Sentosa

Sentosa
Sentosa locator map.png
English Sentosa
Chinese 圣淘沙
(Pinyin shèngtáoshā)
Malay Sentosa
Tamil செந்தோசா
The gateway of Sentosa
The big Merlion statue on Sentosa
View from Imbiah Lookout to Mainland Singapore.

Sentosa, which means peace and tranquillity in Malay, is a popular island resort in Singapore, visited by some five million people a year.[1] Attractions include a two-kilometre long sheltered beach, Fort Siloso, two golf courses and two five-star hotels.

Contents

Etymology[2]

Sentosa was once known as Pulau Blakang Mati,[3] which in Malay means the "Island (pulau) of Death (mati) from Behind (blakang)".

The name Blakang Mati is rather old but may not have been founded in the nineteenth century as generally believed. In fact, there exists an island that was identified as Blacan Mati in Manuel Gomes de Erédia's 1604 map of Singapore. Other early references to the island of Blakang Mati include Burne Beard Island in Wilde's 1780 MS map, Pulau Niry, Nirifa from 1690 to 1700, and the nineteenth century reference as Pulau Panjang (J.H. Moor). However, early maps did not separate Blakang Mati from the adjacent island of Pulau Brani, so it is uncertain to which island the sixteenth century place names referred.

The island has gone through several name changes. Up to 1830, it was called Pulau Panjang ("long island"). In an 1828 sketch of Singapore Island, the island is referred to as Po. Panjang. According to Bennett (1834), the name Blakang Mati was only given to the hill on the island by the Malay villagers on the island. The Malay name for this island is literally translated as "dead back" or "behind the dead"; blakang means "at the back" or "behind"; mati means "dead". It is also called the dead island or the island of the dead.

Different versions of how the island came to acquire such an unpropitious name abound. One account attributed the ominous name to murder and piracy in the island's past. A second claimed that the island is the material paradise of warrior spirits buried at Pulau Brani.

A third account claims that an outbreak of disease on the island in the late 1840s almost wiped out the original Bugis settlers on the island. Dr Robert Little, a British coroner investigating the deaths, stumbled upon what was called Blakang Mati Fever, purportedly a type of fever caused by miasmastic fumes arising from decaying leaves and swampy water on the island. This event led to a controversy in medical circles at that time as to the causes of what was later recognised in 1898 as malaria spread by the Anopheles mosquito. The government's malaria research station was originally located here.

A fourth interpretation is that "dead back island" was so-called because of the lack of fertile soil on the hills.

In 1827, Captain Edward Lake of the Bengal Engineers in his report on public works and fortifications had proposed an alternative name for Blakang Mati as the "Island of St George". However, the island was seen as too unhealthy for habitation and his proposed name was never realised.

In a 1972 contest organised by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, the island was renamed Sentosa, a Malay word meaning "peace and tranquillity".

History[2], [4]

Pre-1945

In the nineteenth century, the island was considered important because it protected the passage into Keppel Harbour. Plans to fortify the island as part of the defence plan for Singapore were drawn up as early as 1827, but few fortifications actually materialised until the 1880s, when the rapid growth of the harbour led to concern over the protection of coal stocks against enemy attack. The forts built on the island were Fort Siloso, Fort Serapong, Fort Connaught and the Mount Imbiah Battery.

The western end of Pulau Blakang Mati, the place where Fort Siloso is now, used to be called sarang rimau (the tiger's den). Salusuh is a kind of herb used as a remedy in childbirth, but there is no explanation of how the fort came to be so-called, the orang laut of Kampong Kopit only knowing the place by the name of sarang rimau. By the 1930s, the island was heavily fortified and a crucial component of Fortress Singapore, and the base of the Royal Artillery.

During the Second World War, the island was a British military fortress. The British set up artillery guns in Fort Siloso that were then pointed to the south, facing the sea in expectation of a seaward Japanese assault. However, the Japanese eventually invaded and captured Singapore from the north, after having done the same to Malaya (now known as West or Peninsular Malaysia). Following the surrender of the Allied Forces on February 15, 1942, the island became a prisoner of war camp, housing Australian and British prisoners of the Japanese.

During the Japanese Occupation, under the Sook Ching Operation, Chinese men who were suspected, often arbitrarily, of being involved in anti-Japanese activities were brutally killed. The beach at Pulau Blakang Mati was one of the killing fields.

