Theatre, Talk/Workshop

Walking Tour: Memory Palace – The Worlds & Words of Bukit Larangan

Organised by: Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay Performed by: Ng Yi-Sheng
  • Date:
    26 Jul, 2 Aug 2026
  • Time:
    9:00am
  • Duration:
    1h 30mins
  • Venue:
    Fort Canning Hill (Meeting point: Entrance of National Museum of Singapore)
  • Language:
    English
  • Admission:
    $30

    This event is eligible for SG Culture Pass credits.
  • Advisory:
    13 years old and above

Synopsis:

This walk—conducted by two-time Singapore Literature Prize winner Ng Yi-Sheng—will explore the lasting cultural legacy of precolonial Singapore. Visiting multiple sites in the vicinity of Fort Canning Hill, Yi-Sheng will reveal how the 14th-century kingdom lives on in the form of folk memories, rituals, monuments, theatre, and fictions.

Inspired by the research behind his mythic historical novel, Utama, which re-imagines the rise of Sang Nila Utama, Yi-Sheng ponders the contradictory stories around the lineage of the legendary founder of the island of Temasek, and the clash of empires in that era which shaped the Malay Archipelago we know today. Historical fact is layered with myth and re-invention, and spiced up with imagination.

Amongst other locations, the walk will take you to the National Archives, the Sang Nila Utama Garden, the Keramat Iskandar Shah, and the Archaeological Dig Exhibition. At each stop, Yi-Sheng will share personal memories and titbits of Singaporean cultural history, while also inviting you to share your own recollections.

This is a companion programme to Fragments of Tuah (24 – 26 Jul 2026) at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. The Studios companion programmes are an invitation to deepen engagement with the artistic works and conversations raised in the season.

Advisory

- Participants below the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult (aged 18 and above).

- Each participant will be required to sign an indemnity form.

- Please dress comfortably and wear shoes suitable for walking. Conditions will be slippery or muddy during or after rain.

- You will be required to walk on uneven ground and will encounter a lot of stairs and slopes.

- We encourage you to bring:
-A raincoat or umbrella in case of rain
-A cap or hat for protection against the sun
-Insect repellent
-Drinking water

- This is a rain or shine programme and will only be cancelled in the event of heavy rain, thunder and lightning.

- Please arrive at the meeting point 30 minutes before the scheduled start time to register, fill in pre-event forms and visit the restroom.

- Latecomers will not be allowed to join the walk once it begins.

- More details about this programme will be sent to ticket holders on the week of the event.