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Pulau Ubin – History & Mystery

Joy — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:51:54 +0000

Pulau ubin is well known as a rural getaway for many Singaporeans who come here to cycle, enjoy nature, as well as to have sumptuous seafood by the waters edge. However, there are some sites on this island that holds some history and mystery that not many people know about. Ubin also has some history related to WWII. This entry is a collective post from information I gathered from multple visits to the island.

In 1825, exactly one year after Singapore was ceded to the British, Dr John Crawfurd the Resident, made an expedition trip around the island, Pulau Ubin or Obin as it was spelt, to take formal possession of it. On 4 August 1825, they landed in Pulo Obin, hoisted a British Flag there, and fired a 21-gun salute. The occupants then were a few local woodcutters who lived in huts. It is believed that a certain Encik Endun Senin who had been living along Kallang River, had initiated the major move for local settlers to the island in the 1880s. Chinese quarry workers soon followed. In 2000, there were 250 residents on the island most of whom were fishermen.

On the evening of 7 February, 1942, during World War II, the Japanese Army occupied Pulau Ubin; and the next day, began a heavy bombardment on Changi itself. The Changi fortress artillery replied with great intensity but with little effect, destroying only rubber trees on the island. Despite these actions the Japanese had no real intentions of landing in the east. It was a tactic merely to distract the British. That night the enemy made their assault across the narrowest part of the Johore Strait, and the standby defenders of Changi had to stand idle, while the Japanese rapidly breezed through, and gained a stranglehold on the western part of Singapore island.

Ubin Jetty (1965)

Since the British founding of Singapore, the island has been known for its granite. The numerous granite quarries on the island supply the local construction industry. The granite outcrops are particularly spectacular from the sea because their grooves and fluted sides create furrows and ridges on each granite rock slab. These features are captured in John Turnbull Thomson’s 1850 painting — Grooved stones on Pulo Ubin near Singapore.

The granite from Pulau Ubin was used in the construction of Horsburgh Lighthouse. Tongkangs ferried the huge rock blocks (30 by 20 feet) from the island to Pedra Branca, the site of the lighthouse, in 1850 and 1851. Later, the granite was also used to build the Singapore-Johor Causeway.

Ubin Quarry (1911) – courtesy of National Archives of Singapore

Most of the quarries are not in operation today and are being slowly recolonised by vegetation or filled with water. Apart from quarrying, farming and fishing were the principal occupations of the inhabitants of the island in the past. It is also called Selat Tebrau (tebrau is a kind of large fish). In the 1970s as the granite quarries closed down and jobs dwindled, residents began leaving.

Located at the eastern tip of Pulau Ubin, House No. 1 is believed to be Singapore’s only remaining authentic Tudor-style house with a working fireplace. It is a A unique pre-war structure, it was variously called the English Bungalow/Cottage and House No. 1. A delightful home under pine trees, with its own jetty, it has a great view of Pulau Sekudu and mainland Singapore. The two-storey building has a lovely airy verandah and comes complete with fireplace. It was built in the 1930′s in the English Lytyenseque or Tudor style.

It was built in the 1930s by the then Chief Surveyor, Langdon Williams, as a holiday retreat. The architecture is Tudor-style, with adaptations to the tropical climate, and is similar to the cottages built in tea plantations during the British colonial era. Other accounts it was said be originally be the vacation home for the resident British medical officer. It is said the home was later taken over by a rubber company and the local rubber estate manager stayed in it.

The German Girl’s Shrine holds the remains of a German girl who died in 1914 when she accidentally fell off a steep cliff whilst running away from the British who had come to take over the plantation. It is said that her body was discovered the next day, covered in ants and buried at the beach where she was found.

They call her the German Girl, or the Nadu Guniang – a Malay-Chinese appropriation of the words ‘Datuk’ and ‘Miss’. She makes her home in a yellow shack by an Assam tree, among carpets of lallang and grass. The villagers kept seeing her ghost so her remains were moved to a nearby Chinese shrine and kept in an urn. The remains were eventually looted, but the urn remains. The place: Pulau Ubin’s south-western plains.

More post about our trips to Pulau Ubin: Town Centre on 27/07/2008, East End on 01/12/2007, West End on 17/06/2007.

