Fort Canning is a small hill in the south-eastern part of Singapore, within the central business district area. Although only 60 feet in height, Fort Canning Hill has a long history closely intertwined with our history, and to many Singaporeans, reminds us of British presence in the area. The place was once termed as “The Forbidden Hill” or “Bukit Larangan” in Malay as it was believed that bad luck would come upon anyone who sets foot in the place, as Sang Nila Utama, the first ruler of Singapore (back then “Singapura”) has his final resting place there.  The fort was named Fort Canning after Viscount Charles John Canning, who was then Governor-General and the first Viceroy of India. Because of the history associated with the hill, as well as its geographical advantage of high ground, Sir Stamford Raffles himself built his first residence on the hill. It is also the place where the first Botanic Gardens was built thanks to Sir Raffles’ keen interest in botany. The hill has traditionally played a large military role in World War II, and is perhaps best remembered for this by Singaporeans. This was where Lieutenant-General Percival established his command post in his failed attempts at defending the Island from the invading Japanese. The Japanese themselves used the fort for military purposes during their occupation of Singapore, and today, ramifications and old military structures still stand where we can admire them. Its military bunker, The Battle Box, has now been converted to a visitor’s attraction where tourists and locals visit to learn about those tumultuous times the Island has been through.