Esplanade Park
| Esplanade Park | |
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Esplanade Park, Singapore. The pedestrian promenade on the left is Queen Elizabeth Walk. The plaque on the right, erected by the National Heritage Board, marks the former Indian National Army Monument site. | |
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| Type | City and heritage park |
| Location | Downtown Core, Singapore |
| Coordinates | 1°17′23.65″N 103°51′13.32″E / 1.2899028°N 103.8537000°ECoordinates: 1°17′23.65″N 103°51′13.32″E / 1.2899028°N 103.8537000°E |
| Area | 2.4 hectares (24,000 m2) |
| Created | 1943 |
| Operated by | National Parks Board |
| Status | Opened |
| Website | Esplanade Park |
The Esplanade Park (Chinese: 海滨公园) is a historic park located in the Esplanade within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore's central business district.
Built in 1943, the Esplanade Park is one of the oldest in Singapore. The park was redeveloped in 1991. Many historical landmarks are located at the Esplanade Park, including Queen Elizabeth Walk, the former Indian National Army Monument site, The Cenotaph (completed in 1922), Tan Kim Seng Fountain (moved here in 1925 from Fullerton Square), and the Lim Bo Seng Memorial (which was unveiled in 1954).
Etymology and history
In the 1850s, the Esplanade referred to what is now the Padang, previously known as The Plain, in front of City Hall. It is best captured in John Turnbull Thomson's 1851 painting, "The Esplanade from Scandal Point".
With land reclamation in 1943, the term Esplanade then referred to the area of the present Queen Elizabeth Walk. Both the Esplanade Park and Queen Elizabeth Walk were built on the reclaimed land. In the park are several memorials, including The Cenotaph (completed in 1922), the Former Indian National Army Monument, the Tan Kim Seng Fountain (moved here in 1925 from Fullerton Square), and the Lim Bo Seng Memorial (which was unveiled in 1954).
Queen Elizabeth Walk covers an area of approximately 9.5 acres (38,000 m2). The walk was substantially completed in 1953 and was named in honour of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth's coronation in the same year. It was declared open on Coronation Day, 30 May 1953 by T.P.F. McNiece. There was an open air bandstand near the Lim Bo Seng Memorial.
The Tamils call the Esplanade "January thidal" or "January place" because of the former sports activities held there on New Year's Day. The Chinese called the place tua kok cheng chau po or "the grass field in front of the great court", referring to the Padang in front of the Supreme Court.
See also
References
- Victor R. Savage; Brenda S. A. Yeoh (2004), Toponymics – A Study of Singapore Street Names (2nd ed.), Singapore: Eastern Universities Press, ISBN 978-981-210-364-2.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Esplanade Park. |