Template:Infobox hiking trail
The Southern Ridges is a Template:Convert trail that connects parks along the southern ridge of Singapore. Some of the attractions along this trail include its greenery and the connecting bridges. This project linked up the parks between the Kent Ridge Park and HarbourFront. The idea to link these parks was coined in 2002 by Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and it took 2 years to complete and cost S$25.5 million.
Timothy Mok had went with the school on 11 November 2009 and with the family on 24 June 2012.
Parks[]
Mount Faber
There are 3 parks that are connected to each other: Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill Park and the Kent Ridge Park.
Mount Faber Park[]
- Main article: Mount Faber
Mount Faber Park is one of the oldest parks in Singapore and a popular tourist destination. The park is connected to Telok Blangah Hill Park by Henderson Waves bridge.[1] The park consists of such locations as the Marina Deck, Palm Plaza, Jewel Box, and Faber Point.
Telok Blangah Hill Park[]
Kent Ridge Park
- Main article: Telok Blangah Hill Park
It is a 34-hectare park which is a popular place for wedding couples. A series of semi-circular terrace garden located at the top of the park is the Terrace Garden - the main feature of this park.
Kent Ridge Park[]
- Main article: Kent Ridge Park
Kent Ridge Park is a 47-hectare public park 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.[2]
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.[3] It is one of over 300 parks managed by Singapore's National Parks Board, NParks.[4]
The area occupied by Kent Ridge Park and the National University of Singapore 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, Acacias and Dillenias.[5] 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.[6] 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 23 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 3 October 1952. The plaque was erected at the junction of what is now Kent Ridge Road and South Buona Vista Road.[7]
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.[8] 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.[9] 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.[9]
Formerly used to house senior British Army 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.[10]
Kent Ridge Park, Labrador Park, and the war museum, are part of the Pasir Panjang Historic District, which focuses on WWII battlefield events in western Singapore.[11] 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.[12]
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.
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.[13] Most of the remaining wild part of the park comprises secondary forest 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.[14]
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.[13]
It is one of four popular birdwatching sites on mainland Singapore along with Pasir Ris Park, Fort Canning Park and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.[15] 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.[16]
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.[17]
Trails[]
There are 8 trails at Southern Ridges.
Marang Trail[]
Marang Trail (Template:Lang-zh) is Template:Convert long and an elevation of Template:Convert. It extends from Marang Road, just behind the HarbourFront MRT Station to the cable car station at the Jewel Box on Mount Faber. The trail consists of steps and shaded footpaths through secondary forest.[18]
Faber Trail[]
Faber Trail (Template:Lang) is a Template:Convert long trail going through the Mount Faber Park. It ends at the Henderson Waves. At its peak, it offers panoramic views of the southern part of Singapore and the Southern Islands.[19]
Henderson Waves
Henderson Waves[]
Henderson Waves (Template:Lang) is a Template:Convert[20] long pedestrian bridge. At Template:Convert above Henderson Road, it is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore. It connects Mount Faber Park and Telok Blangah Hill Park. It was designed by IJP Corporation, London, and RSP Architects Planners and Engineers (PTE) ltd Singapore.
The bridge has a wave-form made up of seven undulating curved steel ribs that alternately rise over and under its deck. The curved ribs form alcoves that function as shelters with seats within. Slats of yellow balau wood, an all-weather timber found in Southeast Asia, are used in the decking. The wave-forms are lit with LED lamps at night from 7pm to 2am daily.[1]
Hilltop Walk[]
Hilltop Walk (Template:Lang is a Template:Convert trail which runs through Telok Blangah Hill Park. The trail connects on one end with the Henderson Waves and the other with the Forest Walk leading to Alexandra Arch.[21]
Forest Walk
Forest Walk[]
Forest Walk (Template:Lang) is a Template:Convert long walkway that cuts through about Template:Convert through the secondary forest in Telok Blangah Hill Park and connects to Alexandra Arch. The raised walkway with heights ranging from Template:Convert to Template:Convert brushes the canopy of trees and offers a bird's-eye view of the forest.[22] The Forest Walk also connects to the Labrador Nature & Coastal Walk (Template:Lang), also leading walkers to the Labrador Park MRT Station and Labrador Park.