Neo Tiew – Abandoned Housing Estate

Joy — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 11:29:08 +0000

In Lim Chu Kang, there is a small public housing area known as Neo Tiew Estate (or Lim Chu Kang Rural Centre). The whole area was en-bloc in 2002, with the residents shifted to Jurong West. The estate was vacated since then, and is currently used for FIBUA (Fighting in Built-Up Areas) trainings by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Visitors must exercise caution not to venture into the compound during a military drill.

Built in 1979, there are three 3-storey flats in the estate, numbered 3 to 5. The abandoned flats are accompanied by a wet market and a playground. Lacking maintenance, the flats are left with dirty walls with paint peeling off and rusty windows. Overgrown bushes nearly cover the entire neighbourhood.

Walking along the corridors, we could see through empty shops that once occupied many of the spaces on the first floor. Something that we seldom see these days - Wire mesh installations above the shop entraces allow for air circulation within the unit. As the place has been vacant for many years, people have found their way in and vandalised the walls with graffiti. I captured some of the better works of “art” below.

A flight of wooden stairs takes you to the second floor of the shophouse. The upper floor is made up of a kitchen, bedroom, and living room. Although all the fixtures are gone, we could still see the pipes that once carried water to the unit.

Moving on, we explored the units on the first and upper floors of the housing flat. Most of the units are run down with paint peeling off the doors and walls. However, the tiles in the kitchens still remain mostly intact. Scott even stuck his head into the rubbish chute for a closer look.

As we walked around the void decks of the flats, we noticed some very familiar fixtures that are still present in many HDB estates. Round stools and tables with achinese chess motifs, bases of mailboxes, and stone benches that one can see in government housing all over Singapore.

Moving up to the second floor, we popped into a few units and realised that all the tiles and whats left of the decor are different in each house. The layouts of the units also differ from each other. The corner units are slightly larger with an extra bedroom.

Blk 2 houses the now defunct wet market and food centre. It is a structure that most would recognise as many of the current estates have it in the same design. I wonder what food stalls once operated in this hawker centre. The orange structure next to the market is a rubbish dump – strangely enough, it remains bright orange and looks somewhat new.

Near the entrance / exit of the estate, we found a very old-school playground. This brought back childhood memories of days when I was young and played with friends in playgrounds not dissimilar to this. It even comes with must-have see-saw horse.

History of Neo Tiew
Credit: 石叻周報, April 1976 by 彭松濤

Neo Tiew Road was named after Mr Neo Tiew (before his demise), by the British Colonial Government for his contributions in developing Lim Chu Kang. The main road, Neo Tiew Road, was paved and created by Mr Neo through his personal efforts and measured 3.5 miles past “Tong He” Village, “Nan He” Village and Sungei Buloh Besar. Originally a “buffalo-cart road” for the access of buffalo-towed carts, this was subsequently widened and tarred under the initiatives of Mr Neo Tiew to allow access and smoother traffic of motor vehicles, allowing better access and convenience for modern transportation.

When the Japanese troops first invaded Singapore from the North (Malaysia), Lim Chu Kang was a heavily guarded region by the British troops (especially near the then Tengah Airport which was used as a military base). All residents and/or passers-by of Lim Chu Kang had to possess a security pass, issued and signed by Mr Neo Tiew, who was highly regarded and respected by local residents and the British Government officials alike.

Mr. Neo led and managed workers to clear the forested area in Lim Chu Kang, paved roads, built workers quarters, grew coconut trees, and developed pineapple, pig and poultry farms from the early 1900s. The first mini-mart in Lim Chu Kang, Nan He Mini-Mart, located in Nan He Village along Neo Tiew Road, was set up by Mr Neo to ensure a constant supply of daily necessities, fish, vegetables and eggs for the welfare of the farmers, fishermen and their families in the vicinity.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Mr. Neo made further contributions to the community with the development of a school – Kay Wah or Qi Hua, offering both lower and upper Primary education – and a delivery hospital. He received numerous awards and accolades in recognition of his work, such as the Ceritificate of Honour from HM King George the Sixth and the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth the Second.

Marina Bay – Skyline & Night Lights

Joy — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:58:22 +0000

Marina Bay is Singapore ‘s new playground, set amid a dynamic landscape of lush greenery and waterfront promenade. It’s a great place experience the city, night lights, and the skyline. We had a really enjoyable evening starting with dinner at Level 33, followed by a walk around the bay. The iLight Festival was also on, so that was a nice bonus in addition to an already fantastic evening.

