The Esplanade is a waterfront location just north of the mouth of the

Singapore River The Singapore River is a river that flows parallel to Alexandra Road and feeds into the Marina Reservoir in the southern part of Singapore. The immediate upper watershed of the Singapore River is known as the Singapore River Planning Area, altho ...

in downtown

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

. It is primarily occupied by the

Esplanade Park Esplanade Park is a park located at the Esplanade area within the Downtown Core district of Singapore. History Built in 1943 when Singapore was ruled by Japan, the Esplanade Park is one of the oldest parks in Singapore. The park was redevelope ...

, and was the venue for one of Singapore's largest congregation of

satay Satay ( , in USA also , ), or sate in Indonesian spelling, is a Southeast Asian dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. The earliest preparations of satay is believed to have originated in Javanese cuisine, but ha ...

outlets until their relocation to

Clarke Quay Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore, located within the Singapore River Planning Area. The quay is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River and Boat Quay. Etymology ''Clarke Quay'' was named after Sir Andre ...

as a result of the construction of a major performance arts venue, the

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cl ...

, which took its name from this location. Apart from the shows, Singaporeans usually visit the Esplanade for its scenic outdoor view. It overlooks the Singapore river and is in between the Singapore Flyer and Merlion park, making for a good stroll around the vicinity. River ferries stops have been added recently, enhancing its accessibility.

Etymology and history

Aerial panorama of Singapore's Downtown Core

In the 1850s, the Esplanade referred to what is now the

Padang Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...

, previously known as The Plain, in front of

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

. It is best captured in

John Turnbull Thomson John Turnbull Thomson (10 August 1821 – 16 October 1884) was a British civil engineer and artist who played an instrumental role in the development of the early infrastructure of nineteenth-century Singapore and New Zealand. He lived the last 2 ...

's 1851 painting, "The Esplanade from Scandal Point". With

land reclamation Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamati ...

in 1943, the term Esplanade then referred to the area of the present

Queen Elizabeth Walk The Queen Elizabeth Walk is a promenade located at the Esplanade Park within the Downtown Core district of the Central Area of Singapore. See also *History of Singapore The history of the modern state of Singapore dates back to its founding ...

. Both the Esplanade Park and Queen Elizabeth Walk were built on the reclaimed land. In the park are several memorials, including

The Cenotaph The Cenotaph is a war memorial on Whitehall in London, England. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it was unveiled in 1920 as the United Kingdom's national memorial to the British and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth dead of the First World W ...

(completed in 1922), the

Former Indian National Army Monument The Former Indian National Army Monument (Chinese: 印度国民军纪念碑) is a historical site and a demolished war memorial at the Esplanade Park located at Connaught Drive within the downtown of Singapore. History Foundation stone laying ...

, the

Tan Kim Seng Fountain The Tan Kim Seng Fountain is a fountain in Singapore that was erected in 1882 in honor of notable philanthropist Tan Kim Seng for his donations for the Singapore's first reservoir and waterworks. History The erection of the Tan Kim Seng Fountain ...

(moved here in 1925 from Fullerton Square), and the

Lim Bo Seng Memorial The Lim Bo Seng Memorial is an octagonal pagoda-like war memorial at Esplanade Park, Singapore. It was erected in 1954 in honour of the late Lim Bo Seng for his heroic acts and selfless sacrifice during the World War II. The war memorial is the ...

(which was unveiled in 1954). Photographic Views of Singapore Plate 07 Esplanade

Queen Elizabeth Walk covers an area of approximately . The walk was substantially completed in 1953 and was named in honour of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth's

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...

in the same year. It was declared open on

Coronation Day Coronation Day is the anniversary of the coronation of a monarch, the day a king or queen is formally crowned and invested with the regalia. By country Cambodia * Norodom Sihamoni - October 29, 2004 Ethiopia * Haile Selassie I - November 2, 1930 ...

, 30 May 1953 by T.P.F. McNiece. There was an open air

bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an orname ...

near the Lim Bo Seng Memorial. The

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

s call the Esplanade "January ''thidal''" or "January place" because of the former sports activities held there on New Year's Day. The

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

called the place ''tua kok cheng chau po'' or "the grass field in front of the great court", referring to the Padang in front of the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

Esplanade MRT station Esplanade MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the Circle line (CCL). Situated in Downtown Core, Singapore, it is at the junction of Bras Basah Road, Raffles Boulevard and Nicoll Highway. As the name suggests, th ...

opened on 17 April 2010.

References

*Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2004), ''Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names'', Eastern University Press,

External links

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay ReviewsEsplanade celebrates 10 years of artful existence -Pravasi ExpressEsplanade the National Performing Arts Centre
{{Places in Singapore Downtown Core (Singapore) Places in Singapore