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Landmarks and Memorials |
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Before
Singapore assumed self-government in 1959 and became a fully
independent Republic in 1965, the island was a British colony and
traces of its colonial heritage can still be seen today. Indeed,
beneath the futuristic skyscrapers which embody modern Singapore, much
of the grand colonial charm still remains, about which Joseph Conrad
and Somerset Maugham waxed lyrical. The heart of colonial Singapore
straddles the mouth of the Singapore River, where
Raffles first landed.
A cluster of architectural legacies such as the
Parliament House,
Victoria Theatre, Singapore Cricket Club, Supreme Court and City Hall
surrounds an open expanse of green, named the Padang ("playing field"
in Malay). Not too far away, The Fullerton Hotel and the
Raffles Hotel
on Beach Road are landmark hotels which epitomise this grand old era.
Explore this interesting district on foot with the help of the Civic
District Trail walking tour map which is available at the Raffles
Hotel Museum, National Museum Shops and Visitor Information Centres.
The distinctive history of Singapore has given rise to a number of
landmarks and memorials - each a poignant reminder of a chapter of
Singapore's past. They date back as far as the British colonial period
to the Japanese
Occupation of World War II. |
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Chijmes |
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As a
national heritage site, CHIJMES (pronounced "chimes") is an attraction
offering an exciting dining, shopping, leisure and entertainment
experience. CHIJMES Hall, the restored chapel, provides a spectacular
backdrop for musicals, recitals and other theatrical performances.
Formerly one of the last few cloistered convents in the world, the
fine gothic architecture offers great photographic opportunities.
Open:
Food and beverage outlets: 11am till late (daily)
Shops and boutiques: 11am - 10pm (daily)
Location: 30
Victoria Street Singapore 187996
Tel: (65) 6336 1818
Fax: (65) 6334 3801
Getting There:
Take the MRT to City Hall Station (EW13/NS25). Walk along Stamford
Road and turn right at the junction of Stamford Road and Victoria
Street.
Click here to
view MRT route map.
Accessibility for the physically disabled:
The following information is obtained from Access Singapore.
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Entrance facing Victoria Street -
Accessible to wheelchair and ambulant-disabled.
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Entrance facing Raffles City - Access
by kerb ramp. Accessible to wheelchair and ambulant-disabled.
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Entrance facing Bras Basah Road -
Accessible to ambulant-disabled. Steps/Kerb (No ramp provided).
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Reserved disabled car park lot -
Basement 2. Accessible to wheelchair and ambulant-disabled.
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Accessibility within the premises -
Access to wheelchair is limited and assistance may be required.
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Lifts - Located at the Gallery with
access to Basement 1, Level 1 and 2. However, the Gallery is not
accessible to the disabled. Access to wheelchair is limited and
assistance may be required. Accessible to ambulant-disabled.
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Public toilets for the disabled
located at Level 1 (East Manor) - Accessible to wheelchair and
ambulant-disabled.
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Public toilets for the disabled
located at Level 1 (West Manor) - Accessible to ambulant-disabled.
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Public toilets for the disabled
located at Basement 1 (West Manor) - Accessible to
ambulant-disabled.
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Eating outlets - Kerb at the entrance
is found at most restaurants. Access to wheelchair is limited and
assistance may be required. Accessible to ambulant-disabled.
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Public telephone - Access to
wheelchair is limited and assistance may be required. Accessible to
ambulant-disabled.
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Taxi stand - Nil
Web sites :
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Dalhousie Obelisk |
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Situated on the
banks of the Singapore River near Empress Place, the memorial
commemorates the visit to Singapore in 1850 by Marquis Dalhousie,
Governor-General of India.
Location: Empress Place
Getting There: Take the MRT to Raffles Place Station
(EW14/NS26) and walk across Cavenagh Bridge. |
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Istana |
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The Istana (or
"palace" in Malay) is built on an old nutmeg plantation and was the
former official residence of the representative of the British Crown.
Today, the Istana is the official residence of the President of
Singapore, and the public gets to walk its expansive grounds only five
times a year.
Classical in style, ranging from the ornate Victorian Renaissance to
the simpler Roman Classical with touches of Gothic, Chinese, Malay and
other influences, the Istana is indeed an imposing building. Walk the
stately grounds and be impressed by the gardens where the
superintendents of the Singapore Botanic Gardens have personally
planted most of the rare plants. Lay your picnic mat, listen to the
marching rhythm of the brass bands and soak up the lively atmosphere.
Open: Accessible to the public only on selected dates of the
year.
Location: Orchard Road
Getting there: Take the MRT to Dhoby Ghaut Station (NS24) and
walk across Orchard Road. |
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Lau Pa Sat |
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Lau Pa Sat is
the largest remaining Victorian filigree cast-iron structure in
Southeast Asia. Located in the heart of Singapore's business district,
it is a favourite meeting place of the locals. Built in 1894, Lau Pa
Sat was a wet market and has now been restored and converted into a
food centre offering a wide variety of local food.
Location: Boon Tat Street
Getting There: Take the MRT to Raffles Place Station
(EW14/NS26) and walk towards Robinson Road. |
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Merlion Park |
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THE
MERLION
The Merlion celebrated its 30th birthday on September 15, 2002. Now
located in a new 2,500 square metre park adjacent to One Fullerton,
overlooking the Marina Bay, the Merlion has been cleaned and restored.
The entire process from the moving of the Merlion to the completion of
the restoration works, spanned from April to September 2002. On
September 15, 2002, Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew officially opened the
new Merlion Park and inaugurated the restored Merlion at its new home.
The historic occasion was attended by 300 guests from the tourism
industry, government agencies, major tour operators and journalists
from 28 media outlets over 8 countries, who were specially flown in by
the Singapore Tourism Board for the event. The Merlion statue was
first inaugurated on September 15, 1972, by Mr Lee Kuan Yew, then the
Prime Minister of Singapore.
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Its First Home
The Merlion and the Cub were originally located by the Esplanade
Bridge, just 120 metres from their present location. Also called the
Merlion Park, the area soon became a popular tourist attraction and
took its place among the famous landmarks of great cities of the
world. Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the then Prime Minister of Singapore,
officiated the installation ceremony of the Merlion on 15 September
1972. A bronze plaque commemorated the auspicious occasion with the
inscription, "The Merlion has been erected as a symbol to welcome
all visitors to Singapore". On the 21st year of the Merlion, the
Park was refurbished and re-opened in September 1993. Today, the
Merlion attracts more than one million visitors a year who make the
trip to the Merlion Park to photograph this world famous icon.
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Its
Origins
The Merlion was designed as an
emblem for the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in 1964. The designer
was Mr Fraser Brunner, a member of the souvenir committee and a
curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium. On 20 July 1966, the Merlion was
registered as the trademark of STB.
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It
Physical Form
The Merlion statues were built by
the late Singapore craftsman, Mr Lim Nang Seng, who had won several
prizes in the Singapore Handicraft and Design Competition organised
by the STB in 1970. The Merlion statue measures 8.6 metres high,
weighs 70 tonnes and is made of cement fondue. It was installed at
the mouth of the Singapore River. Throughout the day it spouted
water. At night, the Merlion was floodlit. A smaller Merlion statue
was also built by Mr Lim and located at the same site 28m behind its
bigger counterpart. The Merlion Cub measures two metres high and
weighs three tonnes. The body is made of cement fondue, the skin
from porcelain plates and eyes from small red teacups. The Cub also
spouted water and was installed in a water pool feature.
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It
Significance
The design of the Merlion
incorporates fact and legend. It has a lion head and a fish body
resting on a crest of waves. The lion head symbolises the legend of
the rediscovery of Singapura, as recorded in the "Malay Annals". In
ancient times, Singapore was known as Temasek, a Javanese word for
sea. Back then, the island was already a thriving centre of trade.
At the end of the 4th century A.D, Temasek was destroyed. According
to some historians, the conquerors were the Siamese, but other
records trace this to the Javanese. In the 11th century A.D, Prince
Sang Nila Utama of the Sri Vijaya Empire rediscovered the island.
When the Prince first landed on Singapore's shores, he sighted a
mystical beast which he later learnt was a lion. The Prince then
decided to name the island "Singapura" which in Sanskrit means Lion
(Singa) City (Pura). The fish tail of the Merlion symbolises the
ancient city of Temasek and represents Singapore's humble beginnings
as a fishing village.
RELOCATION
The opening of the Esplanade Bridge on 2 August 1997, triggered
off a hunt for an alternative home for the Merlion. The objective was
to ensure the Merlion continued to enjoy a prominent location, and
visitors an unobstructed view of this tourism icon. At the end of an
exhaustive two-year search involving nine possible locations, the site
adjacent to One Fullerton was chosen as the new home for the Merlion.