Singapore’s signature city skyline is a result of careful sculpting to create a unique three-dimensional layered effect. In planning for Marina Bay, much attention has been given to its urban form.

The most outstanding building one will notice here is Marina Bay Sands, a world-class luxury casino and hotel in Singapore capped by Sands Skypark. It is glamorous integrated resort with 5-star restaurants, fine dining, convention center, theater, nightlife, shopping and numerous entertainment opportunities to delight even the most discerning.

The Merlion has settled upon the shores of the Singapore River since 1972. At the Merlion Park, the 40 tonne creature sprouts an endless jet of water from its jaws. the Merlion was imagined in 1964 by Mr Fraser Brunner, a member of the Souvenir Committee in the Singapore Tourism Board. The character was a combination of Singapore’s traditional name “Temasek” (from when it was a fishing village) and it’s new name “Singapura” (lion city). The grand statue was constructed from cement, plates and teacups and is Singapore’s most famous landmark.

Customs House (bottom-left) was built in the late 60s and was the former home of the Singapore Customs Police. Due to its nature of work, this place has a vantage view of the bay which was once a busy harbour. Customs House is now part of the Fullerton Heritage precinct and has been refurbished as a trendy dining destination.

Built in 1933, Clifford Pier (above-right) was a landing point for immigrants and other sea passengers. It has now been converted into the Fullerton Bay Hotel and we decided to talk a walk in to see what has become of this building. We were glad to see that although most of the aesthetics have changed, the structure of the interior (below) remains untouched. I especially love the beautiful concrete arched trusses of the roof structure.

Marina Bay boasts of a number of outstanding residential developments. The Sail @ Marina Bay is a luxurious six-star residential development offering a stunning view of Marina Bay , the Singapore skyline and other attractions. Completed in 2008, this 70-storey landmark development sets the benchmark for prime waterfront, city living in Singapore and is currently the tallest residential development in Singapore .

We were opposite Marina Bay Sands as the light show came on, and I couldn’t help but try to capture the lights in the sky. Wonder Full is an amazing convergence of light, music and sound. For 13 minutes, Singapore’s city skyline will feel like your own private viewing backdrop. What’s better is that it is a free event! Wonder Full is shown nightly, weather permitting. Show times are Sunday to Thursday – 8pm, 9.30pm / Friday and Saturday – 8pm, 9:30pm and 11pm .

Marina Bay – iLight Festival 2012

Joy — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:18:32 +0000

This is the second edition of iLight Marina Bay, and will be held from 9 March to 1 April 2012. Themed “Light Meets Asia”, the sophomore will feature more than 30 innovative and environmentally sustainable light art installations, with a strong focus on works from Asia. Here are some of my favourite installations :)

Coral Garden by Olivia d’Aboville (Philippines/France) – Coral Garden raises awareness about efforts to reform damaged reefs. It is an installation of coral-like sculptures made of re-used cocktail stirrers which promotes the beauty and importance of coral in the functioning of natural ecosystems. The cocktail stirrers are a symbol of consumerist society, which is indicted as an element polluting our seas.

Light of the Merlion by OCUBO (Portugal) – Light of the Merlion pays tribute to the Merlion, which was inaugurated in 1972. As a light celebration of this symbol and connecting with the festival theme “Light Meets Asia”, Light of the Merlion creates a memorable experience through light projection over the surface of the sculpture. This festival commission minimises waste and consumption through the re-use of materials.

Bibigloo by BIBI (France) – In the artist’s words, the Bibigloo is an “architectural postmodernist Inuit concept”. Composed of 250 polyethylene jerry cans, it presents itself as a contemporary replacement for the conventional ice igloo. BIBI’s work is a delightful synthesis of land art, design and light installation, and manages to raise awareness about global warming and melting ice-caps.

Planting Shadows by Vertical Submarine (Singapore) – Planting Shadows was first created for an exhibition at Singapore’s Botanic Gardens in 2009 as a field of grey sunflowers. For i Light Marina Bay 2012, the collective has adapted the work for a night time installation, creating a landscape of night-blooming plants in the CBD using energy-efficient LED lights.

All-in-all, we had a really enjoyable evening starting with dinner at Level 33, followed by a walk around the bay to enjoy the iLight Festival. Looking forward to returning here to visit the other installations on the other end of the bay.

