I spent about two years working in Starhub at Haw Par Glass Centre and even though i was close to the official residence of Singapore's head of state; i didn't have the opportunity to step in as it was mostly closed to the public except for five days a year!
Even my dad, at his 66 years of age, had yet to step onto its sacred grounds until i brought him in July this year. Sorry that this post was so delayed but my backlog, honestly, has never stopped growing since my Hokkaido trip last year.
Anyway, the Istana was open in celebration of Singapore's national day and as the whole country would be celebrating on the 09th of August; the Istana open house is usually not scheduled on the actual day. Entry is free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residences; for others, the entrance fee is just S$2 per person.
Do note the above that are not allowed on the Istana grounds. Don't bother smuggling them in as security is tight and the personnel will not hesitate to turn you away; seriously no point in spoiling a good day.
Entering the secure compound after clearing security checks; woah, it literally took my breath as this kind of sprawling green, in land-scare Singapore, is unseen of!
Dad with his signature, thumbs-up, pose.
Singapore's Coat of Arms on the main Istana gate; adopted in 1959 when Singapore was given the right from the British Empire to self-govern, it depicts a lion and tiger holding a shield with the same symbols on the national flag.
Main road going in. For 360 days a year, this same road serves only the motor vehicles and it would be rare to find so many people walking on it!
Aside from the uniqueness of the bench circular, looping design, there's another interesting fact; it's made up of timber planks salvaged from the old National Stadium before it was demolished.
A narrow strip of water on the side of the lawn.
The Swan Pond - largest of the four ponds in Istana, it's well represented by its namesake with the presence of two large swan floating calmly on the water.
An art event by National Heritage Board was scheduled on the day in the Istana; with the event, i think it motivated parents to bring the whole family as kids would likely be bored with century-old buildings.
Don't why but flowers were being distributed. As i was there with my dad and there's no lady in our company; we didn't get any flowers. Sexist! Hahaha
Centre Gate - built in 1931 "as a receiving post for visitors", reaching this spot also means you have just walked 500 meters from the main gate! Thank god it didn't rain on the day we were there since i don't have the habit of bringing brollies!
The Arts and Heritage Village; more for the kids and given the heat and humidity, i also didn't want to crowd around the gazebos!
However, i did take a second look at the snakes brought in by the Wildlife Reserves Singapore Group that manages Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Jurong Bird Park and River Safari.
Distance we covered from the Main Gate; if Singapore does snow, the lawn with its gradual slope would be great for snow sledging.
Hm.... can play golf here?
A large canopy on the side; while i am not interested to catch the performances (definitely not in that heat), i did notice a stall selling what appeared to be chilled beverage!
Nonetheless, it's a good place to take cover should there be rain. In Singapore, the weather is so unpredictable; it can be bright and sunny one moment and raining cats and dogs in another.
Some army and police big shots. No, i didn't see the nation's biggest shot in my visit to the Istana but since President Halimah Yacob was a Yishun resident before she moved to the Istana; i might have bumped into her a few times.
Hiding under the shade of a Tembusu tree (i think). This reminded me; i should not bring Jovyn to the Istana as i would be tortured by her incessant complaints about the lack of air-conditioned places!
View of the towering buildings at the central business district; in the above photo, the two tallest structures stand at 280 meters and rank top five among the tallest buildings in Singapore.
You need the above to keep the toddlers occupied.
The above two areas would be shared in greater detail later as i was dying to get into the oldest building where i can already the blast of cool air-conditioning!
The Istana!
"Built between 1867 and 1869" as the government house for Singapore's first colonial governor, the Istana "is the official residence and office of the President of Singapore" and has been gazetted as a national monument. President Halimah Yacob actually didn't want to move out of Yishun since it's such a nice town but was forced to do so for the convenience of the residents in her block.
Front facade of the Istana was undergoing some renovation but the sheet cover did a great job in making us think it's almost real!
Although stepping into the compound surrounding the Istana is free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents; there's an admission fee for entry into the Istana (first level only). Now, isn't it the Istana open house?
Well, can't complain much when the fees go to the charities and it's frankly quite reasonable at S$2.00 per entry. You may wish to register for the guided tour but do note that the demand is high; there was already no available slot when i was there.
Freak! No photo-taking in the Istana! :( My apology for not being able to show you the stunning halls with beautiful furnishings and the numerous captivating gifts (from other heads of state) that were on display. The next open house is on 06 February 2019 and you might want to diarize the date if you intend to check out the Istana.
Photos of my father in front of the Istana.
Can't get him to try other pose although we can still persuade him to stick out his tongue. Nothing too drastic and over dramatic as it's just not his generation's cup of tea.
