Fort Canning Hill

Lonely Planet review

When Raffles rolled in and claimed Singapore for the mother country, locals steered clear of Fort Canning Hill, then called Bukit Larangan (Forbidden Hill), out of respect for the sacred shrine of Sultan Iskandar Shah, ancient Singapura's last ruler. Raffles built a modest atap residence on the summit in 1822, which acted as Government House until the military built Fort Canning, named after Viscount Canning, first Viceroy of India, in 1860.

A few early-colonial hints remain - old Christian gravestones are embedded in brick walls, and there's a spice garden on the site of Raffles' original botanic garden; guided tours can be arranged through at-sunrice cooking academy at the Fort Canning Centre, a 1926 barracks. Archaeological digs have also uncovered Javanese artefacts from the 14th-century Majapahit Empire.

Burrowing inside Fort Canning Hill is Singapore's largest WWII underground military complex, now the Battle Box Museum. War veterans and Britain's Imperial War Museum helped recreate the authentic bunker environs; life-sized models re-enact the fateful surrender to the Japanese on 15 February 1942. Japanese Morse codes are still etched on the walls.

The hill hosts several outdoor events each year including WOMAD (September to October) and Ballet under the Stars (July; tickets around S$19 ).