Land Mark and Memorials
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Chijmes
Having undergone a spectacular facelift
as a national heritage site, CHIJMES (pronounced "chimes")
is now a popular dining,
shopping and entertainment site. CHIJMES Hall, the restored
chapel, provides a breath-taking backdrop for musicals,
recitals, theatrical performances and weddings.
Formerly one of the last few cloistered
convents in the world, the fine gothic architecture is a
favourite theme among photographers.
Open
Food and beverage outlets: 11.00 am till late (daily)
Shops and boutiques: 11.00 am - 10.00 pm (daily)
Location
30 Victoria Street, Singapore 187996 , Tel :(65)
6336 1818 , Fax : (65) 6334 3801
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Getting There
Take the MRT to City Hall Station (EW13/NS25). Walk along
Stamford Road and turn right at the junction of Stamford
Road and Victoria Street. Click here to view MRT route map.
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Dalhousie
Obelisk
In harmony with the historic Singapore
River area at Empress Place, this stately monument was built
to commemorate the visit to Singapore in 1850 by Marquis
Dalhousie, Governor-General of India.
Location
Empress Place
Getting There
Take the MRT to Raffles Place Station (EW14/NS26) and walk
across Cavenagh Bridge.
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Esplanade-
Theatres on the Bay
Esplanade - Theatres
on the Bay is one of the world's busiest arts centres, officially
opened on 12 October 2002.
The original Esplanade
was built in 1943 and refers to a park that today occupies
2.4 hectares along Connaught Drive opposite City Hall. In
1985, the Master Plan for an arts centre to be built in
Singapore was developed and Esplanade was chosen to be the
site upon which it sat. The original Esplanade site was
redeveloped in 1991 to enhance the civic districtand while
further reclamation work for the arts centre was also began.
In 1992, a team
comprising respected local firm DP Architects (Singapore)
and Michael Wilford & Partners (UK) was chosen to begin
work on the centre. To maintain the valuable links between
the past and present, the arts centre was subsequently named
Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay.
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| Today, this
architectural icon with its distinctive twin shells is sited
within Singapore's civic district, just by Marina Bay at the
mouth of the Singapore River. Esplanade comprises two large
halls: the 2,000-seat theatre and the 1,600-seat Concert Hall,
complimented by two smaller studios, an outdoor theatre as
well as a mall. The two domes housing the Theatre and Concert
Hall were designed in glass, to convey a sense of openness.
To keep the centre cool in the tropics, over 7,000 pieces
of aluminium sunshades together with double-glazed laminated
glass were installed on a steel truss frame to form the cladding
that makes the centre such a striking architectural icon against
Singapore's city skyline. The spiky cladding has since earned
the centre the popular nickname of a beloved local fruit,
the Durian. |
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Esplanade aims
to be a performing arts centre for everyone, and its programmes
cater to its diverse audiences. Its programme line-up spans
all genres to encompass music, dance, theatre and visual
arts, with a special focus on Asian culture.
Location
Esplanade is situated between Raffles Avenue and Esplanade
Drive
Tel : 68288377,
Fax : 63373633 , Email : corporate@esplanade.com
How to get there
Taxi
The taxi stand is located at the Esplanade Mall entrance
along Raffles Avenue
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Istana
Care to meet the President in his home?
If you're lucky, you just might! The Istana (or "palace"
in Malay) is the official residence of the President of
Singapore and just five times a year, its gates are open
to members of the public.
Built on an old nutmeg plantation, the
Istana was the former official residence of the representative
of the British Crown. Classical in style, the Istana is
a magnificent building with multiple design influences,
from the ornate Victorian Renaissance to the Roman Classical,
with Gothic, Chinese and Malay touches. The sprawling grounds
and manicured gardens contain rare plants lovingly cared
for by superintendents of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Open
Accessible to the public only on selected dates of the year.
Please click here for the latest updates.
Location
Orchard Road
Getting There
Take the MRT to Dhoby Ghaut Station (NS24) and walk across
Orchard Road.
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| Lau
Pa Sat
Built in 1894, Lau Pa Sat is the largest
remaining Victorian filigree cast-iron structure in Southeast
Asia. Located in the heart of Singapore's business district,
the former wet market has been restored and is now a favourite
food centre of the locals, offering a wide and affordable
variety of local food.
Location
Boon Tat Street
Getting There
Take the MRT to Raffles Place Station (EW14/NS26) and walk
towards Robinson Road.
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Merlion Park
The Merlion was first designed as an emblem
for the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in 1964 - the lion
head with a fish body resting on a crest of waves quickly
became Singapore's icon to the rest of the world.
Originally located at the Merlion Park
by the Esplanade Bridge, the Merlion and the Cub became
a popular tourist attraction for visitors. The installation
ceremony took place on 15 September 1972, officiated by
the then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Today, the Merlion has found a new home just 120 metres
away from its original location, adjacent to one Fullerton.
