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Fort Canning (built 1860 onward)

Fort Canning is built on a large hill with historical significance that greatly predates the colonial era. In an official history commissioned by the last King of Melaka as he was fleeing the Portugese, the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals), reference to the hill at Fort Canning is made. According to legend, Singapore was founded by Sri Tri Buana, one of three sons of the semi-divine prince Sang Nila Utama (who was himself a descendant of Alexander the Great and an Indian Princess). The Sejarah Melayu records that Sri Tri Buana and his chief minister Demang Lebar Daun were buried on a hill of "Singapura" when they died. Although the story is legendary, there is considerable evidence that the hill at Fort Canning was considered royal and sacred before the colonial era. Even the founder of British Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles, wrote in a letter in 1823 that if he happened to die in Singapore, it was his hope that his bones would "have the honour of mixing with the ashes of the Malayan Kings" at Fort Canning hill.

Although archaelogical excavations at Fort Canning hill have shown conclusively that it was a sight of active settlement before the colonial era, there was virtually nothing of interest remaining above ground when the British arrived in the early 1800s. Raffles' own musings about the Malayan Kings were based mostly on the Sejarah Melayu and other tales--not by physical evidence at Fort Canning. In fact, local Malays considered the hill taboo , terming it the Forbidden Hill. They believed that a royal palace had once stood there. In 1822, John Crawfurd recorded that much of the northern and western sides of Fort Canning hill were in fact covered with the remains of brick foundations. Unfortunately, these ruins were quickly destroyed since Fort Canning hill was close to the center of settlement.

Raffles' fascination with the hill (and the good view it allowed of the colony) led him to build his first residence here. After his death, the house became the official residence of the colonial governor, and the hill became known as Government Hill.

The transformation of the hill into a fortress took place in 1859 and shortly after. Government House was demolished and a fort was built in its place with armories, barracks, and hospital facilities. The fort was dubbed Fort Canning after Viscount Charles John Canning, who at the time was Governor-General of Singapore and the first Viceroy of India.

The Fort remained in active use for many years, eventually becoming the headquarters of the Singapore Base District shortly before the outbreak of World War II in the Asia-Pacific. In 1942, as it became clear that the Japanese would attempt to take Singapore, Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival created a command post known as the Malayan Command on the grounds of the Fort. During Singapore's subsequent occupation, Japanese troops used the Fort along with Percival's command center "the Battle Box", which survives to the present day.

Fort Canning today has lost much of its physical structure, and much of the area has been turned into a park. Only small remnants such as the sally port and gate (shown above) have survived into the 21st century