Fort Canning Hill
Fort Canning Hill | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 156 feet (48 m) |
Coordinates | 1°17′40″N 103°50′49″E / 1.29444°N 103.84694°E |
Naming | |
Native name | Bukit Larangan (Malay) |
Geography | |
Location | Museum Planning Area, Singapore |
Parent range | 18 hectares (180,000 m2) |
Geology | |
Mountain type | hill |
Fort Canning Hill, formerly Government Hill, Singapore Hill and Bukit Larangan (Forbidden Hill in Malay), or simply known as Fort Canning, is a prominent hill, about 48 metres (157 ft) high, in the southeast portion of Singapore, within the Central Area that forms Singapore's central business district.
The hill has a long history intertwined with that of the country due to its location as the highest elevation within walking distance to the city's civic district, within the Downtown Core. It is also a popular location for exhibitions, concerts and outdoor recreation.
Etymology
It was named after
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
History
Part of the Early history of Singapore | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Topynymy | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Malay Annals | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Archaeology in Singapore | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Singapore portal | ||||||||||
Temasek/Ban Zu
It is believed that the Fort Canning Hill area was once the centre of
Historical sources also indicate that around the end of the 14th century, Singapura was attacked by either the
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.[13]
Early colonial period
On 6 February 1819,
While Raffles was still in
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.[15]
Raffles' former residence was extended and redesigned by Coleman with bricks and tiles in June 1824, as funded by the 2nd Resident
On 2 August 1824, Temenggong Abdul Rahman, Sultan Hussein and John Crawfurd signed the
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.[17] 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.[18] 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.[17] 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
In 1907, the old fort was demolished, and only the gateway of the fort and two nine-pound cannons remain.
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
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.[22] 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.[23] 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.[24]
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
Fort Canning Park
Fort Canning Park | |
---|---|
Type | Historic park |
Location | Fort Canning Hill, Singapore |
Nearest city | Downtown Core |
Area | 18 hectares (180,000 m2) |
Opened | 1 November 1981 |
Managed by | National Parks Board |
Status | Open |
Public transit access | DT20 Fort Canning DT21 Bencoolen |
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, and converted into a historical park.[1]
The park overlooks
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.[29][30]
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.[31]
Highlights
Some points of interest that may be found in the park:[32][33]
- Underground Far East Command Centre (bunkersat Fort Canning as his commanding base.
- Sally Port: The fort, 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 fortresson 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 of guns was mounted to defend Singapore in the 19th century.
- Spice Garden: The garden is a seeds to be planted in the garden.
- Gothic Gates: These imposing and sombre gateways in gothic 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 word for Jesus.
- Fort Canning Green: A former graveyard for Christian graves.
- Cupolas: The 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 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.
- Raffles House: Sir Stamford Raffles 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.[1] 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 Melaka 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.[12]
- Archaeological Excavation Site: In 1984, archaeologist John Miksic and his team began an archaeological excavation that continues until today. Among the artefacts recovered were porcelain, earthenware and glass shards. These artefacts show that there could have been a palace of a Malay kingdomon 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. A series of Javanese split gates and a reflected pool are among some of the Sang Nila Utama Garden's features and architecture.[34]
- 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.[35]
See also
- Fort Canning Reservoir
- List of parks in Singapore
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Fort Canning Park". Singapore Infopedia. Natinonal Library Board.
- JSTOR 41493463.
- OCLC 504030596.
- ^ "島夷誌略: 班卒". Full original text: 地勢連龍牙門後山,若纏若斷,起凹峯而盤結,故民環居焉。田瘠,穀少登。氣候不齊,夏則多雨而微寒。俗質,披短髮,緞錦纏頭,紅紬布繫身。煮海為鹽,釀米為酒,名明家西。有酋長。地產上等鶴頂、中等降眞、木綿花。貿易之貨,用絲布、鐵條、土印布、赤金、甆器、鐵鼎之屬。 (There are some slight variations in the text from different sources.)
- ^ R.O. Winstedt (November 1928). "Gold Ornaments Dug Up at Fort Canning, Singapore'". Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 6 (4): 1–4.
- ^ Ong, NSY. "The So-Called 'Kāla Head' Armband of Temasek: A Preliminary Report" (PDF). Temasek Working Paper Series. ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ "The Archaeology". World of Temasek. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017.
- ^ "Archaeology of the "Forbidden Hill"". History SG.
- ISBN 978-9971695743.
- ISBN 978-9971694302.
- OCLC 504030596.
- ^ ISBN 978-9971695743.
- ISBN 978-9971695743.
- ^ Cornelius, Vernon (2004). "G.D.Coleman". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board.
- ^ ISBN 978-981-4068-23-9.
- ^ "The Singapore Free Press". Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 26 May 1859.
- ^ a b Chua, Alvin (2010). "Fort Canning Cemetery". Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board.
- ^ "The remnants of the Christian Cemetery on Fort Canning Hill". Roots. National Heritage Board.[permanent dead link]
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7007-1584-8.
- ^ Wong Heng (2004). "Fort Canning Bunker". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board.
- ^ "Fort Canning Bunker". Singapore Infopedia. Natinonal Library Board.
- ^ R.O. Winstedt (November 1928). "Gold Ornaments Dug Up at Fort Canning, Singapore'". Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 6 (4): 1–4.
- ^ Khoo, Kevin (2016). "Remembering Karl van Kleef and the van Kleef Aquarium". National Archives of Singapore. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
- ^ Ho, Stephanie; Koh, Jamie (2013). "Van Kleef Aquarium". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board.
- ^ "For Canning Park". National Parks.
- ^ "Singapore Dance Theatre presents Ballet Under the Stars 2016" (PDF). SDT. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- ^ "World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) Singapore". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board.
- MediaCorp Press. Archived from the originalon 30 May 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2006.
- ^ Zaccheus, Melody (3 February 2018). "Fort Canning Park to host main bicentennial showcase next year, undergo improvement works". The Straits Times. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ Chua, Alfred (3 February 2018). "S'pore's bicentennial showcase to be held at Fort Canning Park, area to be enhanced". TODAYonline. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ "New and Free Outdoor Playground @ Fort Canning for Families | Jubilee Park". BYKidO.
- ^ "Your Guide to Colonial History Trail in Fort Canning Park" (PDF). National Parks.
- ^ "Your Guide to Sculpture Trail in Fort Canning Park" (PDF). National Parks.
- ^ "Fort Canning Park Singapore - Guide And Things To Do". 12 January 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Fort Canning Lighthouse". Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. Retrieved 12 July 2022.