Alexandra Arch
Alexandra Arch[]
Alexandra Arch (Template:Lang) is an Template:Convert long bridge that features a curved deck and tilted arch like an opened leaf, connecting Alexandra Road, Singapore and Hyderabad Road. It was designed by Buro Happold with LOOK Architects. The Gillman Village, which was a former British military camp in the early 20th century, now houses a mixture of restaurants, pubs and art galleries. Like the Henderson Waves bridge, Alexandra Arch will be lit with colour-changing LED lamps. At the end of the Alexandra Arch, there is a path lined with flowering plants which leads to the HortPark.[23]
Flora Walk & HortPark[]
- Main article: HortPark
Floral Walk is a Template:Convert trail which offers a stroll along a path lined with flowering plants.
It forms the gateway to HortPark (Template:Lang) – the gardening hub. It is a 23-hectare park Southeast Asia's first one stop shop for gardening-related recreational, educational, research and retail activities in a park setting. Some park highlights include themed gardens as well as outdoor display plots showcasing designs and ideas for home gardening.[24]
HortPark[]
HortPark is a 23-hectare park located in the South-Western part of Singapore. It is the first one-stop gardening lifestyle hub in Asia[25] that integrates a plethora of activities together under one roof in a park setting. One can find gardening-related, recreational, educational, research and retail activities here at this gardening hub that also doubles as a knowledge hub for gardening information, training & value-added services such as networking opportunities.
Nestled in the Southern Ridges, HortPark serves as a park connector that allows visitors to travel around Kent Ridge Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park and Mount Faber Park with ease and convenience. This is made possible through the elevated walkways and connecting bridges.
In December 2007, HortPark opened, but it was not until 10 May 2008 that it was officially launched by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Timothy Mok had went in both November 2009 and June 2012.
HortFeatures[]
HortPark is equipped with the following facilities and amenities:
- HortCentre
- HortMart
- Hands-On House
- HortLawn & Event Lawn
- Garden Patch
- HortGardens
- Butterfly Garden
HortCentre[]
The 2-storey HortCentre building also serves as the Visitor Centre. It showcases gardening attractions, which include the Green Roof and the Lifestyle Corner. The building was one of the winners of 2008 International Architecture Award for Best New Global Design.[26] It is also one of the 11 finalists for Urban Land Institute's (ULI) Awards for Excellence 2009.[27]
Green Roof is a rooftop display of the different types of green roof systems and plants suitable for green roof planting. Lifestyle Corner is where visitors can see how flora-themed furnishings can complement the homes, through the showcasing of interiorscaping and lifestyle-gardening ideas.
HortMart[]
In HortMart, visitors can purchase gardening and landscaping products, services and advice.
Hands-On House[]
The Hands-On House is a laboratory in a classroom setting. It also consists of a sheltered demonstration area in an outdoor setting for learning purposes.
HortLawn & Event Lawn[]
HortLawn is located near to the HortCentre while Event Lawn can be found near the Hands-On House. Both lawns are suitable for hosting a wide variety of outdoor activities such as workshops, bazaars and functions.
Garden Patch[]
An important feature in HortPark, Garden Patch is an ideal venue for an extensive outdoor display of garden designs, concepts, unique landscape designs and the latest trends in gardening and landscaping. Garden Patch is essentially a patchwork of forty 8metres by 8metres plots in an outdoor setting. Industry players often employ the display plots as an exhibition zone.
HortGardens[]
HortPark features 21 theme gardens.[28] Each theme showcases the unique and distinctive qualities of the carefully selected plant species.
