dug around the hill.


Early colonial period

On 6 February 1819, Temenggong Abdul Rahman and Sultan Hussein Shah signed The Singapore Treaty with
Stamford Raffles Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British statesman who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816, and Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. He is ...
. Major
William Farquhar William Farquhar ( ; 26 February 1774 – 11 May 1839) was a Scottish colonial administrator employed by the East India Company, who served as the sixth Resident of Malacca between 1813 and 1818, and the first Resident of Singapore between ...
, accompanied by a few Malaccan Malays, climbed up the Bukit Larangan. Farquhar drew up the first gun and set up the post to hoist the
Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
on top of the hill, marking the birth of
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
as a British settlement. Raffles appointed Farquhar as the first Resident and Commandant of Singapore on the same day. Before leaving on the next day, Raffles left Farquhar with a set of instructions on the administration of the new British settlement. The hill was later known as the Singapore Hill. While Raffles was still in Bencoolen,
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
at the time, George Drumgold Coleman, having waited for him to return for four months, in the meantime designed for Raffles the Residency House for his residence use. Upon his return in October 1822 and impressed with Coleman's design, Raffles approved the house, construction of which was soon begun on Singapore Hill in November 1822 and completed by January 1823. It was a wooden bungalow with an ''
attap ''Nypa fruticans'', commonly known as the nipa palm (or simply nipa, from ms, nipah) or mangrove palm, is a species of palm native to the coastlines and estuarine habitats of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the only palm considered adapte ...
'' roof, and had a dimension of 100 ft. by 50 ft. It had two parallel halls with verandas at both the front and back, and two square wings serving as sleeping quarters. Raffles also established Singapore's first botanical garden there in 1822. 48 acres of land were set aside for experimental crop cultivation, but the experiment failed and the garden was then abandoned in 1829. Raffles' former residence was extended and redesigned by Coleman with bricks and tiles in June 1824, as funded by the 2nd Resident
John Crawfurd John Crawfurd (13 August 1783 – 11 May 1868) was a Scottish physician, colonial administrator, diplomat, and author who served as the second and last Resident of Singapore. Early life He was born on Islay, in Argyll, Scotland, the son of ...
to be used by other Residents and
Governors of Singapore The Governors of Singapore were the political leaders of Singapore during its pre-independence phase in the history of Singapore. Residents of Singapore (1819–1826) The Resident of Singapore ruled the British colony that is today the Republi ...
as the Government House, thus the location gained the name Government Hill. When the residence was demolished in 1859 to make way for a fort, Government House was moved to a house in Oxley Estate called the
Pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings: * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...
. On 2 August 1824, Temenggong Abdul Rahman, Sultan Hussein and John Crawfurd signed the Treaty of Friendship and Alliance at the hill. The hill was also known by the Malays as Bukit Bendera (''Flag Hill'' in Malay) after the Union Jack flag hoisted on the hill by William Farquhar, and later, also as Bukit Tuan Bonham (''Sir Bonham’s Hill'' in Malay) after Sir Samuel George Bonham, who was governor from 1836 to 1848. A Christian cemetery used to exist on the hill, serving as the burial ground for early Europeans in Singapore. The first Christian cemetery was used until 1822 and had 3 burials, was located close to Raffles house. The second cemetery was located on the slopes of Fort Canning Hill, and was expanded and consecrated in 1834. A brick wall and a Gothic gateway were constructed in 1846 to enclose it, built by Captain Charles Edward Faber. Two classical monuments, and some headstones placed along brick walls remained at the site. The cemetery continued to be used until 1865 when it was declared full and closed. By this time, around one third of the burials there were of Chinese Christians. In the 1970s the cemetery was exhumed and many of the surviving tombstones were embedded in the surviving walls.