This site is 120 metres from the Merlion's original home. It has an
unobstructed view of the entire Marina Bay. It also has the impressive
city skyline including The Fullerton Singapore, as its backdrop.
NEW HOME
Location
The Merlion's new home is adjacent to One
Fullerton, on a newly constructed 2,500 square metre park. The area
comprises a promontory with terraced seating, and a viewing deck to
hold up to 300 people. The viewing deck provides photographers with
unrivalled vistas of the Merlion against the city skyline and the
scenic Marina Bay, including landmarks such as The Fullerton Singapore
and Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay. The viewing deck doubles up as a
venue for outdoor performances. The new Merlion Park is Singapore's
latest free-access recreation area. The Merlion rests on a pedestal of
glass sculptured waves, that is illuminated at night. The Merlion Cub
is located
28 metres behind the Merlion. Pump systems for the Merlion and
the Merlion cub have been installed to enable both to spout water
throughout the day and night.
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Boat Landing
Point
The Merlion Park has a landing point for boats. This enables
visitors to travel up the Singapore River by river taxis to the
Merlion Park.
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F&B and other
amenities
One Fullerton has a choice of restaurants and nightclubs. Ample
carparking facilities and other public amenities are also available.
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Cost to build
The cost of the relocation and the new home for the Merlion was SGD
7.5 million.
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Its First Ever
Journey
The Merlion made its first journey in 30 years. The relocation
process of the Merlion took place between 23 and 25 April 2002. The
process involved:
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hoisting the Merlion onto the barge
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sailing the barge to the foot of the Esplanade
Bridge
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hoisting the Merlion over the bridge back onto the
barge
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installing the Merlion at its new home
RESTORATION
Restoration of Merlion and Merlion Cub
The Merlion and Merlion cub have been carefully restored and
cleaned up. The process, completed in August 2002, was undertaken by
contractors who worked closely with the family of the late sculptor
Lim Nang Seng and artist Chern Lian Shan. The Merlion was washed and
stripped of its old coat of paint and stains. The Merlion cub had its
old damaged porcelain tiles replaced by new pieces of porcelain
plates, bowls, spoons and ash trays donated by The Fullerton
Singapore. Glass sculptured waves in hues of blue were built at the
base of the Merlion and the cub. These waves are illuminated by
spotlights. A new improved water pump system was also installed to
enable the Merlion to spout water. The system consists of two pump
units especially designed for pumping sea water. The pump units work
alternately, with one on standby at any one time. There are two
operating programmes for the Merlion's water spout: a 15 metre jet and
an eight metre jet. The Merlion cub has a similar water spout that
spouts treated water instead of sea water. The Merlion's spout is
contained within the pool feature it sits in.
In addition to the water spout, both the Merlion and the Merlion cub
have cascading water overflowing from their wave-like pedestals.
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Old Parliament House and
The Elephant Statue |
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Designed and
built by George Coleman as a colonial mansion in 1827, this is
Singapore's oldest government building. It was the former home of
Singapore's democratically-elected Parliament. Visitors to the stately
building are greeted by a bronze elephant statue, a gift from King
Chulalongkorn of Siam in 1871. Singapore's Parliament has shifted to
new premises at 1 Parliament Place, just a short walk away.
Location: Empress Place
Getting There: Take the MRT to Raffles Place Station
(EW14/NS26) and walk across Cavenagh Bridge. |
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Parliament House |
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Parliament House is home
to Singapore's democratically-elected Parliament. All Parliament
sittings are open to the public. During sittings, simultaneous
interpretation of the debates (in English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil)
is provided.
Open:
On sitting days (no appointment necessary) On non-sitting days: By
appointment only. Please contact Clerk-of-Parliament Tel: (65) 6336
8811, Fax: (65) 6332 5526
Location:
1 Parliament Place
Getting There: Take the MRT to City Hall Station (EW13/NS25)
and walk towards North Bridge Road or take SBS Bus 174 from Orchard
Road. |
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Raffles Hotel |
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Built in
1887, this grand Old Lady of the East is one the world's last great
19th century hotels. The hotel is a favourite retreat of writers and
movie stars and home of the Singapore Sling, a celebrated cocktail.
Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad and Charlie Chaplin
were among its most illustrious guests. An extensive SGD 160 million
face-lift has given the hotel back its old, unique charm and majesty.
This all-suite hotel is adjoined by a brand new arcade built in the
same colonial style. It includes a museum featuring memorabilia from a
bygone era, a Victorian-style playhouse named Jubilee Hall, 70 retail
shops featuring famous brands like Tiffany's and Louis Vuitton as well
boutiques and specialty stores from the region.
Location: 1 Beach Road, Singapore 189673
Tel: (65) 6337 1886
Fax: (65) 6339 7650
Email:
raffles@raffles.com
Getting There: Take the MRT to City Hall Station (EW13/NS25)
and walk towards Beach Road.
Web
sites :
Raffles Hotel
(http://www.raffleshotel.com) |
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Statues of Sir Stamford
Raffles |
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The statue of
Singapore's founder, Sir Stamford Raffles, cast in dark bronze by
Thomas Woolner stands in front of Victoria Theatre. Its replica, made
of pure white polymarble stands at North Boat Quay, at an area
colloquially known as Raffles Landing Site, as this is the spot where
Raffles is believed to have first stepped ashore.
Location: North Boat Quay
Getting There: Take the MRT to Raffles Place MRT Station
(EW14/NS26) and walk across Cavenagh Bridge. |
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Sun Yat Sen Nanyang
Memorial Hall |
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A
national monument, the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall tells a story
of heroism, nationalism and armed struggle of the Chinese
Revolutionary Alliance in Southeast Asia. Formerly known as Wan Qing
Yuan (which means 'a haven of peace in the twilight years'), it was
the headquarters of the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance which raised
support throughout Southeast Asia for the revolution that ended the
Qing dynastic rule and heralded the start of modern China. The garden
of this elegant colonial-style villa features a number of sculptures.
There is the stone stele measuring 3.5 metres tall and weighing 16,000
kilogrammes, the bronze statue of Dr. Sun Yat Sen and a 25-metre long
bronze mural.
Two levels of galleries include:
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Hall of Peace
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Passage of History
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Gallery of Endeavour
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Hall of Wisdom
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Passage Through the Eras
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The Singapore Gallery
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The Nanyang Gallery
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The Testament Gallery
Open:
9am - 5pm Tuesdays to Sundays. Closed on Mondays.
Admission: SGD 2 per person
Approximate Touring Time: 2 hours
Location: 12 Tai Gin Road (off Ah Hood Road), Singapore 327874
Tel: (65) 6256 7377, Fax: (65) 6256 7677
Getting There: Take the MRT to Toa Payoh (NS19) and board SBS
139 and 145, alight at the 3rd bus stop after the Toa Payoh Bus
Interchange. Alternatively, take SBS 21 and 131 from Thomson Road
opposite the Novena MRT Station (NS20) and alight at Balestier Road
opposite the Moulmein Community Centre.
Web sites :
Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
(http://wanqingyuan.com.sg) |
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Supreme Court and City
Hall |
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Built in 1939, this stately building
with its Corinthian columns, spacious interiors which feature murals
by Italian artist, Cavalieri Rodolfo Nolli, and classic design, make
the Supreme Court building one of the finest buildings ever built
during the British Rule of Singapore. Beside the Supreme Court is City
Hall, Which was built in 1929 and was the site of the Japanese
surrender to Lord Mountbatten in 1945 during World War II.
Visitors are welcome to attend all open court hearings unless
otherwise ordered and to tour the premises. However, visitors are
requested to be appropriately attired (no shorts, singlets or
slippers). Photographic and video equipment are not allowed on the
premises and other electronic equipment such as handphones and pagers
must be turned off or switched to silent mode. There are permanent
exhibits on the history of the Courts on the ground floor of the
Supreme Court Building, a multi-media gallery with corporate video
screenings as well as interactive electronic information kiosks. Don't
forget to pick up a copy of the "Guide to Supreme Court, Singapore".
Open: 8.30am - 5pm (Mon-Fri), 8.30am - 1pm (Sat)
Admission: Free
Location: St Andrew's Road
Getting There: Take the MRT to City Hall Station (EW13/NS25) and
walk along St Andrew's Road towards the Padang.
Web sites :
Supreme Court and City Hall
(http://www.supcourt.gov.sg/) |
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 Information
provided by
Singapore Tourism Board. |
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