With the recent news about a tree in Sembawang that fell on a pavilion, i bet the in-house curators would take double effort to ensure the trees near the building are healthy with no risk of toppling under the occasional strong winds!
Hm.... where shall we proceed next?
The Victoria Pond it shall be then. According to the Wikipedia write up on the Istana, it was mentioned that the "the statue of Queen Victoria now stands at the end of the Victoria Pond".
I didn't recall seeing any statue and the photos i took didn't reveal the existence of any statue too! So what happened to the statue of Queen Victoria?
From a photo i saw on this blog, it appeared that this same Victorian style pavilion used to shelter the statue. When we were there, it's just an empty space although i could still make out the markings that something used to be placed in the middle.
Going back to the long staircase where our journey continued.
Humongous tree with its branches skewed towards one side; as if it's a martial arts expert striking a pose to defend itself from an aggressor.
Random post of the lamppost with autumn (looking) tree.
The Lawn - right in front of the Istana building was a patch of greenery where functions are held. Gosh, it felt almost like a film set from the Crazy Rich Asians movie!
The flag on top of the Istana is called the President's Standard which differs from our national flag. Exclusively used by the president (as the name implies), it is flown on top of the Istana "from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, or until the President has left for his / her private residence".
Even though it's not obvious, the Istana is built on top of a hill and it's "41.148 metres above sea level". Before skyscrapers take over the landscape, it was said to be "possible to see the Indonesian Islands to the South and the hills of Johore to the North on a clear day"!
Fountain that many kids were eyeing and wondering if they could jump in and cool themselves in the hot weather!
This wouldn't help much in heavy rain but on a sunny day, the structures on both sides of the fountain can shield you from the rays.
QR code on display for them who wish to know more; i took a picture, thinking i could rely on it for extra information that i could share with all of you in this blog. The screen i received on my phone was "the requested url was not found on this server"; . Hope the Istana staff can rectify this soon!
Panorama for your viewing pleasure!
Just now, i showed you the towering buildings from the central business district. This view is from the more happening part of town; Swissôtel The Stamford (at one time, it was be the tallest hotel in the world) and Marina Bay Sands behind it.
The Gun Terrace - showing you the combined sights!
This gun was in fact a decommissioned 105 mm Japanese artillery cannon that was presented to Lord Louis Mountbatten after the Japanese surrender in 1945.
View of the Istana from the Gun Terrace.
Cityscape in the midst of greenery. While this couldn't be compared to New York's Central Park, it's still a green oasis surrounded by the rest of Singapore's concrete jungle.
Orchids and i was excited as we were on national grounds; hence, the orchids cultivated here should be of a national status! For those who are unaware, Singapore's national flower is an orchid known as Vanda 'Miss Joaquim'!
And i think it is!
Dad confirmed it as he has greener thumbs than i do and orchids were his preferred kind of flowers when we were living n the village where he had plenty of space to grow many pots of flowers.
Note - the stench from the fertilizer was quite potent.
The Istana Villa - constructed in 1908, this was similar to many of the black and white bungalows located in other parts of the country. Used to house foreign dignitaries, i have no idea what is its purpose now.
Right across was Sri Temasek; built at the same time as the main Istana building, this is out of bounds as it's the official residence of Singapore's Prime Minister.
Returning ceremonial guards who were doing sentry duty at the main gate. There's actually an elaborate Changing of Guards ceremony"every first Sunday evening of the month, except July and August.". Check out the information here.
Japanese Garden - it's not big and for better experience, go check out the Japanese themed Garden at Jurong Lake Gardens instead!
Enough walking and since dark clouds had started congregating, i think it's best to exit! Furthermore, i can see that my dad was getting a bit too tired. While i have the energy, it's important to be considerate to your companion.
Swan Pond on our right. I think the Istana can afford the space to keep some otters there too. For all you know, otters, with their utter adorable faces, might be declared the national animal of Singapore.
Reaching the entrance!
Dad once again! Now that our parents are older, it's good to bring them out when their legs are still strong. I would have loved to bring my mom too but like Jovyn, she hates the sun and would very much prefer the cool, air-conditioned indoors.
Across the main gate is the Istana Park where you can find information of the Istana in the Istana Heritage Gallery. Do check it out after the open house if you have time!
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Location Map
As above. Do note that the map points at the Istana Park (maybe due to security reason) and the entrance of the Istana is directly across the busy Orchard road.
Website
Istana Map
As above. Some areas are restricted access.
Admission Fees (only during Istana Open House)
Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents - Free*
Others - S$2.00 per person*
* extra fees would be imposed for entry to the main Istana building