Fort Canning Park

Today, I'm going to take you on a trail to Fort Canning Park - a park located on a small hill in the southeast portion of the island of Singapore - which history wrote as a 'Forbidden Hill' but now Singapore's most historic landmark. It was here that Sir Stamford Raffles, a British statesman who was best known for his founding of Singapore, built his first bungalow and set up the first botanical garden in 1822.





But in late 1859, Sir Raffles residence was demolished due to increase in security concerns and was later converted into a fort named Fort Canning in honour of Viscount Charles John Canning, Governor-General and first Viceroy of India. It became an artillery fort and served as the headquarters for British Army until the spread of World War II into the Asia Pacific in 1941. The transformation saw the addition of barracks, 9-pound cannon, time ball, flag staff, lighthouse, telegraph office, office quarters and a hospital.

Battle Box

An underground bunker called the Battle Box located some 9-meters below the ground could also be found here. It became the latest military operation complex in Singapore and was part of the Malaya Command Headquarters during World War II. The most notable surrender of Lieutenant-General Percival to the Japanese was also made in this place.

Gothic Gate

I had fun!

This half a day tour to the Fort Canning was something I could easily undertake at my own pace and of course free of charge! I entered the park through a Gothic Gate (one of the landmarks of this park) that welcomed me to a beautiful lush greenery and sloping expansive lawns. An unexpected glance at this magnificent Music and Drama Society Building (Fort Canning Center) captivated my attention immediately as it looked absolutely stunning on top of the hill. The building presently houses a hub of cultural and artistic activities like NParks Visitor Center, function rooms, theatre facilities, modern performing arts company and a professional culinary academy. The lawn in front of the building is a popular venue for concerts and music festivals like the Singapore's largest music festival called WOMAD.

Marching up the brick path that led to the top of the hill, I gazed upon the walls surrounding the outdoor performance field that sloped from the Music and Drama Building and noticed tombstones set up into the walls. Apparently, Fort Canning was also a site for European cemetery but with the passage of time and the gravestones had become dilapidated, they were removed and set up into the walls instead.

Moving up, I stumbled upon two, white dome-shaped shelters called Cupolas, most probably meant as places for rest and contemplation on the hill during that time. These Cupolas were designed by Singapore's first architect and Raffles' consultant on the first Town Plan named, George Coleman. He also designed the Armenian Church and the Singapore's Parliament House.

On my way up, I made a small detour to visit the Spice Garden, a small replica of the original garden established by Raffles in 1822. After which, I stumbled upon this terrace house that had a coffin in the center! Seriously! I was hesitant to go near at first but after reading the information about it, I came to realize that it served a great significance to the Malay tradition. It was popularly regarded as a 'keramat', an auspicious place to visit where some people believed they could ask for specific favors. It was also claimed that this site was the burial place of Rajah Iskandar Syah who was the last of the five Kings who ruled Singapore during 14th century though he made an escape and founded another kingdom called Melaka (now Malacca) while Singapore was under attack by an enemy.

Upon reaching the summit of the hill, I found this 9-Pound Cannon that dated back to the 19th century and had become obsolete before the fortification at the Fort Canning was constructed.

The Fort Wall could be found at this old pathway beneath the shady and quiet environment, a perfect place for rest and contemplation, where stone benches were found at the side. The low, thick wall was meant to withstand artillery bombardment during that time. Being on a hill, the place was ideal for spotting invaders from the sea but defending Singapore? Disputable!

Take a few moments to observe the trees around the park. They were of ages but shady and photographic! 

Walk back to Singapore colonial days by visiting the Fort Canning Park. This is definitely a place in Singapore where her first colonial history abounds. The Singapore National Museum is just a stone's throw away so if you want to expand more your knowledge about this country, take a short trip to the National Museum nearby. That should give you double treat in one location.

The Death Trap on the Bridge One Fine Night

Located on the mainland Southeast Asia between Thailand to the west and north and Vietnam to the east and southeast is the humble yet rich in historical significance country of Cambodia. Its capital city is Phnom Penh and its nationality is known as Khmer. Siam Reap is the gateway to the Angkor region, a main destination for tourism where the temple of Angkor Wat is situated.

Why do I introduce you to Cambodia?

It's not that I had traveled to this country recently, but my instinctive interest to put travel through global news that had recently stirred my attention to relay to you the shocking buzz I heard on  television news program as well as read on the internet and newspapers. Yes, it had been a big headline these past two days and it sparked a notion for me to share it on my blog somehow.

What am I talking about?

"It's the Cambodia Bridge Tragedy."

It all happened Monday night, 22 November of 2010, when a third of the country's 14 million population thronged to the capital city to witness the last night of the Cambodia's Water Festival, the largest annual festival in Southeast Asian nation. Apparently, thousands of people were trying to reach Diamond Island, a small stretch of land owned by a local bank and filled with new exhibition centres, restaurants and entertainment areas, via the bridge that connects the capital to Koh Pich or Diamond Island. The island was mostly popular among women shoppers especially during the festival when retailers offered discounts on clothing and other goods. But the merriment turned horribly tragic as thousands of people pushed and shoved in opposite directions, squeezing their way through the crowd while on the bridge to get to the man-made Diamond Island, when someone reportedly shouted that the bridge was about to collapse, sending confusion to all the visitors that swiftly turned into mass panic with people getting knocked down, crushed underfoot and others jumped or gotten pushed to the river. Death toll has risen up to 456 as of today with still many more others injured.