1945-1972

After the Japanese surrender in 1945 and the return of Singapore to British rule, the island became the base of the locally enlisted First Singapore Regiment of the Royal Artillery (1st SRRA) in 1947. Other locally enlisted men from Singapore were sent to the island for basic military training before being sent to other units of the British Army in Singapore.

Ten years later, the 1st SRRA was disbanded and its guns dismantled. The coast artillery was replaced with Gurkha infantry units, first the 2/7th Duke of Edinburgh's own Gurkha Rifles and later the 2/10th Princess Mary's own Gurkha Rifles. Fort Siloso and Fort Serapong became a Catholic retreat and a Protestant church house respectively. Fort Connaught was left in ruins.

In the early 1960s, during the Indonesian Confrontation, the 2/10th unit defended the island against Indonesian saboteurs. With the end of the Confrontation in 1966 and the withdrawal of the Gurkha units from the island, the British handed over Sentosa to the Singapore Armed Forces of the newly independent Government of Singapore in 1967.

In 1967, Pulau Blakang Mati became the base for the Singapore Naval Volunteer Force, which relocated there from its old base at Telok Ayer Basin. The School of Maritime Training was also set up there, as was the first Naval Medical Centre.

In the 1970s, the government decided to develop the island into a holiday resort for local visitors and tourists.

1972-Present

The island was renamed “Sentosa” in 1972, which means peace and tranquillity in Malay, from a suggestion by the public.[3] The Sentosa Development Corporation was formed and incorporated on 1 September 1972 to oversee the development of the island.[3] Since then, some S$420 million of private capitals and another S$500 million of government funds have been invested to develop the island.[3]

In 1974 the Singapore Cable Car system was built, linking Sentosa to Mount Faber.[5] A series of attractions were subsequently opened for visitors including Fort Siloso, Surrender Chamber wax museum, Musical Fountain, and the Underwater World. The causeway bridge was opened in 1992 connecting Sentosa to the mainland.[5]

The Sentosa Monorail system was opened in 1982 to transport visitors to various stations located around the island.[5] On 16 March 2005, the monorail service was discontinued to make way for the new Sentosa Express, which commenced operations on 15 January 2007.[5]

Geography

The island has an area of 5 square kilometres. It lies just half a kilometre (a quarter of a mile) away from the southern coast of the main island of Singapore. It is Singapore’s fourth largest island (excluding the main island). 70% of the island is covered by secondary rainforest, the habitat of monitor lizards, monkeys, peacocks, parrots as well as other native fauna and flora. The island also has 3.2 kilometre stretch of white sand beach. Significantly large portions of land are currently being added to Sentosa due to land reclamation.

Transport

A Volvo B7RLE on the Blue Line. Buses currently serve as the main means of getting to and around Sentosa.
Beach station of Sentosa Express monorail at Sentosa island

Sentosa can be reached from the Singapore mainland via a short causeway or Cable Car, which originates on Mount Faber and passes through HarbourFront en route.

The island is also accessible by the SGD$140 million Sentosa Express monorail, which has four stations on Sentosa. Opened in 15 January 2007, the terminus of the line is at the VivoCity shopping mall on the mainland, which is in turn served by the HarbourFront MRT Station of the North East MRT Line. The journey takes four minutes. The WaterFront Station of the monorail is expected to open in 2010.

Within Sentosa there are three bus services, identified as Blue, Yellow and Red lines, and a tram service called the Beach Train. Since 1998, passenger cars have been allowed to enter the island.

Attractions

Sentosa offers a variety of attractions, museums and other facilities to provide a variety of experiences, recreation and entertainment to visitors.

Tiger Sky Tower

The Tiger Sky Tower (previouly known as the Carlsberg Sky Tower) is the tallest free-standing observation tower in Asia. At a height of 110 metres above ground and 131 metres above sea level, it offers visitors a panoramic view of Sentosa, Singapore, and the Southern Islands. On a clear day, the view extends to parts of Malaysia and Indonesia. At ground level, visitors enter a large disc-shaped airconditioned cabin fitted with glass windows all round. The cabin then revolves slowly as it ascends the column of the tower. The cabin has a capacity of 72 visitors.

The Sky Tower was opened on 7 February 2004, is situated in the Imbiah Lookout zone in the centre of Sentosa and can be reached by Cable Car, Sentosa Luge Chair Lift, by Sentosa Express or by bus.

Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom

The Butterfly Park is a landscape garden with over 15,000 live butterflies, representing more than fifty species. Housed in a cool outdoor conservatory, these butterflies range from the 25 millimetre (1 in) Eurema sari to the 150 mm (6 in) Papilio iswara.

The Insect Kingdom houses some 3,000 species of rare insects from around the world, including a 160 mm Dynastes Hercules beetle.

Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon

Underwater World is an oceanarium located on the western part of Sentosa. Opened in 1991, the living museum has more than 2,500 marine and fresh-water animals of 250 species from different regions of the world. The oceanarium is underground and has an 83 metre long travelator that moves visitors along a submerged glass-windowed tunnel from which they can look at an array of marine life including a coral reef, stringrays, moray eels, turtles, sharks, and other fishes. In the 'Dive-with-the-Sharks' program visitors can scuba dive in the large oceanarium, even if they are not scuba qualified. Qualified scuba divers can also 'Dive-with-the-Dugong".

The Underwater World also includes a Dolphin Lagoon which is home to some Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, also known as the pink dolphins. Several "Meet-the-Dolphins" sessions are held daily to allow visitors to enter the waist-deep pool and interact with the dolphins at close proximity. A more involved "Swim-with-the-Dolphins' program, where visitors can interact extensively with the dolphins, is also available.[6]

Songs of the Sea

The Songs of the Sea show, started on 26 March 2007, replaced the 25-year-old Musical Fountain show. This showcase is a key $30 million investment by Sentosa to enhance its entertainment product offerings and to attract more tourists. It is the world’s only permanent show set in the sea - boasting spectacular pyrotechnics displays, a live cast and an open-air viewing gallery which can comfortably accommodate 2,500 visitors. The show runs twice a night at 7.40pm and 8.40pm and lasts 25 minutes. An entry fee of S$8.00 per person (w.e.f. 1 June 2008) is required for the show.[7]

Sentosa 4D Magix

Sentosa 4D Magix

The Sentosa 4D Magix is Singapore's first and Southeast Asia's original 4-dimensional theatre. Opened in January 2006 at the cost of S$3.5 million, the theatre is equipped with state-of-the-art Digital Projection and DTS 6.1 sound system. The highlight of the theatre are the special seats. Each seat, which costs about S$10,000, comes equipped with special effects: in-built speakers, seat vibration, leg ticklers, water features and base shaker features. The movement effect is received directly by each rider via the individually controlled seat. The entire theatre and all its effects are coordinated through a show control system which ensures a precise coordination of the special effects of the show. Currently, the only 4D show screening is "Pirates". This is an adventure comedy where viewers join in the hilarious misadventures of Captain Lucky and his hapless pirate crew on their clumsy quest for treasure. The fully-automated show lasts just 15 minutes. Research has taken place and find that anything above 15 minutes, the audience will not be able to take the surprises in the theatre. This is unlike a normal movie where audiences sit in for 90 minutes.[8]

Sentosa CineBlast

Opened in June 2007, the CineBlast is Singapore's only cinema ride. Equipped with the latest high definition wide-screen projection, digital technologies and state-of-the-art 6 axis motion systems, unique sound and light technology that is found in theme parks such as Universal Studios in the United States, the cinema simulation ride will bring visitors on an log ride, beginning with a pre-ride show that will excite the riders before experiencing the ride before transporting the visitors into a virtual world of thrilling experiences. Guests will be seated in capsules of 6, with each capsule costing over S$150 000, making the costs of all capsules in CineBlast to be over S$1 million. [9]

Fort Siloso

The refurbished Fort Siloso today

In the west of the island stand the guns of preserved Fort Siloso which guarded the western approaches to Singapore during World War II. Fort Siloso was built by the British in 1880s to guard the narrow western entrance to Keppel Harbour. It was later modernised and by 1939 was armed with two 6-inch Mark2 guns and two rapid firing 12-pounder guns. Fort Siloso is now the only surviving coastal gun battery from the twelve such batteries that made up Fortress Singapore at the start of the war.[10]

The ammunition bunkers, barracks, tunnels, and gun emplacements of the fort are now open to visitors, as a military-themed attraction. Also on display is a collection of artillery guns dating from the 17th century to World War II. Life-sized replicas of British soldiers and other people were on display to depict lives at the fort in the past. There is also an exhibition with a large collection of photographs, documents and film clips.

The fort served as the place of internment of the Singaporean political prisoner Chia Thye Poh in the period from 1989 to 1993.

Merlion

The Merlion statue recalls the story of the legendary Sang Nila Utama, who saw a lion in Singapore (originally known as Temasek) while hunting. The 37 metre (12 storey) high statue can be entered through the ground floor, and one can take the lift up to 12th floor to view the city state. Opened in 1996, it is the tallest Merlion in Singapore.

Sentosa Luge & Skyride

The Sentosa Luge & Skyride is a self-steering, gravity-driven three-wheel cart. Originated from New Zealand, the non-motorised cart allows rider to speed down a hill over a course of 650 m ending at the Siloso Beach.

The Flying Trapeze

The Flying Trapeze is a form of sport and recreation that helps develop one's mind, body and coordination. It also helps conquer one's fear of height.

Sijori Wondergolf

Sijori Wondergolf is a miniature golf park. There are 54 landscaped greens set in three different 18-hole courses.

Defunct attractions

Fantasy Island

Fantasy Island was a water based theme park in Sentosa. Opened in 1994 at a cost of S$54 million, it had numerous water slides and other features. Once a very popular park, it was plagued by several accidents, including two fatalities, and was eventually closed on 2 November 2002.

Volcanoland

Volcanoland featured an artificial volcano along with Mayan motifs and scenery. The integrated resort will be built over this site.

Musical Fountain

After operating for 25 years, the Musical Fountain went into the history of Sentosa when its last show was staged on 25 March 2007. It is now being replaced by The Songs of the Sea show. This nightly show that was staged in the past was used as a water fountain, with lasers and music. The refractive and reflective effect of the lasers against water particles from several directions create a three-dimensional image.

Beaches

The Southernmost Island of Sentosa, connected to Palawan Beach by a bridge

Sentosa has a stretch of sheltered beach of more than two kilometres in length on its southern coast, divided into three portions: Palawan Beach, Siloso Beach, and Tanjong Beach. These beaches are artificial, reclaimed using sand bought from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Palawan Beach

Palawan Beach lies in the centre of the southern coast of Sentosa. There is a suspension bridge that leads to a small islet off the coast which is said to be the Southernmost Point of Continental Asia, or Asia's closest point to the Equator. [11]

There are several bars along the beach offering food and beverage to visitors as well as Beach Station of Sentosa Express.

Siloso Beach

Siloso Beach lies on the west portion of the southern coast and it is known as the place for beach volleyball and other outdoor activities such as canoeing, skim boarding, mountain biking or rollerblading. There are also dining and shopping outlets along the beach. The Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Resort is located at the western end of Siloso Beach.

Tanjong Beach

Tanjong Beach is a relatively more secluded part of the southern coast. The crescent-shaped beach is sometimes used for special events or parties.

Siloso beach in Sentosa, with the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa resort overlooking the bay

Other facilities

Hotels

There are six hotels and resorts in Sentosa:

Upcoming accommodation

Spa

Events

Barclays Singapore Open

The Barclays Singapore Open golf event is held yearly at the Sentosa Golf Club's Serapong Course. It is the richest golf tournament which is exclusive to the Asian Tour with a US$2 million prize fund.[5] The Barclays Singapore Open 2007, which will be held from November 1-4, offers US$4 million in total prize money.

Sentosa Balloon Hats Festival

The Sentosa Balloon Hats Festival began in 2004. It is a gathering of local secondary school bands who would do display marches along the beach from Tanjong Beach to Palawan Beach before a mass display event. The participants would wear balloon hats made by themselves and each school comes up with their unique design. At the end of the event, all the students would pop their balloons followed by a release of a large number of balloons into the air. The event began as part of an attempt to create the world record for the gathering of the largest number of balloon hats. But since then, it had developed into a full scale annual event with performances around the whole island before the marching event began.

Beach parties

The Siloso Beach in Sentosa is host to the annual ZoukOut beach dance party organised by Zouk nightclub. On 10 December 2005, some 18,000 people attended the event. [12]

A new year eve party, Siloso NYE Splash is also held annually at the Siloso Beach. On 31 December 2005, the party attracted some 15,000 people.