LeVeL33 @ Marina Bay

Joy — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 06:55:54 +0000

Standing at 156 meters above ground level, LeVeL33 literally rises above all breweries as the world’s first microbrewery installed at the penthouse of a skyscraper. Located on the 33rd floor of Marina Bay Financial Centre, the restaurant houses 8,000 kg of state-of-the-art microbrewery equipment in a spacious restaurant featuring breathtaking panoramic views of the city and waterfront, as well as a large 1,600-square foot outdoor terrace. The relaxing decor reflects clean, modern lines, as well as warm leather and woods that blend nicely with the copper-coloured brewery.

LeVeL33′s craft brews of European heritage are a testimony to craft brewing that is original, innovative and relevant to today’s upmarket beer-drinking community. The appreciation of authenticity and originality in beer tradition in a contemporary presentation is the foundation of its craft-brewery.

The craft beers ($13.33 per pint) are unique to the place so we had to try a few. Scott had the House Porter which was the favourite of the three craft beers we tasted tonight. House Porter is concocted with a blend of 33.3 Stout and 33.2 Pale Ale – a medley of malty notes and hoppy aromas. The malty aftertaste makes it oh so delicious and satisfying.

My dad originally ordered the Pale Ale but found it too light and watered down. We sent feedback to the manager and he promptly exchanged it for a House Porter. Seasonal beers are crafted quarterly and available until the tap runs dry, all true to authentic recipes and brewing methods. So I tried the Smoked Beer which tasted somewhat like bacon.

The wood fired fillet of beef ($45) is a bone-in tenderlion with gratinated gorgonzola, truffled russet puree, roma tomato, garlic confit, and creamy celeriac. Presentation is superb and the beef is tender and lean. I had a bite and it easily slips into my list of best steaks I’ve had.

My mum and I shared the Ploughman’s board ($45) for two, which offers portions of mix-cured meats, pates, rillettes, and pickles. Absolutely delicious and partnered well with the craft beers we had with our dinner. Only down side is that the portion of bread was too little to accompany the meats and we had to order more. The service is good as usual and the server promptly brought us another bowl of bread at no extra charge.

After dinner, we moved outdoors to finish our drinks and enjoy the magnificent views of Marina Bay. I think that this is the highlight of the night and the night scene here is to die for. I was glad that I brought my DSLR and manged to get some really nice panoramic shots of the city skyline and lights.

All-in-all, we had a really enjoyable evening with dinner at Level 33, followed by a walk around the bay to enjoy the iLight Festival. To know more about this restaurant, visit www.level33.com.sg. for a copy of the food menu, click here.

Zé Random Recipe: Nutella Cupcake

Joy — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:02:44 +0000

Someone (I actually mean Scott) was in the mood to do some impromptu baking this evening, so we made do with the ingredients we had in the pantry. After looking at some recipes, we decided to go ahead with this chocolatey Nutella cupcake. The original recipe has been modified slightly to fit our taste, but can say that the end product was simply delicious. Full of calories, but absolutely yummy!

Ingredients:
• 6 oz (175g) Flour
• 5 oz (150g) Castor sugar
• 5 oz (150g) Butter
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Tsp Vanilla essence
• 1 Tsp Baking powder
• 4 Tbsp Drinking chocolate
• 4 Tbsp Nutella

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170 C. Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside. Recipe makes 8 to 10 cupcakes.

2. Mix the sugar and butter together. Add in the lightly beaten eggs, vanilla essence, drinking chocolate, and nutella. Sift the flour and baking powder together and gradually add it to the mixture. Once everything is beaten into a nice creamy batter, taste it! If it tastes sweet and chocolatey, you’re good to move on to baking. Otherwise, just add more of whatever it seems to be lacking.

3. Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes emerges clean, about 18-20 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting with whatever suits the occasion.

Bukit Brown Cemetery – Faces In Stone

Joy — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:57:03 +0000

Every trip to Bukit Brown is an enjoyable one for us. We’ve jungle trekked, walked with the dogs, and followed the peranakan trail, numerous times here. And now, I thought it would be nice to highlight the faces in stone that stand by the now not so forgotten graves. A lot of the foliage and jungle has been cleared and it made for easier walking in search for some famous graves.

