Fort Canning Park is a green refuge and oasis in the heart of the Civic and Cultural District. It provides a haven for those seeking communion with nature.
Majestic trees, some gnarled with age, spread their branches to cast deep pools of shade over sprawling green spaces. You will see the magnificent fig tree (Ficus Ariegata and other species), Saga (Adenanthera Pavonina), Silk-cotton Tree (Ceiba Pentandra) and Yellow Flame (Peltophorum Pterocarpum). The Bird’s Nest Fern (Asplenium Nidus) and other epiphytic denizens reside on the broad branches of the Rain Tree (Samanea Saman), protected by its shady crown.
Lilting birdsong greets the visitor upon entering the vicinity. The trills of the Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus Chinensis) may be heard over the hum of cicadas. Collared Kingfishers (Halcyon Chloris), Coppersmith Barbets (Megalaima Haemacephala) and Yellow-vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus Goiavier) lend flashes of colour as they flit from tree to tree. The park is also a home and hunting ground to populations of squirrels, bats and lizards.
Fort Canning Park is also the most historic part of Singapore. There is the 14th century relic such as the Parit Singapura or the Moat of Singapore and the Keramat Iskandar Syah or the burial ground of one of the ruler of Temasek. Have a look at the Archaeological Dig Exhibition and view the Singapore River from above. Just as interesting is the 19th century remnants like the Fort Gate, Fort Canning Green and the Raffles Terrace where Raffles used to have his bungalow. Not forgetting also the underground Second World War bunker like Bunker Box.