Sentosa Flowers

Beginning in February 2005, the Sentosa Flowers event is held at the Fountain Gardens, exhibiting a variety of flora and herbs. The festival, which coincides with the Chinese New Year or the "Spring Festival" celebration in Singapore, hosts other activities including a mural painting competition, photograph competitions and a festival market for gardening enthusiasts.

SWATCH-FIVB Beach Volleyball

The SWATCH-FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 2007 was held during 24-27 May at the Siloso Beach. This is the first ever Women’s world tour event and was the biggest ever beach lifestyle event hosted on the island. This is also the first time Olympic qualification as well as Olympic level athletes compete on Singapore soil for Beach Volleyball.

Future development

Future plans by the government for Sentosa aims to establish it as one of the world's most luxurious holiday locations, with a SGD$10 billion masterplan for the future involving the construction of private housing at the Sentosa Cove, the aforementioned partial redevelopment of Siloso Beach, and Asia's first tourism academy. These large scale island redevelopment projects are expected to complete in 2012.

Resorts World at Sentosa

The largest impact is expected to be from a family-oriented Integrated Resort, with a casino at its core. This Integrated Resort is expected to be completed in late 2009 or the beginning of 2010. A resort developer and operator was chosen on 8 December, 2006. The winning proposal was the Genting/Star Cruises consortium in their bid for Resorts World Sentosa. It will have a Universal Studios Theme Park, to be known as Universal Studios Singapore which will occupy nearly half of the resort space. Development of the resort will be financed privately at a cost of $GD5.75 billion and will not receive any government subsidies. The proposal for a casino has met with extensive opposition from many conservative critics. Nevertheless, the government has constantly reassured that there would be stringent measures in place, to maintain the social fabric of the nation, and to prevent problems such as gambling addiction.

A montage of Sentosa.

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Trade and Industry (2007-09-29). "Mr Lim Hng Kiang at the Grand Opening of ONE°15 Marina Club". News and Events > Speeches. Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore. Retrieved on 2008-08-27. "As Sentosa enters the next chapter of its long-term strategic masterplan to rejuvenate itself, it is poised to become the premier resort destination in Asia. Last year, the island resort welcomed a record 5.7 million visitors, a 10% increase from 2005."
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern Universities Press, ISBN 981-210-205-1
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Sentosa Then, Sentosa Today". About Us > Sentosa Island. Sentosa Leisure Group (2007). Retrieved on 2008-01-01. "Looking at Sentosa today, it's hard to imagine the island was once a fishing village known as Pulau Blakang Mati; The public was invited to suggest names for the island and "Sentosa" – meaning peace & tranquillity in Malay - was eventually chosen for the island resort. Tasked with overseeing the development, management and promotion of the island, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) was incorporated on 1 September 1972 as a statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Trade and Industry; Since the island's inception in 1972, S$420 million in private investments and another $500 million from Government funding have gone into developing the island."
  4. ↑ National Heritage Board (2002), Singapore's 100 Historic Places, Archipelago Press, ISBN 981-4068-23-3
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Milestones". About Us > Sentosa Island. Sentosa Leisure Group (2007). Retrieved on 2008-01-01. "1974: The cable car transport system, linking Sentosa to Mount Faber, was inaugurated; 1992: A 710-metre long Causeway-Bridge, linking Sentosa to the mainland, was opened for traffic; 1982: Sentosa's monorail system transported its first passengers; 2005: Singapore Open, one of Singapore 's most celebrated sporting events, will be held at Sentosa Golf Club's Serapong Course from 8 - 11 September with a massive US$2m prize purse, making it the richest national Open in Asia. Monorail ceases operation in March; 2007: The $140m light-rail Sentosa Express system opens, enhancing access to the island within four minutes and connecting to Singapore’s public train network."
  6. ↑ Underwater World
  7. ↑ Songs of the Sea official website
  8. ↑ "Sentosa opens Southeast Asia's first four-dimensional theatre", Channel NewsAsia (5 January 2006). 
  9. ↑ Cineblast official website
  10. ↑ "The "Main Fleet to Singapore" Strategy". National Archives of Singapore. Archived from the original on 2006-09-10. Retrieved on 20 January, 2006.
  11. ↑ "Palawan Beach". Sentosa. Retrieved on January 30, 2006.
  12. ↑ "ZoukOut draws record 18,000 party-goers from Singapore and region", Channel NewsAsia (11 December 2005). 

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