Fort Canning Park

Located on a picturesque hill in the Civic District of central Singapore not far from National Museum, Fort Canning Park is a green oasis in the heart of the dynamic city. Once believed to be the burial ground for the ancient kings, this place was originally named the Forbidden Hill and was regarded as sacred. Other legends mentioned that a castle once stood on the hill. Later archaeological findings of the ruins of a castle dated to the 14th century and other valuable artefacts proved those legends to be true.

In the early 1820s when the founder of Singapore Sir Thomas Raffles built his residency here the place was titled Government Hill. A few decades later it was renamed to Fort Canning in honour of Charles John Canning the Governor-General of India.

A reference to the historical past that you can find at Fort Canning today are the remains of the town fort, the ancient cannons and the Battle Box, an underground bunker that is now a museum. Fort Canning since then became a park full of lush tropical greenery with a Spice Garden, a Sculpture Garden, as well as 19th century architecture and sacred relics of previous epochs. Fort Canning is frequently used for music carnivals, live concerts, art festivals, outdoor performances and cinema under the stars.  

Key Info: with its immaculate jogging paths Fort Canning is a perfect location for a healthy start of the devoted explorers’ day.

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