Fort Canning is a small hill in the southeast portion of Singapore, within the Central Area that forms Singapore's central business district. Although small in size, Fort Canning has a long association with the history of Singapore, due to its elevation over the city's civic district.
At the time when Stamford Raffles arrived in Singapore, Fort Canning Hill was called Bukit Larangan, meaning "Forbidden Hill" in Malay. Raffles was told that the local settlers were afraid of climbing the hill because they believed it was a holy site where the palace of their ancestral kings were located. At the southern slope of the hill is Keramat Iskandar Shah, venerated by the locals as the grave of the last Malay king of the island. You can also visit the Fort Canning Archaeological Excavation Site, to view what archaeologists have uncovered of pre-colonial Singapore.
Archaeological excavation of Fort Canning Hill indeed revealed ruins of ancient brick buildings validating the folklore. Little was known about these ruins, however, or the connection to the hill's ancient history. Relics uncovered suggested the existence of a settlement at the hill, and possibly Singapore's pre-colonial involvement as a regional trading hub. It was probably overcome by invading foreign forces around the 14th century.
Previously, Fort Canning Hill was called Government Hill, but was renamed Fort Canning after Lord Charles John Canning, the Governor General of India. Fort Canning was part of the fortification of 19th century Singapore which included Fort Fullerton, Fort Palmer, Fort Teregah and Fort Faber. The construction of Fort Canning required that the top of the hill be levelled, to create a 3-hectare area. The fortifications at Fort Canning are still visible, including its Sally Port and pill boxes. One of the most visible remnants of the fortification is the Fort Canning Gate.
By the slope of Fort Canning is the British Army barracks called Fort Canning Centre. It is today occupied by performing arts companies. In the lawn of the Fort Canning Centre are cupolas designed by George Coleman, who designed several buildings and churches in Singapore.
A lighthouse was built at Fort Canning in 1903. It replaces the Fullerton Lighthouse and was used from 1903 to 1958. Most of the fort was demolished in 1926 when Fort Canning Reservoir was built.
Today Fort Canning Park overlooks Orchard Road and offers a variety of recreational activities as well as historical, educational, entertainment and cultural experiences. The park also serves as a green lung for Singapore's downtown area. Among the
Find the lowest price of hotel rooms from different Hotel Booking websites. Our free Hotel Search Engine lets you compare room rates from different booking sites. Just key in your visiting City. You'd be glad to do your homework!
AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. Reasonable care is taken to check and verify the accuracy of the content. AsiaExplorers disclaims responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the tips and advice provided directly or indirectly by this website. All pages may be printed out for your own personal, non-commercial use. Photographs not credited to a third party belong to Timothy Tye and may not be reused in any form unless you are first given permission. Write in to inquire if interested. Third party photographs are governed by their respective licenses. The author is a Christian. Click here if you are interested to know more about his Christian beliefs. To contact AsiaExplorers, use the following email address:
