Kent Ridge Park
Encyclopedia
Kent Ridge Park is a 47-hectare
public park in western Singapore
, between the National University of Singapore
and the Singapore Science Park
. Due to its undisturbed habitat
and abundant plant life, it is a popular venue for bird-watchers and eco-tourists
.
During the Second World War, a hill in the park was the site of one of the last and fiercest battles fought by the Malay Regiment
against the invading Japanese
army, the Battle of Bukit Chandu (also known as the Battle of Pasir Panjang
), 12–14 February 1942.
The park was officially opened in 1954, and was gazetted by the National Heritage Board
as one of 11 World War II sites in Singapore in 1995. It is one of 300 parks managed by Singapore's National Parks Board, NParks.
was formerly known as Pasir Panjang Ridge, and was originally a lowland evergreen rainforest
. The park's natural vegetation now consists of groves of Tembusu
, Acacia
s and Dillenia
s. When the first settlers arrived in Singapore in the early 19th century, they grew crops such as rubber, pepper, gambier
and pineapple on the ridge. During World War II
, it was used as a fortress by the British
in the defence of Singapore. Many of the plantations were destroyed or abandoned during the Japanese Occupation
(1942–1945), allowing the crops to grow wild.
On 23rd February 1954, the Governor of Singapore, Sir John Fearns Nicoll
unveiled a plaque which declared the area had been renamed Kent Ridge to commemorate the visit by the Duchess of Kent
and her son, the Duke of Kent
, on 3rd October 1952. The plaque was erected at the junction of what is now Kent Ridge Road and South Buona Vista Road.
The park contains Bukit Chandu
, alternatively known as Opium Hill (in Malay
), after the opium processing factory owned by the British East India Company
that was at the foot of the hill until 1910. During 12–14 February 1942, it was the site of the Battle of Bukit Chandu, fought by the 159 survivors of the Malay Regiment
led by Lieutenant Adnan Bin Saidi
against the 13,000 men of Lieutenant-General Mutaguchi Renya's 18th Division. The Malay Regiment's position on the hill was overrun by the Japanese and the battle ended in hand-to-hand combat after the last few defenders ran out of ammunition. All the officers except one, Lieutenant Abbas Abdul-Manan, and most of the men, were massacred in the aftermath.
officers, the last remaining black and white colonial bungalow at 31K Bukit Chandu has been restored and converted into a World War II
war museum called Reflections at Bukit Chandu, commemorating the war and those who fought in it. Originally there were two smaller bungalows below 31K, but they were demolished in 1987 to make way for a public parking lot. There are three life-size statues and a plaque outside the museum, honoring the Malay Regiment and commemorating the lives of those who died.
Kent Ridge Park, Labrador Park, and the war museum, are part of the Pasir Panjang Historic District, which focuses on WWII battle
field events in western Singapore. Together with Fort Siloso
at Sentosa
and The Battle Box
at Fort Canning
, they serve as a reminder of an important chapter in Singapore's modern history. Near to the park's children's playground there is a heritage site marker, showing where the 1942 Battle of Pasir Panjang
was fought.
The park also has some decommissioned military artillery – two M114 155 mm howitzer
guns and an AMX-13 Light Tank
on permanent display, donated by the Ministry of Defence
, part of its adoption of the park as an Army Green Park in support of the National Parks Board
"Adopt-a-Park" scheme to inculcate a greater ownership among the public of local parks and greenery. The park's facilities include fitness corners, look-out points, a nature trail, a multi-purpose court and a canopy walk. The highest point of the park is 61 metres above sea level
, from where there is a panoramic view of the coast of Pasir Panjang
and some of the Southern Islands
, approximately 5 km off the south-western coast of Singapore. Islands such as Pulau Bukom
and Pulau Semakau are visible on a clear day.
with plants native to Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia such as Tembusu
, Angsana
, White Leaf Fig, Common Pulai, Singapore Rhododendron, Pitcher plants, Cicada tree and Simpoh Air.
The trails through the park, including one for mountain biking, run almost parallel along the ridge. There is a natural pond with fishes and turtles in the north-west of the park. A 280-metre long canopy walk was completed in the eastern part of the park in October 2003, linking Kent Ridge Park to the war museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu, enhancing the park's and museum's accessibility to the public. Along the walk, there are information boards providing educational information on the flora
and fauna
in the park. At the half-way point, there is a shelter for visitors to take a short break or to enjoy a scenic view of Normanton Park and the National Parks Board's plant nursery
.
Due to its undisturbed habitat and abundant plant life, Kent Ridge Park has long been a bird sanctuary for resident and migratory birds during the winter season. As such, it is one of four popular birdwatching sites on mainland Singapore along with Pasir Ris Park
, Fort Canning Park and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
. Birds found in the park include: White-crested Laughing Thrush, Collared Kingfisher
, White-bellied Sea Eagle
, Banded Woodpecker
, Pink-necked Pigeon, Blue-tailed Bee-eater
, White-breasted Waterhen
, Spotted Dove
.
Eco-tours and heritage tours are regularly organised by various special interest groups such as the Nature Society Singapore and the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
, for students and the general public.
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
public park in western Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, between the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
and the Singapore Science Park
Singapore Science Park
The Singapore Science Park , is a research, development and technologies hub in Singapore. Managed by Ascendas, it was set up under a government initiative in 1980 to provide an infrastructure for R&D to flourish in Singapore.-Milestones:...
. Due to its undisturbed habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
and abundant plant life, it is a popular venue for bird-watchers and eco-tourists
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
.
During the Second World War, a hill in the park was the site of one of the last and fiercest battles fought by the Malay Regiment
Royal Malay Regiment
The Royal Malay Regiment is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, two battalions are parachute trained and form part of the Malaysian Army Rapid Deployment Force...
against the invading Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
army, the Battle of Bukit Chandu (also known as the Battle of Pasir Panjang
Battle of Pasir Panjang
The Battle of Pasir Panjang, which took place between 13 and 14 February 1942, was part of the final stage of the Empire of Japan's invasion of Singapore during World War II...
), 12–14 February 1942.
The park was officially opened in 1954, and was gazetted by the National Heritage Board
National Heritage Board (Singapore)
The National Heritage Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government, under the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts ....
as one of 11 World War II sites in Singapore in 1995. It is one of 300 parks managed by Singapore's National Parks Board, NParks.
History
The area occupied by Kent Ridge Park and the National University of SingaporeNational University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
was formerly known as Pasir Panjang Ridge, and was originally a lowland evergreen rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
. The park's natural vegetation now consists of groves of Tembusu
Tembusu
The Tembusu is a large evergreen tree in the family Gentianaceae. It is native to South-east Asia. Its trunk is dark brown, with deeply fissured bark, looking somewhat like a bittergourd. It grows in an irregular shape from 10 to 25m high . Its leaves are light green and oval in shape...
, Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
s and Dillenia
Dillenia
Dillenia is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Dilleniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of southern Asia, Australasia, and the Indian Ocean islands....
s. When the first settlers arrived in Singapore in the early 19th century, they grew crops such as rubber, pepper, gambier
Uncaria
Uncaria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It has about 40 species. Their distribution is pantropical, with most species native to tropical Asia, three from Africa and the Mediterranean and two from the neotropics. They are known colloquially as Gambier, Cat's Claw or Uña de...
and pineapple on the ridge. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it was used as a fortress by the British
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in the defence of Singapore. Many of the plantations were destroyed or abandoned during the Japanese Occupation
Japanese Occupation of Singapore
The Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II occurred between about 1942 and 1945 after the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. Military forces of the Empire of Japan occupied Singapore after defeating the combined Australian, British, Indian and Malayan garrison in the Battle of Singapore...
(1942–1945), allowing the crops to grow wild.
On 23rd February 1954, the Governor of Singapore, Sir John Fearns Nicoll
John Fearns Nicoll
Sir John Fearns Nicoll was a British colonial governor. He was Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1949 to 1952, and Governor of Singapore from 1952 to 1955.He died at the hospital located at Scio House, Putney Heath....
unveiled a plaque which declared the area had been renamed Kent Ridge to commemorate the visit by the Duchess of Kent
Duchess of Kent
The Duchess of Kent is the title given to the wife of the Duke of Kent.Five women have held the title:* Jemima , daughter of Thomas Crewe, 2nd Baron Crewe, first wife of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent...
and her son, the Duke of Kent
Duke of Kent
Duke of Kent is a title which has been created various times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of George V.-Pre-history:...
, on 3rd October 1952. The plaque was erected at the junction of what is now Kent Ridge Road and South Buona Vista Road.
The park contains Bukit Chandu
Bukit Chandu
Bukit Chandu is an area in Singapore where the Battle of Bukit Chandu took placed on 14 February 1942 during Battle of Singapore in World War II.-Notable attractions:*Reflections exhibition gallery*Kent Ridge Park...
, alternatively known as Opium Hill (in Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
), after the opium processing factory owned by the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
that was at the foot of the hill until 1910. During 12–14 February 1942, it was the site of the Battle of Bukit Chandu, fought by the 159 survivors of the Malay Regiment
Royal Malay Regiment
The Royal Malay Regiment is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, two battalions are parachute trained and form part of the Malaysian Army Rapid Deployment Force...
led by Lieutenant Adnan Bin Saidi
Adnan Bin Saidi
Adnan bin Saidi, , was a Malayan soldier of the 1st Infantry Brigade which fought the Japanese in the Battle of Singapore. He is regarded by Malaysians and Singaporeans today as a hero for his actions on Bukit Chandu.-Personal life:...
against the 13,000 men of Lieutenant-General Mutaguchi Renya's 18th Division. The Malay Regiment's position on the hill was overrun by the Japanese and the battle ended in hand-to-hand combat after the last few defenders ran out of ammunition. All the officers except one, Lieutenant Abbas Abdul-Manan, and most of the men, were massacred in the aftermath.
The park today
Formerly used to house senior British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officers, the last remaining black and white colonial bungalow at 31K Bukit Chandu has been restored and converted into a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
war museum called Reflections at Bukit Chandu, commemorating the war and those who fought in it. Originally there were two smaller bungalows below 31K, but they were demolished in 1987 to make way for a public parking lot. There are three life-size statues and a plaque outside the museum, honoring the Malay Regiment and commemorating the lives of those who died.
Kent Ridge Park, Labrador Park, and the war museum, are part of the Pasir Panjang Historic District, which focuses on WWII battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
field events in western Singapore. Together with Fort Siloso
Fort Siloso
Fort Siloso is the sole restored coastal gun battery from the twelve such batteries which made up "Fortress Singapore" at the start of World War II...
at Sentosa
Sentosa
Sentosa, which translates to peace and tranquility in Malay , is a popular island resort in Singapore, visited by some five million people a year...
and The Battle Box
The Battle Box
The Battle Box is a popular name of the underground command centre constructed under Fort Canning, Singapore as an emergency, bomb-proof command centre during the Malayan campaign and the Battle of Singapore...
at Fort Canning
Fort Canning
Fort Canning is a small hill slightly more than 60 metres high in the southeast portion of the island city-state of Singapore, within the Central Area that forms Singapore's central business district...
, they serve as a reminder of an important chapter in Singapore's modern history. Near to the park's children's playground there is a heritage site marker, showing where the 1942 Battle of Pasir Panjang
Battle of Pasir Panjang
The Battle of Pasir Panjang, which took place between 13 and 14 February 1942, was part of the final stage of the Empire of Japan's invasion of Singapore during World War II...
was fought.
The park also has some decommissioned military artillery – two M114 155 mm howitzer
M114 155 mm howitzer
The M114 155 mm howitzer was a towed howitzer used by the United States Army. It was first produced in 1942 as a medium artillery piece under the designation of 155 mm Howitzer M1. It saw service with the US Army during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, before being...
guns and an AMX-13 Light Tank
AMX-13
The AMX-13 is a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985. It served with the French Army and was exported to over twenty-five other nations...
on permanent display, donated by the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Singapore)
The Ministry of Defence is a ministry of the Government of Singapore entrusted with overseeing the national defence needs of the Republic of Singapore. It is the headquarters of the Singapore Armed Forces...
, part of its adoption of the park as an Army Green Park in support of the National Parks Board
National Parks Board
The National Parks Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government.The National Parks Board is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore. NParks manages around 300 parks, the park connector network and the roadside greenery in Singapore...
"Adopt-a-Park" scheme to inculcate a greater ownership among the public of local parks and greenery. The park's facilities include fitness corners, look-out points, a nature trail, a multi-purpose court and a canopy walk. The highest point of the park is 61 metres above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, from where there is a panoramic view of the coast of Pasir Panjang
Pasir Panjang
Pasir Panjang is an area in the south-western part of Singapore. It is located at the southern part of the Queenstown Planning Area, an urban planning zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Kent Ridge is a topographical feature which runs through Pasir Panjang.-Etymology:The name Pasir...
and some of the Southern Islands
Southern Islands
The Southern Islands are an urban planning area in the Central Region of Singapore, along with the eight major islands of Kusu Island, Lazarus Island, Pulau Seringat, Pulau Tekukor, Saint John's Island, Sentosa and the two Sisters' Islands. The islands encompass a total land area of about...
, approximately 5 km off the south-western coast of Singapore. Islands such as Pulau Bukom
Pulau Bukom
Pulau Bukom, also known as Pulau Bukum, is a small island located about five kilometres to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. The size of Pulau Bukom is about 1.45 km²....
and Pulau Semakau are visible on a clear day.
Plant and animal life
The park is managed by the National Parks Board, and is open daily to the public. Admission is free except for entrance to the war museum. The park is accessible via entrances on Vigilante Drive and Pepys Road, off Pasir Panjang Road. Most of the remaining wild part of the park comprises secondary forestSecondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
with plants native to Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia such as Tembusu
Tembusu
The Tembusu is a large evergreen tree in the family Gentianaceae. It is native to South-east Asia. Its trunk is dark brown, with deeply fissured bark, looking somewhat like a bittergourd. It grows in an irregular shape from 10 to 25m high . Its leaves are light green and oval in shape...
, Angsana
Angsana
Pterocarpus indicus is a species of Pterocarpus native to southeastern Asia, northern Australasia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, in Cambodia, southernmost China, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the...
, White Leaf Fig, Common Pulai, Singapore Rhododendron, Pitcher plants, Cicada tree and Simpoh Air.
The trails through the park, including one for mountain biking, run almost parallel along the ridge. There is a natural pond with fishes and turtles in the north-west of the park. A 280-metre long canopy walk was completed in the eastern part of the park in October 2003, linking Kent Ridge Park to the war museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu, enhancing the park's and museum's accessibility to the public. Along the walk, there are information boards providing educational information on the flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
in the park. At the half-way point, there is a shelter for visitors to take a short break or to enjoy a scenic view of Normanton Park and the National Parks Board's plant nursery
Nursery (horticulture)
A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. They include retail nurseries which sell to the general public, wholesale nurseries which sell only to businesses such as other nurseries and to commercial gardeners, and private nurseries which supply the needs of...
.
Due to its undisturbed habitat and abundant plant life, Kent Ridge Park has long been a bird sanctuary for resident and migratory birds during the winter season. As such, it is one of four popular birdwatching sites on mainland Singapore along with Pasir Ris Park
Pasir Ris Park
Pasir Ris Park is a beach park located in the eastern part of Singapore. It stands at 71 hectares of land, including 6 hectares of preserved mangrove forests and some reclaimed land. This coastal park is among one of the largest in Singapore. The full length of the park is around 6.6 kilometres...
, Fort Canning Park and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is a nature reserve located in the Northwest area of Singapore. It is the first wetlands reserve to be gazetted in Singapore in the year 2002, and its global importance as a stop-over point for migratory birds was also recognised by the Wetlands International's...
. Birds found in the park include: White-crested Laughing Thrush, Collared Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher
The Collared Kingfisher is a medium-sized kingfisher belonging to the family Halcyonidae, the tree kingfishers. It is also known as the White-collared Kingfisher or Mangrove Kingfisher. It has a wide range extending from the Red Sea across southern Asia and Australasia to Polynesia...
, White-bellied Sea Eagle
White-bellied Sea Eagle
The White-bellied Sea Eagle , also known as the White-breasted Sea Eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related to Sanford's Sea Eagle of the Solomon Islands, and the two are considered a superspecies...
, Banded Woodpecker
Banded Woodpecker
The Banded Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand....
, Pink-necked Pigeon, Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
The Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Merops philippinus is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It breeds in southeastern Asia. It is strongly migratory, seen seasonally in much of peninsular India....
, White-breasted Waterhen
White-breasted Waterhen
The White-breasted Waterhen is a waterbird of the rail and crake family Rallidae that is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia. They are dark slaty birds with a clean white face, breast and belly...
, Spotted Dove
Spotted Dove
The Spotted Dove , also known as the Spotted Turtle Dove, is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in the Indian Subcontinent including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka east to southern Tibet and Southeast Asia...
.
Eco-tours and heritage tours are regularly organised by various special interest groups such as the Nature Society Singapore and the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
, for students and the general public.
See also
- Battle of Pasir PanjangBattle of Pasir PanjangThe Battle of Pasir Panjang, which took place between 13 and 14 February 1942, was part of the final stage of the Empire of Japan's invasion of Singapore during World War II...
- Fort Pasir PanjangFort Pasir PanjangFort Pasir Panjang or Labrador Battery is located within the lush Labrador Park at the southern tip of Singapore island. It was one of the 11 coastal artillery forts built by the British in the 19th century to defend the western passageway into Keppel Harbour against piracy and foreign naval powers...
- Poh Ern Shih TemplePoh Ern Shih TemplePoh Ern Shih is located on a small hilltop at Chwee Chian Road, off Pasir Panjang Road, on Singapore's southern coast. The Buddhist temple was built as a memorial to those who lost their lives during the Battle of Pasir Panjang in 1942, villagers as well as Allied and Japanese soldiers...
