This tour should take around two hours at a comfortable walking pace.
Start: City Hall MRT
#1: Fort Canning
Before the 1500s, those who stayed in Singapore did not want to climb this hill as it was the site of palaces built by their ancestral kings. Indeed, archaeologist John Miskic has dug out artefacts that shown that a Malay kingdom could have been based on the hill.
Visit the Keramat Iskandar Shah at the foot of the hill. It is believed to be the resting place of Singapore's last Malay king (who ruled over 600 years ago).
Raffles also stayed on Fort Canning for a while. Check out Raffles terrace, the house where he lived in.
Fort Canning also has several cannons, built by the British to defend against attack. However, the cannons were never used for this purpose. They were only used to tell the time.
Also check out Battle Box, where British General Percival established his command post. The Japanese also used the fort for its military until 1945.
#2: Civic District
Visit:
- The Treasury: where Singapore's money is kept.
- The Supreme Court: Singapore's highest court.
- Parliament House: where Singapore's laws are made.
More importantly:
- City Hall. This was where the British accepted the Japanese surrender in 1945.
- Old Parliament House: the oldest existing government building in Singapore (built in 1827). It has a bronze elephant statue donated by the King of Thailand. The King of Thailand donated the statue to Singapore, as Singapore was the first foreign land to be visited by a Thai King.
#3: Singapore River
- Raffles' Landing Site: This is the spot where Raffles landed in Singapore on 28 January 1819. Look out for the white statue of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles
- various sculptures: several local artists have placed sculptures, to show how life in early Singapore was like. Look out for these.
#4: War memorials
- Lim Bo Seng memorial: remembers an anti-Japanese freedom fighter
- Cenotaph: remembers those who fought in World War I and World War II
- War Memorial Park: remembers the civilians that died during World War II under Japanese rule. The memorial is also known as "four chopsticks" due to its shape.
End: City Hall MRT station.
