On a small hill in Singapore's bustling downtown lies Fort Canning Park, a historic landmark that is home to WWII museum, an archaeological dig, a spice garden, shaded pathways, lush lawns, restaurants and a hotel. Fort Canning Park: Exploring Singapore's Heritage pays tribute to the fascinating roots and multi-faceted personality of this hill. In many ways, the story of Fort Canning Park parallels the transformation of Singapore from a sleepy fishing village to a vibrant, cosmopolitan city. During the 14th century, Malay royalty lived atop this hill and five centuries later, the British developed a fort here. This was also the place where the British surrendered to Japanese during World War Two. Fort Canning Park: Exploring Singapore's Heritage presents a holistic journey through the park. Besides uncovering its military, architectural, trading and natural heritage, the authors also take an intriguing look into its previous inhabitants, the diverse botanical life and surrounding heritage spots near the hill. This book also explores its social relevance in contemporary times besides attracting nature lovers, fitness enthusiasts and artists, it has also evolved to a cultural destination and is a venue for many exhibitions and performance art events. It is the first publication to focus on Fort Canning Park, and rightly places this humble hill as one of Singapore's most captivating destinations. AUTHOR: Jyoti Angresh has a natural love for heritage and culture, which has fuelled the expression in her writings since she moved to Singapore six years ago. She is a qualified Fashion business professional, having been credited and mentioned in local print for the successful launch of a retail lounge, as a consultant for Indian Multinational in Bangalore, and when not following her heart, consults and trains in Singapore. She holds a B.A. in Humanities from Delhi University, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Apparel Merchandising rMarketing from National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi. A molecular biologist by training, Melissa Lakich Diagana enjoys studying the broader picture of natural history as much as its reductionist details. She regularly writes about nature and environmental topics, and has lived in Singapore for the past six years. Melissa holds a B.S., an M.S., and a Ph.D in Biology, from Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Paris, respectively. ILLUSTRATIONS: 140 photographs n20 illustrations
