Pearl's Hill City Park
More To Know About Pearl’s Hill City Park
Pearl’s Hill City Park is a secret haven of peace and tranquilly tucked away in a nook of Chinatown. Visitors can relax and enjoy the tranquilly of the park while taking in the forested atmosphere created by the mature Tembusu trees. Alternatively, rest by the pond while admiring the lovely lotus plants. The lotus plants produce a dazzling burst of color across the quiet waters of the pond when they are in full bloom.
Meta Description
Pearl’s Hill City Park in Singapore is a 9-hectare park built around a reservoir on the summit of Pearl’s Hill. It’s next to the Outram Park MRT station.
What is the origin of the name “Pearl’s Hill”?
Captain James Pearl, commander of Indiana, the ship that transported Raffles to Singapore in 1819, is commemorated in Pearl’s Hill City Park.
The hill cover gambier plantations held Chinese planters before Raffles’ arrival.
Pearl decided he wanted to live in Singapore and began buying out the Chinese planters because he liked the hill’s location. In 1822, he bought the entire hill and erected a home at the summit to live. He named the elevation Mount Stamford in honor of Raffles. When Raffles discovered that Pearl had purchased the hill without his permission, he ordered that it be repossessed.
Pearl Hill’s Backstory
This hill was previously covered in Gambier plantations seeded by Chinese farmers and named after Captian James Pearl, captain of the ship that transported Raffles to Singapore after 1819. It wasn’t until Captain Pearl purchased it that it was dubbed Pearl’s Hill.
It’s surprising this hill, which has been the site of many historical events and monuments, is often overlooked in Singapore’s story! The region is full of stories, from being home to the former police headquarters to being the original location of Tan Tock Seng Hospital. If only trees could communicate with one another! And, even though it has been closed for a long time, word has it that this hill is home to a mysterious bunker.
Service Reservoir at Pearl’s Hill
While most lakes in Singapore are known for shoreline activities, Pearl’s Hill Service Reservoir has a high level of security, with barbed wire fencing encircling what appears to be a fortified facility. It looks like the Fort Canning Service Reservoir on Fort Canning Hill and several other service reservoirs in Singapore. While we are familiar with collecting rainwater, these service reservoirs store drinking water for distribution to nearby households. To maintain appropriate water pressure, all service reservoirs in Singapore currently positioned on higher ground will change once the service reservoir for the Bidadari estate is constructed.
In the City, Nature
The quiet natural location of Pearl’s Hill City Park developed around a service reservoir at the summit. The building in 1904 is comparable to the one at Fort Canning Park. There’s more than one link between the two hills. The top of Pearl’s Hill was once higher than Fort Canning Hill, but in the 1800s, it was “shaved off” to make Fort Canning Hill and its military fort the higher terrain. Pearl’s Hill City Park is a secret haven of peace and tranquilly tucked away in a nook of Chinatown.
