After a rather exciting meal at Lau Pa Sat and charging myself up with a dose of stiff caffeine, I walked down to Bukit Larangan (or Forbidden Hill in Malay), which is today known as Fort Canning Park.
Located right in the middle of Downtown Core, Fort Canning Park has a long history and quite a mysterious past, which fascinated me when I visited Singapore last August, but unfortunately couldn't make it here.
It's a steep climb up there...
Fort Canning has an elevation of about 60 metres...
Wall sculptures decorate the entrance...
Map of Fort Canning...
Fort Canning is an ideal venue for myriad activities - picnics to photoshoots or just a walk away from the hustle and bustle of Downtown Core...
A pit-stop for those wanting a break on the steep climb up...
The climb was made quite interesting by the vegetation...
Numerous pathways lead you around the park...
While archaeological excavations in this area have yielded pre-historic tools, little is known about the civilisation that inhabited the place...
Much later around the 14th century, the Malays inhabited Singapore and adopted this hill as their base, as they had done in Sumatra and Malacca
The Chinese documented an attacked by the Siamese on Singapore in the 1330s. The Siamese backed off after the Chinese instructed them not to...
The path was lined with lush tropical vegetation and snippets of the island's history that has been painstakingly reconstructed....
The Parit Singapura was an ancient moat discovered by the Malays and the colonial British when modern Singapore was inhabited nearly 200 years back. Remnants of the moat wall remain to this day...
A storyboard on the Five Kings of Ancient Singapura...
Bukit Larangan was the abode of the kings...
Singapore was a Javanese vassal state then...
Bukit Larangan was the first site of Singapore's Botanic Gardens...
It was interesting to know that gold ornaments, dating back to the 14th Century, that speak of the Hindu heritage of the region were discovered on this legendary hill...
The 14th Century Walk begins...
A young Banyan...
The 14th century Walk led me to the archealogical remains found in Fort Canning...
Since times immemorial, Singapore has been at the confluence of trade routes in the region...
It is believed that the history of Singapore of that age is inscribed on the legendary Singapore Stone - the text inscribed on the block is yet to be deciphered...
Bukit Larangan assumed importance due to the availability of freshwater here...
Pottery pieces found on the hill...
This was probably the site of the palace goldsmiths!
Spices were grown on an experimental basis on this hill during the times of Sir Stamford Raffles...
These imposing Gothic Gates, a landmark on the hill, lead into the Fort Canning Greens....
The gates were designed by George Drumgoole Coleman, who had constructed the Armenian Church, a magnificent structure, we had visited on our last trip here...
The letters IHS above the gates stand for Iota Heta Sigm - the first three letters of the Greek name for Christ!
This was the site of a British cemetry....
The Fort Canning Centre used to be the barracks of the British Army. The British Army chose Fort Canning as its headquarters of its defence bases in the 1920s to protect British interests in Southeast Asia. It is now the home of Pinacothèque de Paris, a Parisian art gallery...
The lawns of Fort Canning Greens are used for functions and photoshoots...
Sculptures by artists from the ASEAN region...
I understand there is such a sculpture park in Kuala Lumpur as well...
A majestic tree stands guard in the Bukit Larangan...
On the 19th Century Walk...
The building of Hotel Fort Canning was the former British Far East Command Headquarters during World War II.
The military building was built in 1926 as the Administration Building of the British Far East Command HQ. The General-Officer-Commanding, Lieutenant General Percival, had an office in this building. It was occupied by the Japanese Military during the Occupation (1942–1945). The British Military took it back after the war and used it as part of the British Military Administration. The building was then taken over by the Singapore Armed Forces when Singapore became independent. The building was restored and reconstructed as a hotel while retaining the old style colonial glamour and the multi-columned facade of the old headquarters
Remnants of the Fort wall....
Fort Canning Gates...
I loved this sculpture...
Residences for married soldiers of the British era...
The Underground Far East Command Centre (The Battle Box), underground bunkers used by Lieutenant General Percival during the Second World War...
Walking fast the reservoir...
The Madras Thorn heritage tree...
The Portuguese tried to get into Singapore and the region in the 16th Century realising the importance of the spice trade...
The Portuguese fought with local Malays for dominance of the area, which resulted in frequent wars... And then came in the Dutch, who were then eased out by the British...
Fort Canning was built on ruins of ancient Singapore...
The British constructed their headquarters here...
The Treaty of 1824 ceding Singapore to the British was signed here..., here on Bukit Larangan!
A pit stop to relax a bit, before proceeding into Downtown!
The Time Ball - Keeping time in British Singapore!
The Fort Canning Flagstaff is testimony to Singapore's maritime heritage!
The South Battery - defending Singapore since the 19th Century!
Drenched in sweat, thanks to the hot humid weather, I gave the The House On The Hill a pass... This was the abode of Sir Stamford Raffles in Singapore...
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