Butterfly Garden[]
The Butterfly Garden was opened in May 2009 by the National Parks Board in partnership with National Biodiversity Centre to allow visitors to learn about the different stages of butterfly metamorphosis and also serve as an experimental garden to facilitate butterfly species recovery.[29]
The 150 square metres landscaped theme garden features an enclosure where visitors can encounter the flying jewels up close and personal amongst a visual feast of tropical plants and nearly 20 species of native butterflies. The research forcus of the Butterfly Species Recovery Programme is to find suitable nectar and host plants for breeding a variety of butterfly species, including locally extinct species such as Clipper (Parthenos sylvia) and Common Sergeant (Athyma perius).
Theme Gardens[]
- Aquascape
- Floral Walk
- Home Garden
- Flora Fancy
- Tree Garden
- Seed Garden
- Water Garden
- Passage Walk
- Silver Garden
- Golden Garden
- Orchid Corner
- Fantasy Garden
- Car Park Garden
- Lifestyle Corner
- Terrarium Arcade
- Recycling Garden
- Bamboo Labyrinth
- Butterfly Garden
- Tree Climbing Corner
- Herb and Spice Garden
- Fruited Tree and Vegetable Garden
Canopy Walk[]
Canopy Walk (Template:Lang) is a Template:Convert trail which links Kent Ridge Park to Reflections at Bukit Chandu - once known as Opium Hill and site of one of the last battles of Singapore in World War II and HortPark. Elevated Template:Convert at the centre, Canopy Walk goes through secondary forest with groves of Tembusu and dominant trees of the adinandra belukar. It is also filled with rich wildlife that lives there, such as squirrels, sunbirds, doves, lizards and white-crested laughing thrushes.[30]
Ecological Projects[]
The Singing Forest[]
A new collection of bird attracting native trees is being established at Southern Ridges to provide a wide variety of suitable food sources as well as shelter and nesting areas for native birds. When established, the additional planting of suitable tree species will eventually provide an opportunity for visitors to learn and appreciate the diverse collection of birds and trees. This project is sponsored by ST Microelectronics.[31]
Sembcorp Forests of Giants[]
Sembcorp Industries has donated $1 million to the Garden City Fund to set up an arboretum - a living gallery of giant tree species - for education and research, and to fund green educational programmes to benefit the community. This is part of efforts to enhance biodiversity within urban areas.[32]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Foong (1997), "Fighting the Enemy in Pasir Panjang: The Role of the Malay Regiment", p. 295.
- ↑ National Heritage Board (1995), "Battle of Pasir Panjang", p. 5.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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- ↑ Thangamma (2006), "History of Kent Ridge Park", p. 144.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Information obtained from on-site information board at the Reflections at Bukit Chandu war museum.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Foong (1997), "Fighting the Enemy in Pasir Panjang: The Role of the Malay Regiment", p. 295.
- ↑ At the launch of SCCI publication, "The Price of Peace" on 21 June 1997.
- ↑ Information obtained from on-site information board at the Reflections at Bukit Chandu war museum.
- ↑ National Heritage Board (1995), "Battle of Pasir Panjang", p. 5.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Thangamma (2006), "Flora of Kent Ridge Park", pp. 146–153.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Thangamma (2006), "Birds at Kent Ridge Park", pp. 154–157.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ New HortPark the first to offer one-stop gardening hub & lifestyle experience, NParks Media Release, 02 Nov 2006. Retrieved on 25 May 2009.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ HortPark - The Gardening Hub, National Parks Board Factsheet, 10 July 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
- ↑ http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=172&Itemid=129#21 National Biodiversity Centre
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ https://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=172&Itemid=129#12
- ↑ https://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_news&task=view&id=190&Itemid=50
External links[]
- National Parks Board - Southern Ridges
- Template:Wikivoyage-inline
- map of Southern Ridges at National Parks Board website
- National Biodiversity Centre, Singapore
- Southern Ridges Photo Gallery, Singapore
Template:Coord missing