After a year-long revamp, the former Ford Motor Factory along Upper Bukit Timah Road has finally reopened its doors to a closed-door opening ceremony for invited guests on 15 February 2017.
Renamed Syonan Gallery, its opening was aptly timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the fall of Singapore.
A highlight of the private event was a weapon presentation ceremony, where recruits from the 2nd Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (2 SIR) received their Singapore Assault Rifle (SAR) 21.
I think there is a significant meaning for our own army to take up arms at the very site where the British put down theirs. It is a dark chapter, but one that we must always remember; we can rely on no one except ourselves to defend our land.
We have come a long way and while we treasure the peace we have now, let us not forget the atrocities of the war that our ancestors had to go through.
With a heavy heart, I visited the museum on the next day when it is opened to the public.
We have come a long way and while we treasure the peace we have now, let us not forget the atrocities of the war that our ancestors had to go through.
With a heavy heart, I visited the museum on the next day when it is opened to the public.
The entrance to Syonan Gallery
Lim Bo Seng
Diary of Lim Bo Seng
My last visit to the museum was five years ago during the 70th anniversary. I had thought that the exhibits and contents would remain the same but I was wrong. No wonder they had to close for a year to curate the new exhibits.
Admission is free for Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and all children under the age of 6. A SGD$3 admission fee applies for foreign visitors.
A day after my visit, Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim announced that Syonan Gallery will be renamed as "Surviving the Japanese Occupation: War and its Legacies" after provoking strong public reactions.
Singapore was forcibly renamed as Syonan-to - meaning "Light of the South" - by the Japanese in 1942, following the British surrender. Naming the exhibition as such seems to be honoring the dark period of the Japanese Occupation which is akin to rubbing salt into the wounds of all Singaporeans, especially those who survived it.
The exhibition is a good wake-up call to remind the younger generation of our vulnerability as a Nation and that the peace they now enjoyed must never be taken for granted.
Identity Card
Radio set
The Surrender Room
This is the room where the British Army led by Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, surrendered unconditionally to the
Japanese Imperial Army, led by Lieutenant-General Yamashita Tomoyuki.
The table is a replica of the actual one used during the surrender meeting. The original table was donated to the Australian War Memorial by the Ford Motor Company in 1964. The four chairs were the originals though.
Old switches
Oral account of Sook Ching Operation
Registration Certificate for those who passed the mass screening in Sook Ching
The cost of twelve eggs (from left) in Feb 1942, Dec 1942, Dec 1943, Feb 1945 and Sep 1945
Banana notes
Japanese Sword
War Medals
My last visit to the museum was five years ago during the 70th anniversary. I had thought that the exhibits and contents would remain the same but I was wrong. No wonder they had to close for a year to curate the new exhibits.
Syonan Garden
Right by the side of the building, you can find the Syonan Garden where a variety of crops commonly eaten during the war when food is scarce are grown.
Sweet Potato Leaves
Lalang
Papaya
Papaya
Tapioca
Sugarcane
Pineapple
Banana
Yam
The exterior of the Ford Motor Factory seen in history textbooks
Admission is free for Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and all children under the age of 6. A SGD$3 admission fee applies for foreign visitors.
A day after my visit, Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim announced that Syonan Gallery will be renamed as "Surviving the Japanese Occupation: War and its Legacies" after provoking strong public reactions.
Singapore was forcibly renamed as Syonan-to - meaning "Light of the South" - by the Japanese in 1942, following the British surrender. Naming the exhibition as such seems to be honoring the dark period of the Japanese Occupation which is akin to rubbing salt into the wounds of all Singaporeans, especially those who survived it.
The exhibition is a good wake-up call to remind the younger generation of our vulnerability as a Nation and that the peace they now enjoyed must never be taken for granted.
SYONAN GALLERY
(Former Ford Factory)
351 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 588192
Singapore 588192
Opening Hours
Mon - Sat: 9am - 5.30pm
Sun: 12pm - 5.30pm
Website: http://www.nas.gov.sg/syonangallery
Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/87zGJtWNXgn
GPS Coordinates: 1.3515866,103.7670296
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