Kent Ridge Park

File:Kent Ridge Park—Singapore.jpg

The entrance of Kent Ridge Park at Vigilante Drive, Singapore. In the background lies a decommissioned M114 155 mm howitzer gun donated by Singapore's Ministry of Defence.

Kent Ridge Park is a 47-hectare park located in the western part of Singapore, between the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Science Park. During World War II (WWII), a hill in the park was the site of one of the last and fiercest battles fought by 159 soldiers of the Malay Regiment against a 13,000-strong Japanese army during the Battle of Bukit Chandu, that lasted from 12 to 14 February 1942. In 1995, the park was gazetted by the National Heritage Board as one of 11 World War II sites in Singapore.

History

The area that Kent Ridge Park occupies now, was formerly known as Pasir Panjang Ridge. During WWII, the park was used by the British as a fortress to defend Singapore. It was renamed Kent Ridge Park in honor of the Duchess of Kent and her son, the Duke of Kent, a cousin of both Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and her consort, the Duke of Edinburgh, who visited the ridge in October 1952.

Bukit Chandu is a hill located within the park. It is also known as Opium Hill because it was the site of an opium packing plant owned by the British that used to be at the foot of the hill around 1910. During WWII, a hill in the park was the site of Battle of Bukit Chandu. The battle was fought by 159 survivors of the Malay Regiment led by Lieutenant Adnan Bin Saidi, against Lieutenant-General Mutaguchi Renya's 18th Division numbering at 13,000 men, that lasted from 12 to 14 February 1942. The Malay Regiment's position on the hill was eventually overrun by the Japanese and there was hand-to-hand combat when the last few men 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

File:Reflections at Bukit Chandu—Singapore.jpg

The war museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu at 31K Bukit Chandu. The mural on the museum's wall is an artist's impression of the Battle of Bukit Chandu.

Formerly used to house senior officers, the last remaining black and white colonial bungalow at 31K Bukit Chandu was fully restored and converted into a WWII war museum known as Reflections at Bukit Chandu today. It showcases the war and many heroes who fought in it, including the Malay Regiment which valued courage, duty and honour above their own lives. Originally there were two smaller bungalows below 31K where the soldiers of the Malay Regiment, greatly outnumbered, died in fierce hand-to-hand combat. These houses were demolished in 1987 and the site is now a public parking lot. Located outside the museum, 3 life-size statues honoring the Malay Regiment has a plaque commemorating their lives.

The Kent Ridge Park, Labrador Park and war museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu, is part of the Pasir Panjang Historic District which focuses on WWII battlefield events in western Singapore. Together with Fort Siloso at Sentosa and The Battle Box at Fort Canning, they keep alive the memory of WWII and provide important evidence for an important chapter in Singapore's modern history. Near the park's children playground is a Heritage Site marker that marked the former site of the 1942 Battle of Pasir Panjang.

The park also has some decommissioned military artillery—Two M114 155 mm howitzer guns and an AMX-13 Light Tank on permanent display as a contribution by the Ministry of defence, part of its adoption of the park as an Army Green Park. The park's facilities include fitness stations, lookout points, a nature trail, a multi-purpose court and canopy walk. The highest point of the park is 61 metres above sea level. From this lookout point, a panoramic view of the coast of Pasir Panjang and some of the southern islands such as Pulau Bukom is visible, and Pulau Duran Darat on a clear day.

Plant and animal life

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A section of the 280-metres long canopy walk in Kent Ridge Park.

Kent Ridge Park was originally a lowland evergreen rainforest. When the early settlers arrived in Singapore in the early 19th century, they planted crops such as rubber, pepper, gambier and pineapple on the ridge. During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, many of these plantations were destroyed or abandoned leaving the crops to grow wild. Today, most of the wild part of the park comprises secondary forest with plants such as: Tembusu, Angsana, White Leaf Fig, Kapok Tree, Common Pulai, Saga Tree, Wattle, Singapore Rhododendron, Pitcher plants, Resam Fern, Silverback, and Simpoh Air.

Located on the eastern part of the park, a canopy walk measuring 280-metres long was completed in October 2003. The bridge links 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 that provide 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.

See also

• Battle of Pasir Panjang
• Fort Pasir Panjang
• Poh Ern Shih Temple

References

• Thangamma & et el, Karthigesu (2006). Discover Singapore Heritage Trails. Singapore: National Heritage Board. ISBN 981-05-6433-3.
• Lee, Geok Boi (2005). The Syonan Years: Singapore Under Japanese Rule 1942—1945. Singapore: National Archives of Singapore. ISBN 981-05-4290-9.
• Yap, Siang Yong &; et al. (1992). Fortress Singapore—The Battlefield Guide. Singapore: Times Books International. ISBN 981-204-365-9. {{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |first= (help)
• Foong, Choon Han (1997). The Price of Peace—True Accounts of the Japanese Occupation. Singapore: Asiapac Booksooks. ISBN 981-3068-53-1.

• Reflections at Bukit Chandu, Singapore.

External links

• Map of Kent Ridge Park
• National Parks Board website
• Reflections at Bukit Chandu website