The Padang

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

As we reached the Padang, the wide open field inspired us to do a jump shot. We had several attempts at it but none turned out really well. This photo was by far the best.

We eventually gave up and decided to do a normal shot instead. We were tired out by the jumping which could probably explain why we were so tired after the entire trail.

Originally, the space between the Old Lines and the Singapore River was to be reserved for public purposes. However, the first Resident, William Farquhar, allocated that area for mercantile firms and godowns, and another place for the public buildings had to be found. The area chosen was Padang Besar, or the Padang.

To us, the Padang holds huge significance, as it has been the site for the 2005 and 2007 National Day celebrations. To Singapore, it was more than just that. The field was used for exercising horses in the 1920s, and eventually became the scene for New Year sporting activities. When the Japanese occupied Singapore, the Padang was used as an area to round up the European POWS before marching them off to Changi prison camps. The Padang was also the site for the victory parade of the Japanese surrender, following the Japanese occupation. Now, it is used for soccer, cricket and rugby and has hosted several official One Day International cricket matches.