Fort Canning

History

In around 1330, the Chinese traveller Wang Dayuan visited the island of Singapore, then called Temasek, and described in his work Daoyi Zhilüe the two distinct settlements of Temasek: Longyamen and Banzu. Banzu was described as being located on a hill behind Longyamen, and it is thought that Banzu is today's Fort Canning Hill, In contrast to the inhabitants of Longyamen who were described as being prone to acts of piracy, the people of Banzu were described as honest. The people were said to "wear their hair short, with turban of gold-brocaded satin", and they also wore red-coloured cloths and had a leader. It is now believed that the entire Fort Canning Hill area was once occupied by a palace with various buildings of political, religious and commercial significance.

Historical sources also indicate that around the end of the 14th century, Singapura was attacked by either the Majapahit or the Siamese, forcing its ruler Parameswara to move on to Melaka where he founded the Sultanate of Malacca. 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 who also found shards of pottery and Chinese coins, the earliest of which dating to 10th century Song Dynasty. Crawfurd described the ruins of a brick building on a square terrace 40 feet (12 m) square near the top of the hill, with another terrace almost as big on the northern slope of the hill which was said to the tombs of Malay kings. In 1928, several pieces of Javanese-style gold ornaments dating to the mid-14th century were discovered at Fort Canning Hill while workers were excavating for a reservoir.

Banzu is likely a transcription of the Malay word pancur meaning a spring or stream. A 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 the 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.

Raffles, impressed by the historic significance of the hill and the commanding view it offered over the colony he had established, built his first residence on the hill. The residence was also used by other Residents and Governors of Singapore, thus the location gained the name Government Hill. A keen botanist, 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.

A Christian cemetery used to exist on the hill, serving as the burial ground for early Europeans in Singapore. Later the cemetery was moved further down the hill. A Gothic gateways built by Captain Charles Edward Faber in 1846, two classical monuments, and some headstones placed along brick walls remain at the site.

Fortification

By 1859, increased security concerns led to the hill taking on a military role with the demolition of the governor's residence, and the building of a fort with an arms store, barracks and a hospital. 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 old fort was later demolished, and a military headquarters was built with underground rooms serving as operations centre. Under the British Army, it served as the headquarters of the Singapore Base District until the spread of World War II into the Asia Pacific in 1941. In February 1942, Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival established his command post of the Malayan Command at the fort in his ill-fated attempts to defend the island from the invading Japanese forces. 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.

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 SAF proceeded to build the Singapore Command and Staff College on the fort, which officially opened on 13 February 1970.

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 Park. The park was then renamed Fort Canning Park on 1 November 1981 by Lee Kuan Yew, and converted into an historical park.

Fort Canning today

The park overlooks Orchard Road and is set in the heart of the Civic and Cultural District of Singapore, and it now offers a variety of recreational 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, lush greenery and expansive lawns has made Fort Canning a hub of cultural and artistic activity. It has been a venue of choice for staging myriad outdoor events and activities like theatre carnivals, art festivals, starlight cinemas and Ballet Under the Stars performances. WOMAD, Singapore's largest music festival, was a regular feature of the park's calendar of events from 1998 to 2007. The Fort Canning Tunnel passes directly under the hill.

Highlights

Some points of interest that may be found in the park: