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Singapore River & Marina Bay

Singapore · 7 stories · 45–75 min

Five stops from the Merlion to Boat Quay — an invented lion, a replica statue, a fort turned post office turned hotel, and the quay where it all came ashore.

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Stories along the way

  1. 1. The Lion That Never WasStart here, at the water, with a creature that does not exist. Lion above, fish below, spouting into Marina Bay — and the honest thing to say first is that the Merlion is not…
  2. 2. The Lone Resistance PagodaLook at this octagonal pagoda sitting in Esplanade Park. In a city filled with monuments to collective sacrifice, this twelve-foot structure of white marble and bronze holds a…
  3. 3. The Spot Where It Supposedly BeganA white figure, arms folded, looking out at a river he would not recognise. This is the Raffles Landing Site, and it marks the place where Sir Stamford Raffles is traditionally…
  4. 4. The Post Office That Guarded the RiverThe grey mass on your right, with the Doric columns running two storeys tall, is the Fullerton — and it has been three different kinds of important. Start underneath it. In the…
  5. 5. No Cattle Beyond This PointSlow down on this one. Cavenagh Bridge is one of the oldest crossings over the Singapore River, and unlike almost everything around it, it has kept both its shape and its manners.…
  6. 6. From Colonial Rules to Sovereign LawsIn 1824, if you wanted to pass a law for Singapore, you couldn't do it on the island. You had to send your request all the way to Calcutta, to the Governor-General of British…
  7. 7. Where the Cargo Came AshoreThis curve of shophouses is the reason for everything else on this walk. Boat Quay was the commercial heart of Singapore's river trade — and the buildings you are standing in…