There were horrific footage showing twisted bodies - both alive and dead - piled on one another as I glued my eyes on the television watching the appalling stampede tragedy which was one of the world's worst stampede in history since 2006, when 362 Muslim pilgrims were crushed to death while performing a stoning ritual at the entrance to the Jamarat Bridge near Mecca in Saudi Arabia. To the country of Cambodia, it was its biggest tragedy in more than 31 years after the Pol Pot regime, referring to the Khmer Rouge, whose agrarian revolution from 1975 - 1979 killed an estimated 1.7 million people in Cambodia under the command of Pol Pot.   

Watching the footage on television as I tuned in to the news channel sent shivers to my spine! I really felt for the families who had lost their loved ones because of this tragedy and I send them my heartfelt condolences. This was yet another lives lost in this unfortunate tragic circumstance.

Japanese Garden in Singapore

In contrast to the visual grandeur of Chinese Garden in Singapore, the Japanese Garden is more abstruse and enigmatic, simple yet beautiful, designed primarily for the tranquil sanctuary that allows individuals to escape from the stresses of daily life. It is a perfect venue for poetic inspiration, relaxation and meditation.





In Japanese culture, garden-making is a high art. The gardening techniques are based on the ones which prevailed from the period of Muromachi (1392 - 1568) to the period of Momoyama (1568 - 1615) in Japan. 





Though the Japanese Garden can't compete with the attention with which The Chinese Garden is expended, it is utterly successful in capturing the hearts of its visitors, giving them an unruffled setting with serene landscape and peaceful surroundings.





The Japanese Garden is also known as Seiwaen and is joined to the Chinese Garden by the bridge of Double Beauty.

Below is a picture of a Torii Gates, a traditional Japanese gate commonly found at the entry to a Shinto shrine  and some Buddhist temples. Torri marks the evolution from the sacred or shrine world to the profane or normal world. Those who have been successful with their businesses often donate a torii in gratitude.

The red-colored arch bridge below is a fabulous piece of art in the Japanese Garden. It brings beauty and life to the simplicity of the garden's overall landscape.

The outline of the setting sun blurs as the bright yellow blends with the flaming red. The heat of the day gradually dissipates when the whole place is bathed in a tangerine glow as the sun sinks into the bank of clouds. It is a marvelous scene at the garden, a perfect setting for all avid photographers. This has obviously dug the poetic side of me!

The garden is generously decorated with Stone Lanterns, like the one in the picture below, which are commonly found within Japanese Gardens. There is a popular story that the first stone lantern constructed in Japan was erected in the start of the seventh century by Prince Iruhiko, son of the Emperor Sniko, at a cloistered lake-side spot in the province of Kawachi, to guard against robbers that beset the locality.

The landscape is also dotted with traditional rest houses like the one in the picture below.

A day at the Japanese Garden will revitalize your senses and inner soul. Here you can find peace and tranquility, freedom and inspiration. The garden is also a good place for a jog or taichi or just a quite stroll with your loved ones. So if you are visiting Singapore on a nice day, hop on to the MRT train and stop at the Chinese Garden Station and access the Japanese Garden via the east entrance, then  find the bridge that connects the Chinese Garden to the Japanese Garden and enjoy an endless scenery of wonder.

Chinese Garden in Singapore

Built in 1975 and designed by Professor Yuen-chen Yu, a well-known architect from Taiwan, is a virtual place of peace and tranquility - the Chinese Garden in Jurong, west of Singapore. I certainly found a small portion of China in this place! 





Chinese Garden replicates the classical northern Chinese imperial  architectural style, built with carefully arranged plants, rocks, wood, water features and the integration of splendid architectural features like the twin pagodas, High-Rise Pagoda, pavilions, rockeries, arched bridges and tea houses, all in a small island in the middle of Jurong Lake.





It is conveniently located next to Chinese Garden MRT Station and connected to the adjacent Japanese Garden by a bridge.





The main attractions of this place are the mesmerizing greenery and the beautifully designed traditional Chinese architecture called the Yao - Yueh Fang or also known as Stone Boat, the Ming Hsiang Hsieh, also known as Tea house, the beautiful twin pagodas and the magnificent High-Rise Pagoda. With all these wonderful structures in the garden, they absolutely give colors and life to the overall setting of this awe-inspiring place.





The journey starts at the main entrance in the west of the garden. Here, you will be greeted by the two cloudy-grained marble stone lions guarding the main gates of the garden. Lions represent authority and fealty by Chinese that is why you often see them place at the entrance area.

Chinese Garden main entrance

As you step inside, you will find a fabulous bridge rising several feet high that spans across the sleeping lake.

The arched bridge is known as the 'Pang Hung Ch'iao' bridge or the white rainbow, 13-Arch Bridge that resembles the 17-Arch Bridge at the Summer Palace in Peking, China. Shorter it may be than the one seen in China this brilliant architecture sets forth a typically designed Chinese bridge and promises to captivate the visitors on any angle they wish to photograph it.