For a number of historical and social reasons, Sikhs and men from Northern India, were commonly recruited as law-enforcers and watchmen in early Singapore. A number of these Indian men were employed by wealthy individual as watchmen and bodyguards. Over time, Indian guards represented a sense of security and loyalty for many people, especially to those who have employed them. As such, quite a few notable graves in Bukit Brown Cemetery have statues of these standing guard by them. Click pictures to enlarge.

Sculptures of lions can be seen at many of the graves. The pairs of stone lions serve as additional guardians, acting like charms to ward off marauding spirits or humans, and thereby serving a similar function to the majestic stone animals that form the ‘Spirit Road’ to the Ming Tombs. Usually, the guardian lion sculptures come in pairs. The male lion sculpture will usually have a ball, representing the sun, under its paw. On the other hand, the female lion sculpture will be seen with a cub under her paw. There are also other stone animals that guard the tombs, like dragons, eagles, and even man’s best friends - dogs. Click pictures to enlarge.

Another familiar face seen at almost every grave is The Golden Boy and Jade Maiden. They are often found standing on either side of a grave. The Golden Boy wears a doctor’s hat and vest or robe, holding a water pipe for his master. The Jade Maiden wears her hair in braids, which means she is unmarried. It is said that the couple are servants to the dead. We were surprised to see that all the faces on each statuette is different from one another. Click pictures to enlarge.

Sentosa – Fort Serapong

Joy — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:36:15 +0000

Fort Serapong was built by the British army in 1879, atop a hillock called Mount Serapong on Pulau Blakang Mati (now resort island of Sentosa). It was modernised a few times, the last being in the 1930s. Serapong is a huge network of batteries, tunnels, underground rooms, lookout posts, supporting buildings and even its own water collection system. Essentially a self supporting defence post.

Two gun batteries were built on the top of Mount Serapong, but there was a military presence here years before a coast battery was constructed. The hill was then an infantry redoubt. The first Battery, in 1885 consisted of two Mark VII 8-Inch BL Guns. These were replaced in 1913 by two Mark X 9·2-Inch BL Guns. Some remains of the 8-Inch Battery still exist, including the Casemates and Magazine. These were later modified and used for the 9.2-Inch Battery, of which substantial remains exist.

All over the site, you can see danger signs telling you to keep out as the structures and ground is unstable. We watched our footing carefully as we explored the area. We managed to spot many abandoned structures and gun placements / turrets. Most of the fort seems to have been reclaimed by nature.

During WWII, Serapong saw little action. Serapong was used to fire on ships in the harbour only a few times, before itself, along with other forts and batteries were shelled and damaged by the Japanese. Here are some examples of underground structures, rooms, and bathrooms that once seerviced the soldiers during WWII.

A third Mark X 9·2-Inch BL Gun was emplaced on The Spur of Mount Serapong in 1913. This location is the first you reach when going up Serapong Hill Road. The surface area of this Battery was later much modified for a 6-Inch BL Gun, but parts of it remain on the surface. The magazine still exists and this was later used for the 6-Inch Gun. Two Mark VII 6-Inch Guns. The emplacement was built on Serapong Spur with the No.2 Gun being sited in the old Serapong Spur 9·2-Inch Emplacement. The No. 1. Gun was sited a little further up hill. Substantial remains still exist.

When the British forces surrendered, all the batteries were abandoned. Some of the guns were destroyed by the British just before they withdrew. But what happened to the batteries during Japanese Occupation I believe isn’t clear. Now Serapong is like a ruin, complete forgotten, save for some people who know of it’s existance.

The role of Fort Serapong was to protect the Singapore Port. As we reached the summit of the hill, we were greeted by a beautiful view of Singapore’s city skyline and PSA (Port of Singapore Authority) from Mount Serapong. A great day out for the four of us – thanks Adrian and Joel for the fantastic company!

For a detailed thesis on Fort Serapong, click here.

Fort Canning Park – Forbidden Hill

Joy — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:33:52 +0000

Steeped in history, Fort Canning Hill was once known as “Forbidden Hill”. This is because Malays in the 19th century believed that it was the seat of royalty for rulers of Temasek (or “Sea Town”, an old name for Singapore) in the 1300s. Later, Singapore’s colonial leaders made their residences there, and the hill became a military base during the Second World War.

Established way back in 1859 as an arms store, barracks and hospital, Fort Canning contains precious memorials of Singapore’s early history dating back to the 14th century and Sir Stamford Raffles’ personal bungalow. Today, ancient relics dating back to the 14th century have been unearthed and the Fort Gate, remnant of the fortress built in the 1860s, is a reminder of Singapore’s colonial past.

The Fort Canning 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. It is now the home of the Singapore Dance Theatre.

It is strongly believed that the ‘Keramat’ (the tomb of a holy person) found after the hill was cleared soon after the founding of Singapore in 1819 is that of Iskandar Shah, a King of Temasek. According to Malay tradition the last of the five kings who ruled Singapore during its golden age in the 14th century was Iskandar Shah. Singapore was invaded and Bukit Larangan was burnt by the Hindu Majapahits from Java and all the followers of Iskandar Shah perished. The ruler managed to flee. Two years later, he founded the new kingdom of Melaka on the west coast of Malaya. Chinese sources indicate that he died about 1420.

It is believed that the first Malay king of Temasek Sri Tri Buana and his chief minister Demang Labar Daun are buried on the Hill. It is unfortunate that their graves have not been discovered. Raffles wrote to his friend William Marsden in 1823: ‘ The Tombs of the Malay Kings are, however, close at hand, and I have settled that if it is my fate to die here, I shall take my place among them’. In 1819 soon after the founding of Singapore the Malays refused to ascend the Hill for fear of disturbing the dead. By 1822 the ‘keramat’ was venerated by Muslims, Chinese and Hindus. It is maintained by a particular Muslim family and their descendants; they have kept the incense burning at the ‘keramat’.

The Fort Canning Service Reservoir is located on top of Fort Canning Hill in Singapore. The reservoir was constructed in 1926 on the former site of a large artillery barracks and parade ground to help supplement the large impounding reservoirs. Water is pumped from the large reservoirs into the service reservoirs, thus enabling water to flow down the hill into houses.

The Gate, the adjoining wall and the Sally Port are all that remain of the fortress which occupied this hill from 1861 to 1926 when it was demolished to make way for the reservoir. Some 400 coolies were mobilised in leveling 3 hectares of hilltop and constructing the elaborate fort complex of barrack blocks, hospital, gunpowder magazines and supporting artillery. In 1867, the fort had seven 68-pounder guns, eight 8-inch guns, two 13-inch mortars and some 14-pounder cannonades. A cannon was fired 3 times a day (at 5 a.m., 1 p.m. and 9 p.m.) in colonial times to announce the hour. Be sure to look behind the Fort Gate’s massive wooden door for the narrow stairway leading to the roof.

The Gate of Fort Canning

Sally Port

We also stopped for a picnic of salad cream, cheese, and crackers…

The Lighthouse…

The Battle Box is located some 9 metres underground, in one of the bunkers in Fort Canning Park. It was the largest military operations complex in Singapore and was part of the Malaya Command Headquarters during World War II. The facility is now managed by The Legends Fort Canning Park.

Raffles built his house on Government Hill on his third and last visit to Singapore. “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…” – Raffles in a letter to William Marsden in 1823.

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 – standing for Iota Heta Sigm, the first three letters of the Greek word for Jesus.

The Fort Gate
The Gate, the adjoining wall and the Sally Port are all that remain of the fortress which occupied this hill from 1861 to 1926 when it was demolished to make way for the reservoir. Some 400 coolies were mobilised in leveling 3 hectares of hilltop and constructing the elaborate fort complex of barrack blocks, hospital, gunpowder magazines and supporting artillery.

In 1867, the fort had seven 68-pounder guns, eight 8-inch guns, two 13-inch mortars and some 14-pounder cannonades. A cannon was fired 3 times a day (at 5 a.m., 1 p.m. and 9 p.m.) in colonial times to announce the hour. Be sure to look behind the Fort Gate’s massive wooden door for the narrow stairway leading to the roof.

Cupolas
The cupolas, designed by George Drumgoole Coleman, were probably places of rest. The word ‘cupola’ means a small dome-shaped roof or ceiling. George Coleman was a talented architect who left his mark on the urban landscape of Singapore. He was Raffles’ consultant on Singapore’s first town plan. As Superintendent of Public Works, he oversaw projects of land reclamation and construction of roads and landmarks such as the Armenian Church.

Fort Canning Green
The frequent outdoor concerts and carnivals now held at Fort Canning Green belie the fact that the area was once a graveyard for some 600 Christian graves. The only graves left are at the far end of the Green (near the Drama Centre). Some tombstones that were removed were set into the walls surrounding Fort Canning Green.