Fortification and military use

By 1859, the absence of harbour defence led to the hill being used for a military role. The governor's residence was demolished, and a fort with an arms store, barracks and a hospital was built. The fort was completed in 1861, and was named Fort Canning after Viscount Charles John Canning, who was then Governor-General and the first
Viceroy of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...
. A report recommended extensive fortifications, which alarmed the business community who felt a large fortress would be detrimental to trade. Eventually officer’s quarters and a series of platforms carrying seven 68-pounders were built facing the sea. In 1867 eight 8-inch shell guns and two 13-inch shell guns were added. However, the fortifications were considered a failure from the beginning, as ships could easily get close enough to destroy the town yet remain out of range of the fort’s guns. Moreover the lack of a water supply rendered the fort useless as a place of refuge. In 1907, the old fort was demolished, and only the gateway of the fort and two nine-pound cannons remain. A military headquarters known as Headquarters Malaya Command Operations Bunker was then built with underground rooms serving as operations centre. Under the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
, it served as the headquarters of the Singapore Base District until the spread of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
into the Asia Pacific in 1941. Completed in 1938, this ‘bunker’ comprised 30 rooms and had its own generator. On 15 February 1942
Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Arthur Ernest Percival Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more w ...
surrendered Singapore to the Japanese here. The Japanese also used the buildings above and below the ground for its military until the end of the occupation in 1945, whereby the British army resumed control. The underground bunker however was abandoned, but it was re-opened on 31 January 1992 as a tourist attraction and is now known as
The Battle Box The Battle Box is the popular name of the Fort Canning Bunker, formerly known as Headquarters Malaya Command Operations Bunker, constructed under Fort Canning Hill, Singapore, as an emergency, bomb-proof command centre during the Malayan Campaig ...
. As the island moved towards self-determination, the British handed over control of the fort to the Singaporean military in 1963, and was home to the headquarters of the 4th Malaysian Infantry Brigade until December 1966 when it was in turn handed over to the
Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...
. The SAF proceeded to build the
Singapore Command and Staff College The SAFTI Military Institute (SAFTI MI) is a military institute of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) comprising five schools: the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College, three SAF Advanced Schools, and the Officer Cadet School. Located on an ...
on the fort, which officially opened on 13 February 1970.


Fort Canning Reservoir

Construction of the Fort Canning Service Reservoir started in 1927 and finished in 1929. It was built on top the hill on the site of a former barrack and parade ground of the demolished fort. Excavation for the reservoir in 1928 found a cache of Javanese-style gold jewellery dating to the mid-14th century. The reservoir is covered and access is restricted.


Van Kleef Aquarium

The Van Kleef Aquarium was first constructed in 1955 at the foot of Fort Canning Hill known as King George V Jubilee Park facing River Valley Road. The aquarium was the first of its kind in South-East Asia, and attracted over 150,000 visitors within three months of its opening, and had around 400,000 visitors annually by the 1970s. However, due to competition from newer attractions which led to declining visitors in the 1980s, it closed on 31 May 1991. A number of attempts were made to renew operation at the site but all were unsuccessful. It finally closed in 1996, and the building demolished in 1998.


National Theatre

Known as the People's Theatre, the National Theatre was later built near the Van Kleef Aquarium on the western slope of the hill and closer to the Clemenceau Avenue road. The theatre was officially opened on 8 August 1963 and was once the venue for various international performances, universities' convocations and the National Day rallies, it was demolished in August 1986 to make way for the nearby construction part of Central Expressway along Clemenceau Avenue.


