9 national monuments in Singapore and the stories behind them

Gazetted on 9 August 2022

As Singapore celebrates its 57th year of independence, the Padang has been officially gazetted as the nation’s 75th national monument. The Padang is the first open, green space to join the list of National Monuments, which includes other iconic landmarks such as the MacDonald house and Fort Siloso. The historic site has witnessed many key milestones of the country’s history – celebrations for jubilees, coronations, festivals and royal birthdays.

It has also seen the victory parade celebrating the formal surrender of the Japanese in Singapore in 1954, the unveiling of the country’s national symbols in 1959, as well as the inaugural National Day parade in 1966. Sporting events during the colonial period such as New Year’s Day sports and cricket matches were also held there. Sporting events during the colonial period such as New Year’s Day sports and cricket matches were also held there.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, the National Heritage Board will launch various commemoration activities such as interactive games and guided tours for members of the public.

Gazetted on 28 June 1973

Former Thong Chai Medical Institution is one of the first eight buildings in Singapore to be gazetted for preservation. Built in 1867, it was started to provide free medial services to the poor and needy. Over the years, the medical institution has served many uses, being the site for various guild and political meetings, housing the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce, before being converted into an arts and craft centre. It was even a discotheque once! Nevertheless, this rare example of Southern Chinese secular architecture stands today as a testament to the spirit of generosity among Singapore's early Chinese settlers. 

Gazetted on 28 June 1973

You'd be hard pressed to find another mosque in Singapore that's named after a woman. The Hajjah Fatimah Mosque gets its name from a Malaccan shipping entrepreneur who donated her home to become the site for the mosque. Distinct because of its European style and for being skewed against the lines of the road grid, the 1846 building was designed by John Turnbull Thomson, an influential colonial civil engineer. Other notable features include the high minaret tower – try this: squint and you'll see that it's slightly tilted thanks to its sandy foundation (thankfully, work has been done to ensure that it doesn't tilt any further). 

Gazetted on 28 June 1973

The Armenian Apostolic Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator is a beautiful and tranquil church located on Hill Street. Catering to the Armenian community, who were among the earliest traders to set foot in Singapore after it became a British trading port, it is also Singapore's very first Christian church. Devotees used to worship in a makeshift chapel in what is today's Raffles Place, but after being granted a plot of land at the foot of Fort Canning Hill, managed to raise funds among local and overseas Armenian communities – making the chapel we see today possible. The church now stands as a tribute to the early influential Armenian community, which included notable figures like the Sarkies brothers who established Raffles Hotel, Agnes Joaquim who hybridised Singapore's national flower, and Catchick Moses who co-founded The Straits Times.

Gazetted on 10 November 1978

Walk by the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple and the first thing that will catch your eye is the towering gopuram (entrance tower). Its five tiers are elaborately carved with the various avatars of Vishnu, Hindu deities and floral motifs and was built at such height to allow devotees to see it and offer prayers even from afar. One of Singapore's oldest Hindu temples, this temple was constructed in 1855 with the financing and support of influential Indian community leaders – some named by the National Heritage Board website roots.gov.sg are Arunachala Pillay, Cootaperumal Pillay, Ramasamy Pillay, Appasamy Pillay, Chockalingam Pillay, and Ramasamy Jamidar. Today, the temple is famously known as the starting point for kavadi porters during Thaipusam.  

Gazetted on 15 February 2015 

Prisons aren't the first things that come to mind when thinking of national monuments. But Changi Prison's history is deeply intertwined with World War II and the Japanese Occupation. Completed in 1936, Changi Prison was built to relieve overcrowding at the two existing civilian and convict prisons in Singapore. After Singapore fell to the Japanese, the prison became a civilian and prisoner of war (POW) camp, where locals, British, Australians, Dutch, Americans and more lived in cramped, unsanitary and food scarce conditions, especially towards the later years of occupation. Changi Prison became a civilian prison once again in the post-war years, and much of it was redeveloped into a new prison complex in 2004. However, the entrance gate, part of the prison wall and two turrets were gazetted as a national monument to honour the suffering of POWs and civilians during the war years. 

Gazetted on 10 February 2003

Today, you might go to the Cathay to dine at its many eateries or to catch a movie. But at one point in history, it was where the Japanese military displayed the severed heads of criminals as a warning to other members of the public. It was also where the Japanese Military Administration broadcasted Japanese movies and propaganda films. Things didn't start out so badly of course – when it first opened in 1939, the Former Cathay Building was a soaring 16-storey skyscraper (the tallest in British Malaya), and the site of glittering entertainment and lifestyle zones including Singapore's first air-conditioned cinema. 

Gazetted on 9 April 2011

Built from 1929 to 1931 by the architectural firm of Swan and Maclaren (Raffles Hotel, Goodwood Park Hotel, National Library), this Art Deco building was patterned after Europe's railway stations. The 72-foot high vault ceiling and imposing war murals were considered grand at the time, as were the facilities such as a bar, hair salon, restaurants and a station hotel. The former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station is not just pretty though – it served as the southernment terminus of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KMT) railway, and facilitated trade and travel between the two countries. 

Gazetted on 15 October 2019

Cavenagh, Anderson and Elgin Bridge are the latest additions to Singapore's list of national monuments. Together, they count as a single national monument. These bridges are celebrated for their role in Singapore's growth as a trading port, and of course, for their stunning architecture. Connecting the north and south banks of the Singapore River, these bridges alleviated passenger traffic on the river and brought Singapore's commercial and government centres on both sides of the river closer to each other.