Back in 2010, Singapore Post released “The Heritage Trail: Kent Ridge Park Trail Stamp Issue”. The stamps were beautiful (see pics) and there was an interesting write-up inside the Singapore Post First Day Cover, reproduced here for your enjoyment of a piece of our history:
Formerly known as Pasir Panjang Ridge, Kent Ridge Park was originally a lowland evergreen rainforest filled with crops – such as pineapple, rubber, pepper and gambier – planted by the early settlers of Singapore. It was used as a fortress by the British in the defense of Singapore and was the site of one of the last battles fought against the Japanese – the Battle for Pasir Panjang, at a hill at the park called Bukit Chandu – during the World War II. The Governor of Singapore, Sir John Fearns Nicoll, officially opened it in 1954, in commemoration of a visit to the park by the Duchess of Kent and her son, the Duke of Kent, on 3 October 1952. It was gazetted by the National Heritage Board as one of 11 World War II sites in Singapore in 1995.
31k Bukit Chandu, the remaining black and white colonial bungalow that used to house senior British Army officers has been restored and converted in a World War II museum called Reflections at Bukit Chandu (Ed’s Note: this museum is currently closed for renovations and is slated to reopen later this year in 2021). Three life-sized statues and a plaque outside the museum were installed to honour those who had fought and died in the defense of Singapore at Bukit Chandu. Two M114 155mm howitzer guns and an AMX-13 Light Tank – decommissioned military artillery donated by the Ministry of Defence – can also be found in the park. It also serves as a reminder of an important chapter in our Singapore’s modern history.
A 280metre long canopy walk, located at the eastern part of the park was completed in October 2003, linking Kent Ridge Park to the Reflections at Bukit Chandu. With its undisturbed habitat and abundant plant life, visitors can enjoy the lush greenery and have a panoramic view of the sea as well as some of the southern islands from the highest point of the park, 61metres above sea level, at carpark B.
Embark onto an exciting history and nature walk to uncover the various species of flora and fauna along the trail of the 47-hectare park in western Singapore, between the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Science Park, and learn about the history that accompanied along the trail, intrinsically shown in this set of stamps.
