Dark tourism refers to touring areas of a city where dark events of history have unfolded. While some may have the impression that dark tourism is associated with touring shady spots in the city, it is definitely not the case. These dark tourism attractions vary from man-made disasters, such as wars, to natural disasters.
While dark tourism may not always be associated with death, there will always be a ‘dark’ element found in the attraction. There are so many dark destinations around the world , from the World Trade Center site in New York to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima, and even in Singapore! There are around 900 sites across the world that have been classified as dark tourism spots. You would definitely have been to one of these dark destinations when travelling to different cities, you just might not have known it then!
J. John Lennon, professor of tourism in Glasgow Caledonian University stated that “[dark tourism] is not a new phenomenon. There's evidence that dark tourism goes back to the Battle of Waterloo where people watched from their carriages the battle taking place”.
Here are just a few of the many dark tourism sites for you to visit in Singapore. Who knows, you might just be a dark tourist after all.
Kranji War Memorial
This memorial honours those from the Commonwealth who passed in line of duty during World War II. The memorial comprises of the War Graves, Memorial Walls, the State Cemetery and the Military Graves. The Memorial’s walls have been inscribed with over 24,000 names of allies whose bodies were never found.
Address: 9 Woodlands Rd, Singapore 738656
Opening Hours: 8am-6:30pm
Phone: 6269 6158
The Battle Box
The Battlebox, located in Fort Canning Hill, is a former WWII British underground command centre. This site was part of the headquarters of Malaya Command, which defended Malaya and Singapore during the war. This site has been restored in 2016, which unveils the trus causes behind “the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British History”
The Battlebox is opened from Fridays to Sundays from 10:30am - 4:30pm. While you can purchase tickets on their website, you can also walk in unguided.
Address: 2 Cox Terrace, Singapore 179622
Changi Chapel & Museum
The Changi Museum serves as an educational center to remind future generations to appreciate the heroic stories that unfolded in Changi during the Japanese Occupation. The museum is also dedicated to those who lived and died during World War II.
While this museum is currently under redevelopment, you can still visit this museum virtually here. The redeveloped museum and chapel are expected to open in late 2020.
Haw Par Villa (Temporarily Closed)
Haw Par Villa, formerly known as Tiger Balm Garden, is filled with asian culture, history, philosophy and religion. This site depicts the punishments for crimes - from small to big. Their main attraction is the Ten Courts of Hell. Where after a person passes away, Chinese mythology believes that the person will start at the first court of hell. From there, they are deemed good or bad. If they are good, they go to paradise. But if they are bad, they are led to the other 9 courts.
Haw Par Villa is currently closed as they upgrade their site and will open on 31 March 2021.
Things to Note
Like all other forms of tourism, there are both positive and negative sides of being a dark tourist. While dark tourism does give us some insights to what it was like during a trying period of history, some spots may just be running on profit.
While you are touring and visiting these sites, do ensure to respect the area and the memory of the site. Remember that where you are was a chapter in history marked by tragedy, death or injustice.
