28 Jun 2025 - Reflections at Bukit Chandu

After we completed our walk in Kent Ridge Park, we paid a visit to Reflections at Bukit Chandu, a powerful World War II Museum that blends history, emotion, and architecture.

Nestled quietly among the trees at the edge of Kent Ridge Park, this beautifully restored colonial bungalow may look unassuming at first, but after stepping inside, we were immersed in a moving tribute to one of the fiercest last stands in Singapore’s wartime history.  Admission is Free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents.

“Bukit Chandu” means “Opium Hill” in Malay, a name that harks back to colonial-era warehouses nearby. But it’s not the opium trade that gives this hilltop its place in history. It was here, in February 1942, that C Company of the 1st Battalion, Malay Regiment made a heroic final stand against the Japanese forces during the Battle of Pasir Panjang, just days before the British surrendered Singapore.

The museum begins with a short immersive film and soundscape that sets the tone, not just about war, but about memory, identity, and courage.

Through the exhibits in the museum, we also learned about the formation of the Malay Regiment, its values, and the personal stories of soldiers, including 2nd Lieutenant Adnan Saidi, the iconic war hero who led the final stand and died defending the hill.

Reflections at Bukit Chandu is housed in a beautifully preserved black-and-white colonial bungalow, once used by senior British officers. Its peaceful surroundings now stand in stark contrast to the violence and tragedy that took place nearby.

On the second floor of the museum, we learned how opium was imported, processed, and taxed by the British colonial government.  The trade was both profitable and controversial, with deep ties to the British East India Company’s operations in Asia.

Also, the artefacts and captions reminded us how opium affected local communities, especially the Chinese immigrant population, and how it was eventually regulated and banned in post-colonial Singapore.

Reflections at Bukit Chandu isn’t just a museum, it’s a story space. It tells the tale of bravery under fire, of ordinary soldiers who stood their ground, and of a hill whose name carries both the weight of colonial commerce and wartime sacrifice.

The museum is quite small, and we completed our visit in slightly more than half an hour.  As we were feeling a little hungry, we decided to stop by a coffee shop at the foot of Kent Ridge along Pepys Road. We had a bowl of Prawn Soup Noodle, and apparently, it is a very popular stall as we consistently saw people driving here specially to patronize the stall.  In fact, the bigger prawns were already sold out by 10am.