Measuring 8.6 metres high and weighing
70 tonnes, the Merlion statue was built from cement fondue
by the late Singapore craftsman, Mr Lim Nang Seng. A second
and smaller Merlion statue, measuring two metres high and
weighing three tones, was also built by Mr Lim. The body
was made of cement fondue, the skin from porcelain plates
and eyes from small red teacups.
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| Designed
by Mr Fraser Brunner, a curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium,
the lion head represents the lion spotted by Prince Sang Nila
Utama when he re-discovered Singapura in 11 AD, as recorded
in the "Malay Annals". The fish tail of the Merlion
symbolises the ancient city of Temasek (meaning "sea"
in Javanese) by which Singapore was known before the Prince
named it "Singapura" (meaning "lion" (singa)
"city" (pura) in Sanskrit), and represents Singapore's
humble beginnings as a fishing village. |
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National
Library Singapore
In May 2005, the National Library Singapore
received the platinum Green Mark Award (the highest badge
of honour) from the Building and Construction Authority
of Singapore. Its extensive landscaping and sky gardens
that help maintain a cool environment for the National Library
Singapore building is one of several contributory factors
towards this achievement.
National Library Singapore has 14 gardens
and vegetation forms 35% of the total site area. To introduce
the large variety of plant species that exists within the
Library's gardens, guided Garden Walks are now available
to interested members of the public. Garden Walk tours are
conducted every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month (except
Public Holidays) from 4 pm to 5.30 pm.
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Volunteer guides will share with you their
knowledge on the economic and therapeutic values of plants,
bringing you closer to nature - to a higher level of awareness
and greater appreciation of plant life around us.
Tours will be conducted
in English (Mandarin upon request). No registration is required
and admission is free. Please take your place in person
at the National Library Singapore, Main Lobby Information
Counter at Level 1, half-an-hour before the tour begins.
Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis
with a maximum of 20 persons per tour.
Visit Us
The National Library Singapore is within walking distance
from both the City Hall and Bugis Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
stations and is also well served by buses plying along North
Bridge Road and Victoria Street.
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Old
Parliament House and the Elephant Statue
What do government and art have in common?
The Old Parliament House, for one. Designed and built by
George Coleman as a colonial mansion in 1827, Singapore's
oldest government building has been renamed and re-launched
as The Arts House.
Formerly the home of Singapore's democratically-elected
Parliament, the building now offers a charming and intimate
venue for cutting edge contemporary visual arts, music,
dance, film, comedy and theatre by Singaporean and international
artists. Walk down the Corridors of Time, an exhibition
reliving the life and times of the House and its many famous
personalities. Not to be missed, gracing the exterior of
the stately building, is a bronze elephant statue, a gift
from King Chulalongkorn of Siam in 1871.
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Guided Tours are conducted from
Mondays to Fridays at 11.00 am and 3.00 pm and groups of
minimum 20 people by appointment at other times. Each tour
lasts 45 minutes and includes a short film screening and
a drink.
Tours at $8 per person, no admission
charges. Visit www.theartshouse.com.sg for more information.
Fancy entering Parliament for a day? All
Parliament sittings are open to the public at Parliament
House. During sittings, simultaneous interpretations of
the debates (in English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil) are
provided.
Open
On sitting days (no appointment necessary)
On non-sitting days: By appointment only.
Please contact Clerk-of-Parliament
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Raffles Hotel
Meet Singapore's most famous Grande Dame
- born in 1887 and never looking better! Raffles Hotel is
one of the world's last great 19th century hotels, having
been the retreat and source of inspiration for many writers
and movie stars, including Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling,
Joseph Conrad and Charlie Chaplin.
Having been given a SGD 160 million
facelift, the hotel exudes its unique charm and grandeur.
Relive the old days at the museum featuring memorabilia
from a bygone era or watch a play in the Victorian-style
Jubilee Hall. Shop at the 70 retail shops including top
brand names like Tiffany's and Louis Vuitton, or just relax
and take a sip of the Singapore Sling right where it was
created.
Location
1 Beach Road, Singapore 189673
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Statues of Sir
Stamford Raffles
Sir Stamford Raffles - Singapore's founder
- stands tall and proud in the form of a dark bronze status
in front of Victoria Theatre. Its replica, made of pure
white polymarble, stands at North Boat Quay, an area commonly
known as the Raffles Landing Site. This is the spot where
Raffles was believed to have first stepped ashore.
Locationz
North Boat Quay
Getting There
Take the MRT to Raffles Place MRT Station (EW14/NS26) and
walk across Cavenagh Bridge.
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| Sun
Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Chinese heroism
and nationalism are recurring themes at the Sun Yat Sen
Nanyang Memorial Hall. Formerly the headquarters of the
Chinese Revolutionary Alliance in Southeast Asia known as
Wan Qing Yuan (meaning "a haven of peace in the twilight
years"), this national monument remembers the revolutionary
efforts that toppled the Qing dynastic rule and heralded
the start of modern China.
The garden of this elegant colonial-style
villa features a number of sculptures, such as the stone
stele measuring 3.5 metres tall and weighing 16,000 kilograms,
the bronze statue of Dr Sun Yat Sen, and a 25-metre long
bronze mural.
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