Fort Siloso 
From Singapore Hotels & Singapore Lifestyle
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Fort Siloso is located on the western corner of Sentosa, next to the former monorial stop. The fort was built in the 1880s as a military base to protect Britain's valuable colonial port with a series of numerous gun emplacements linked by underground tunnels. Designed to repel a maritime assault, the guns were never fired during World War II as the Japanese made the assault by land from Malaysia. Fort Siloso was later used by the Japanese as a POW camp. This historial landmark, enhanced by lush greenery and beautiful landscaping, is one of Sentosa's must-see sights.
This fascinating slice of history has been improved even further by an expensive upgrade and reorganisation, which presents the island's history dating from the time it was called "Pulau Blakang Mati" (Malay for "island behind which lies death", thought to be a reference to a deadly malaria outbreak that killed hundreds of villagers).
GThe path around the fort leads to the gun emplacements, tunnels and buildings, with jolly waxwork re-creations and voice-overs about life in a colonial barracks. There's also a small obstacle course to try your army skills out on. Genuine World War II bunkers and tunnels add a fillip to this rea-life vignette of Singapore's war-time past. The tunnel networks have been upgraded with trendily designed information posters and a short historical documentary film about the defence of Singapore.
Used as a concentration camp for Prisoner of War (POW) during the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945), Fort Siloso also houses a permanent exhibition, "A Soldier Remembers - the History of Blakang Mati", where photographs, documents and film clips detail the difficult life of a soldier at the fortress. Visitors follow the life of newly-arrived recruit Battery Sergeant-Major Cooper on board a troopship and glimpse through life-size diomaras his years in Singapore and life as a Prisoner of War (POW) during the Japanese Occupation.
The two surrender chambers, featuring more waxwork figures that re-create the British surrender to the Japanese, and the Japanese surrender to the Allies, completes the journey.
From 1989 until 1993, Fort Siloso housed Sentosa's most unusual "attraction" - political prisoner Chia Thye Poh. Arrested in 1966 for allegedly being a communist, Chia served 23 years in jail before being banished to complete his sentence among the holiday delights of Sentosa.
Visitors' Information
- Admission: adult/child S$5/3
- Opening Hours: 9am - 6.30pm
- Getting There: shuttle bus from HarbourFront MRT Station
