Fort Canning Park Has 9 New IG-Worthy Gardens That Take You to the 14th to 20th Century

When Shakespeare isn’t in the park, Sang Nila Utama is.

Well, I lied, the lumpy historical dude who can’t tell a tapir from a lion won’t be seen; it’s just his garden (that’s not a euphemism).

Sang Nila Utama’s garden is in the park.

Somehow that doesn’t sound catchy at all.

Gardens from “14th to 20th Century”

On Monday (27 May 2019), nine new historical gardens opened in Fort Canning Park, and Sang Nila Utama Garden is one of them.

The garden certainly meets the 14th-century criteria, and it’s relevant to Fort Canning Hill because he was one of the five kings who was believed to have resided there. In fact, all the gardens are supposed to tell the “story of Fort Canning Hill”.

I can’t be the only one who treats the whole story of the lion and the prince as a myth so having a real place modelled after the 14th-century royal orchard is a moment of disillusionment.

And it doesn’t look half bad either.

Pancur Larangan (translated to Forbidden Spring) is also modelled after a place that’s a few centuries old: “a bathing place for noble ladies of the royal court of Singapura during the 1300s”.

The NParks-restored version of Singapore’s first experimental and botanical garden established by the British in 1822 makes up the 3rd garden.

Then Jubilee Park, Farquhar Garden, Spice Garden, Artisan’s Garden, Raffles Garden and Armenian Street Park make up the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th gardens.

(Here’s the Farquhar Garden.)

Year-Long Programmes

To start off, your experience on the trail can be enriched with a trail guide on an augmented reality app and there are 8 checkpoints on the trail for you to start the virtual tour.

Archaeology workshops, guided heritage walks and concerts are some of the types of programmes to be implemented throughout the year.

Events are organised by NParks who will work with archaeologists from the National University of Singapore, the Nanyang Technological University and the Institute of South-East Asian Studies.

The programmes will reflect the history of Fort Canning.

Though you’ve got to admit that more people are there for Instagram than for history #hardtruths

Increased Accessibility

If you have been avoiding Fort Canning Park because it’s on a hill that needs climbing and Singapore is really hot, NParks read your mind.

There are now two stretches of covered escalators and a platform lift to reach Fort Canning Centre and Fort Canning Park.

It is also easier to get to via MRT stations like Fort Canning, City Hall and Bras Basah.

That’s Not All

It’s already impressive but that’s not all. A second phase is coming by 2021, and it features a complete restoration of Jubilee Park for a nature play garden and the catering of events and galleries and eateries along the foothills.