As you walk along the bridge, you will find a picturesque view of Twin Pagodas at the distance to your left. 

In ancient Chinese culture, apparently the pagoda was used to store human bones by Bhuddhists. It was originally a simple tower located beside the temple. But with the brilliance of architectural skills incorporated with the traditional art building, the pagoda was developed into a striking architectural structure built with very intricate details of beautifully designed plums, pine and bamboo - chosen for good luck as well as balance of nature.

Walking along the bridge to your right is the scenery of a secluded Jurong Lake amidst the majestic deeply-colored green trees that had endured the passage of centuries.

Walking towards the main venue of the garden, you will be greeted by a typical scene in classical China - the acclaimed arch building - that makes it a popular spot for picture taking.

Inside the arch building are courtyards where in the middle you will find a koi pond known as "Fishes Paradise". The koi in the pond comes in every color and speckle you can imagine. It is known that the koi reigns supreme among cold water fishes kept in captivity and has long been venerated by the Chinese. "A story from  Chinese folklore tells of an industrious koi which mustered all its energy and determination to swim up the Yellow River to the T'ung Kuan Rapids, where it was transformed into a heroic dragon. Hence the koi symbolises success through hardwork."  

Exiting the courtyard is another attraction called 'The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum", which exhibits different species of turtles and tortoises. This museum is courtesy of a father and daughter's love for collecting turtles and tortoises that eventually made their collection the largest in the world according to the Guinness World Records, with 3, 456 collections which includes 1000 live specimens, all housed in the museum.

The way you are led around by intriguing paths and tempting glimpses of future delights is indeed interesting. After the museum to your right, you will stumble upon the statue of the great Chinese philosopher, Confucius. 

Confucius real named was actually Kong, but his disciples called him 'Kung-fu-tse', which means Kung The Master that later latinized into Confucius by the Jesuit missionaries. His philosophy is based on the virtues that are required for everyday living that include modesty, planning, respect, moral behavior, honesty and sincerity apart from common sense. He said that by adapting these values was the only way a human being could lead a good life.

Moving forward you will find a beautiful floating structure on the pool of water known as "Yao-Yueh Fang" or Stone Boat, a famous traditional feature of Chinese architecture. Here in Chinese Garden in Singapore, its style is based on the one found in Peking China, but with some modifications in the design and the materials used which make it more splendid and captivating.

Moving along you will see the 'Ming Hsiang Hsieh' or Tea House, a miniature structure that follows the style of the elaborately intricate and often excessively detailed, winding gallery at the Summer Palace in Beijing. It's definitely one of the wonderful thing you can find at the Chinese Garden.

A walk at the Bonsai Garden, around the lush lawns, dotted with artful bonsais, will quickly teleport you into a serene and calm realm. The Bonsai Garden is the largest such garden outside China. It has an extensive collection of 'pen jing', meaning miniature nature in a pot and also incorporates a Suzhou-style architectural structure. The beautiful landscape houses a collection of over 2,000 bonsais imported from China and other parts of the world.

Miniature Rocks

Water Feature

This is the bridge that connects the Chinese Garden to the Japanese Garden on the other island.

The most magnificent structure you will find, situated on the small hill in the Chinese Garden is the 'Ru Yun Ta' or the High-Rise Pagoda. Its design follows the style of Ling Ku Temple Pagoda at Nanjing.

Pagodas are essentially towers with multiple tiers, each one marked out by eaves and often with a finial, or decorated pinnacle.

The High-Rise Pagoda in the Chinese Garden offers a panoramic, 360-degree view of the entire garden, Jurong Lake and parts of Jurong high-rise residential buildings.

Below are photos of the beautiful sceneries you will capture standing at the top of the High-Rise Pagoda.

After spending some time at the High-Rise Pagoda, you can come face to face with the statue of eight legendary heroes namely, Lin Zexu, Zheng He, Wen Tianxiang, Yue Fei, Hua Mulan, Guan Yu, Qu Yuan and Kong Zi  in the Ixora Garden. The statues have been relocated from the Sculpture Garden in Marina City Park in 2007.

After quite a generous learning from the eight legendary heroes, the journey continues till you stumble upon the  Twin Pagodas. This is where the tour around Chinese Garden ends.

It was fun indeed strolling around Chinese Garden. I learned a lot and captured hundreds of interesting photos. I do hope you'll give Chinese Garden a stop when touring Singapore. It surely will make the most of your time.

This and That

Some Jack-O-Lantern carving pictures.
On our first cool day I made some hot spiced tea and C drank it up
in his tiny little cup like Grandpa.

People say that we live in the best small town in Texas. I guess so! Our firemen come right into the house and carry the trash out for us! That's service!

For Halloween supper I made Mummies. I said, "I guess I could cut them in half and do them at Christmas and they could be baby Jesus in swaddling clothes."

But Hubby said, "I wouldn't want to eat Jesus!"

We finally got a good bit of rain. I keep getting in trouble for letting C leave his wagon out where it can get rained in. Oopsie.