Fort Canning Park

The area became known as Central Park in 1972 when the land previously used by the British armed forces was combined with King George V Jubilee Park. The park was then renamed Fort Canning Park on 1 November 1981 by
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean lawyer and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990, and Secretary-General o ...
, and converted into a historical park. The park overlooks
Orchard Road Orchard Road, often known colloquially as simply Orchard, is a major –long road in the Central Area of Singapore. Known as a famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with numerous internationally renowned depa ...
and is set in the heart of the Civic and Cultural District of Singapore, and it now offers a variety of
recreational Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleas ...
activities as well as historical, educational, entertainment and cultural experiences, and is also used as a place for social events. The park also serves as an important green lung for Singapore's downtown city area. The unique blend of historical
relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
, lush greenery and expansive lawns has made Fort Canning a hub of cultural and
artistic Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wh ...
activity. It has been a venue of choice for staging myriad outdoor events and activities like theatre
carnivals Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typ ...
such as ''Shakespeare in the Park'' by SRT, art festivals, starlight cinemas and ''Ballet Under the Stars'' performances.
WOMAD WOMAD ( ; World of Music, Arts and Dance) is an international arts festival. The central aim of WOMAD is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance. History WOMAD was founded in 1980 by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, w ...
, Singapore's largest music festival, was a regular feature of the park's calendar of events from 1998 to 2007. The
Fort Canning Tunnel Fort Canning Tunnel (), abbreviated as FCT, is a vehicular tunnel in the Central Area of Singapore. Besides the utilisation of relatively new engineering techniques, special care was taken to minimise impact on the environment of the surrou ...
passes directly under the hill. Fort Canning Park has been designated as the venue of the bicentennial showcase in 2019, an event which commemorates 200 years since the founding of Singapore. To restore the heritage of the area, three historical gardens will be recreated. They are the Royal Garden, the First Botanical Garden and Jubilee Park. Other enhancements to the park include a new heritage museum at the Fort Canning Centre, a reproduction of an ancient spring and improvements in accessibility. Jubilee Park will be the most "kids friendly" park with a nature-themed playground and slides that follows the contours of the hill. Jubilee Park opened in Jun 2019.


Highlights

Some points of interest that may be found in the park: * Underground Far East Command Centre (
The Battle Box The Battle Box is the popular name of the Fort Canning Bunker, formerly known as Headquarters Malaya Command Operations Bunker, constructed under Fort Canning Hill, Singapore, as an emergency, bomb-proof command centre during the Malayan Campaig ...
): During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, Lieutenant General
Arthur Ernest Percival Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more w ...
( Commander of British Forces) used the underground
bunkers A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...
at Fort Canning as his commanding base. * Sally Port: The
sally port A sally port is a secure, controlled entry way to an enclosure, e.g., a fortification or prison. The entrance is usually protected by some means, such as a fixed wall on the outside, parallel to the door, which must be circumvented to enter an ...
is a small hidden door that leads into or out of a
fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
, allowing occupants to escape from the fort undetected. Fort Canning had at least three sally ports but only one remains today. * Fort Wall and Gate: Raffles, in a letter to
William Farquhar William Farquhar ( ; 26 February 1774 – 11 May 1839) was a Scottish colonial administrator employed by the East India Company, who served as the sixth Resident of Malacca between 1813 and 1818, and the first Resident of Singapore between ...
in 1819, on the suitability of building a
fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
on Government Hill: " ''...On the hill overlooking the Settlement, and commanding it and a considerable portion of the anchorage, a small Fort, capable of mounting 8 or 10 pounders and of containing a magazine of brick or stone, together with a barrack for the permanent residence of 30 European artillery, and of temporary accommodation of the rest of the garrison in case of emergency.''" The fort was built in 1859 but it has since been demolished. Only the gateway designed by G. C. Collyer and two cannons remain. * 9-Pound Cannon: One of a pair of
cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
s that was meant to shoot 9- pound balls. Playing a decorative role rather than a defensive one, the cannon was fired three times a day at 5 a.m., 1 p.m., and 9 p.m. to announce the hour. It was also fired as a
salute A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Boy Sco ...
and warning of town fires. Next to the cannon is South Battery, the site at which the main
battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...
of guns was mounted to defend Singapore in the 19th century. * Spice Garden: The garden is a
replica A 1:1 replica is an exact copy of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without claiming to be identical. Al ...
of the first experimental
botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
in Singapore established by
Sir Stamford Raffles Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British statesman who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816, and Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. He is ...
. Raffles had noble ambitions for Singapore's agricultural development, and had sent from Bencoolen spices like
clove Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring or fragrance in consumer products, ...
plants and
nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus ''Myristica''. ''Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, an ...
seeds to be planted in the garden. * Gothic Gates: These imposing and sombre gateways in
gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
style lead the visitor into Fort Canning Green, where a Christian cemetery used to stand. Built in 1846, these gates have since become a landmark of Fort Canning Hill. The letters above both gates, "IHS" are iota, eta and sigma, the first three letters of the
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
word for
Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
. * Fort Canning Green: A former graveyard for Christian graves. * Cupolas: The
cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, f ...
s, designed by George Drumgoole Coleman, were probably places of rest. George Coleman was a talented architect who left his mark on the urban landscape of Singapore. He was Raffles' consultant on Singapore's first town plan. As Superintendent of Public Works, he oversaw projects of
land reclamation Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamat ...
and construction of roads and landmarks such as the Armenian Church. * James Brooke Napier Memorial: Dedicated to James Brooke Napier, the infant son of William Napier, who was Singapore's first Law Agent, and Maria Frances Napier, the widow of George Coleman. The memorial was the largest erected in the cemetery, reflecting the status of William Napier. * Fort Canning Centre: Fort Canning Arts Centre used to be the
barracks Barracks are usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are u ...
of the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
. The British Army chose Fort Canning as its headquarters of its defence bases in the 1920s to protect British interests in Southeast Asia. * Raffles House: Sir
Stamford Raffles Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British statesman who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816, and Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. He is ...
built his house on Government Hill on his third and last visit to Singapore. The original house of Raffles was actually a wood and atap bungalow 100 ft long and 50 ft wide, and not the present brick and tile structure. Raffles wrote in a letter to William Marsden in 1823: "''We have lately built a small bungalow on Singapore Hill where, though the height is inconsiderable, we find a great difference in climate. Nothing can be more interesting and beautiful than the view from this spot. The tombs of the Malay Kings are close at hand, and I have settled that if it is my fate to die here I shall take my place amongst them: this will at any rate be better than leaving my bones at Bencoolen...''" * Keramat Iskandar Shah: Keramat Iskandar Shah is a sacred place dedicated to Iskandar Shah (believe to be the same person as Parameswara), the last ruler of 14th century Singapore before he fled to
Melaka Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
to escape an attack from the Siamese. Although named after him, scholars thought that the keramat could not be Iskandar Shah's tomb as he had died in Melaka and was buried to the north of Melaka. No evidence of burial has been found at this keramat site and it is unclear how it became associated with Iskandar Shah. * Archaeological Excavation Site: In 1984, archaeologist
John Miksic John Norman Miksic (born 29 October 1946) is an American-born archaeologist. Biography John Norman Miksic was born in Rochester, New York on 29 October 1946. His interest in archaeology began at an early age and inspired his future career as a his ...
and his team began an archaeological excavation that continues until today. Among the artefacts recovered were
porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...
,
earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids by coating it with a c ...
and glass shards. These artefacts show that there could have been a palace of a Malay kingdom on Fort Canning Hill, with possibility of glass and gold workshops. * Sang Nila Utama Garden: One of nine historical gardens opened in 2019, and named after the Palembang prince that founded early Singapore. The architecture is based on famous Southeast Asian gardens. * Fort Canning Lighthouse: Fort Canning Lighthouse, originally built in 1903, was one of the 13 important lighthouses guiding ships crossing the Strait of Malacca. It was decommissioned in 1958 due to the increasing number of high-rises in Singapore blocking its visibility from the sea. A replica was erected later on Fort Canning Hill to commemorate its role in Singapore's maritime history.


See also

* Fort Canning Reservoir * List of parks in Singapore


References


External links


Fort Canning Park
{{Authority control
Canning Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container ( jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, althoug ...
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