Class SLP: Fort Canning's history

This can be used to teach the kids...

Just a stone's throw away from one of the busiest shopping areas in Singapore is a cool, shady nature walk around a hill which has a history that goes back 700 years. Relax by taking a stroll through the park situated on the hill or immerse yourself in this tranquil green oasis while commuting from Orchard Road to the Civic District or the Singapore River.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. 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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Archaeological excavations prove the vitality of Fort Canning Hill's history as far back as the 14th century when it was the seat of the Malay Kingdom, Temasek. According to the Malay Annals, the site was chosen for settlement by Sri Tri Buana, ruler of Temasek and the one reputed to have seen the fabled lion for which he named the island 'Singapura' (Lion City).

Beleaguered by attacks from the Siamese and Majapahit, the last known ruler of Temasek, Iskandar Syah, fled from the settlement. Except for minimal portside activity, little was known of the island until the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. The Malay locals who received Raffles pointed him to the hill they called Bukit Larangan, which means in Malay 'Forbidden Hill'. They were fearful of climbing the hill as they thought the palace of their ancestor kings had once stood there. Raffles had part of the hill cleared of jungle, revealing the ruins of ancient brick buildings, which gave support to the legends. Because of the beautiful view the hill commanded, Raffles chose to build his bungalow and to establish the first botanical garden here in 1822. Until mid-19th century, Singapore's governors were residents here; thus the epithet 'Government Hill'.

Around 1860, the colonial government turned the hill into a fort bearing the name of Viscount Charles John Canning, Governor-General and the first Viceroy of India. From that time until the 1970s, Fort Canning was used as a military base, first by the British, then by the Japanese during Second World War, and lastly by the Republic's armed forces. Once the forbidden hill of ancient Malay royalty and later the Far East Command Centre of the British, today's Fort Canning Park beckons visitors to a tranquil, green oasis. Capitalising on the rich historical assets of the old citadel, the National Parks Board has revitalised Fort Canning into a unique city park with many popular art performances, events and concerts to serve the populace of Singapore.

:D