The Civilian War Memorial

Located within War Memorial Park, in Singapore’s CBD, the Civilian War Memorial is dedicated to the civilian victims of the Japanese occupation during World War II. The actual number of civilian casualties vary depending on agency, but amount to, at a minimum, 25,000.

In March 1963, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew began plans for the memorial by setting aside area for the memorial to be erected. The memorial was completed in 1967.

According to the National Parks website: “the park is characterised by open lawn areas with Gnetum gnemon (Melinjau) trees lining the walkway leading up to the memorial from the four corners of the park.”

The four points of the memorial represent the main ethnic groups that call Singapore home.