Dates of visit: 29/11/2008, 23/08/2009, 10/02/2012.

More information and attractions of Fort Canning Park can be found on the NParks Website.

London – Greenwich & Isle of Dogs

Joy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:00:27 +0000

Spent a couple of days in London and enjoyed walking along North Bank and exploring Greenwich as well as Isle of Dogs. Greenwich is a World Heritage Site and home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Meridian Line. Other famous landmarks include the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory, and Sir Christopher Wren’s Old Royal Naval College.

The fastest sailing ship of her day, the Cutty Sark was launched in Scotland in 1869 and sailed initially on the tea route to China. Later she brought back wool from Australia. She has been in dry dock in Greenwich since 1954. Cutty Sark has been undergoing a thorough conservation process for the last few years but she is now very close to completion. The ship should be open to the public at the end of April in time for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Walking around, this sticker caught my eye. It’s nice to know that dogs are a part of the community in some countries.

London’s oldest enclosed Royal Park, Greenwich Park is situated on a hilltop with impressive views of Greenwich and across the River Thames to Canary Wharf, The O2, the City of London and beyond. There has been a settlement on this site since Roman times, but Greenwich has always been strongly associated with royalty. Since the land was inherited by Henry V’s brother, generations of monarchs have taken this magnificient park to their hearts. The Park is also home to the Royal Observatory and the Meridian line.

At the time of its enclosure as a deer park in 1433, the Park’s 73 hectares (183 acres) were largely covered by common land with scrub oak, thorns, birch, gorse, broom and heath. Wildlife in Greenwich Park include the Red and fallow deer, waterfowl, starlings, sparrows, song thrushes, warblers, woodpeckers, treecreepers, tawny owls, and wild parrots.

Queen Caroline’s bath remains – This bath belonged to Caroline, estranged wife of King George IV, who lived at Montague House on the edge of Greenwich Park from 1798-13. She held notoriously boisterous parties and in the early years of the 19th century, rumours circulated that she had an illegitimate child. A royal commission cleared her of adultery but said her behaviour was open to “unfavourable interpretations”. She left England for Europe in 1814 and Montague House was demolished a year later.

Millennium Sundial – This sundial has a meridian line running through it. It is well known that the Greenwich Meridian does not register as 000,00,00.00 on a GPS device. The line through this one doesn’t either but… the line through this sundial is not even on the “other” meridian line. It is out too by a few metres. This was because of incorrect information during construction.

Founded as a scientific institution for navigational research by Charles II in 1675, the Observatory is the home of the world’s Prime Meridian – longitude 0° – and of Greenwich Mean Time. The clocks developed by John Harrison to determine longitude at sea are among the Observatory’s most treasured possessions. Next door is the Peter Harrison Planetarium, a state-of-the-art facility housed in a contemporary new building.

This is us standing on the meridian line. However, the line is off somewhat. We did take the coordinates for the maridian somewhere else in the park where our GPS indicated. Why? The international reference meridian (used by GPS and other systems) is 102.5 metres to the east of the line marked at Greenwich. The reference longitude line is defined by the Bureau International de l’Heure, which compiled star & quasar observations in different countries. The average of this data caused a shift east away from the Prime Meridian at Greenwich, UK. The BIH calculated this average sometime before 1984;

Our last stop in the park was for a bite at The Honest Sausage – Free range sausages and bacon in organic bread, organic fair trade tea and coffee with a large outside seating area. Absolutely satisfying after a long walk.

The Greenwich Foot Tunnel runs under the River Thames between Cutty Sark Gardens and Island Gardens, on the Isle of Dogs. It is 1,217 feet in length and approx 50 feet deep. Its original purpose was to allow south London residents to work in the docks on the Isle of Dogs. It was designed by Sir Alexander Binnie and was opened on 4 August 1902 at a cost of £127,000. The tunnel is lined with 200,000 glazed white tiles. The circular entrance buildings are similar both sides of the river and contain a lift and a long spiral flight of stairs. It is open 24 hours a day, although the lifts do not always run the full time.

Although I didn’t have many photos in Isle of Dogs due to the low light (I was only armed with my point&shoot camera) , we had a nice time exploring the Docklands. And to end the day, we spent the evening having drinks by the waterways in Canary Wharf with Scott’s colleagues (my ex-colleagues). All-in-all a fantastic couple of days in Greenwich!