Padang, Singapore

A British flag was raised here in 1819 when Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of modern Singapore, first landed in Singapore. Since then, the Padang represents the very essence of colonial Singapore. A plain unrelieved by trees or hills, it was a center of colonial life for sporting events and social gatherings. Here, too, herds of Europeans were rounded up and questioned on the morning of the Japanese Occupation, and some 6,000 prisoners of war subjected to military training. Today, the Padang maintains its original use as a recreational space, and games like cricket and rugby are sometimes played here.