A Brief History
It's hard to believe that this triangular green space bounded by Clemenceau Avenue, Tank Road and River Valley Road was a bustling railway yard 90 years ago. The Tank Road Station, which was once the southern terminus for the Malayan Railway system is no more, leaving a peaceful pocket park surrounded by historical sites. Standing at the cache coordinates, you'll see a blend of Singapore's culture and history throughout the ages: from the historic slopes of Fort Canning to the religious buildings that stand by the park's fringe.
What is most interesting is the odd structure that you will be standing on if you go to the coordinates. 5 sharp pinnacles supported by cable stays connected to concrete blocks. A small wooden stage stands at its base. It's frames are rusty and the wooden planks have began to rot in the Singaporean humidity. What on Earth is this doing here? And, why is it in this sad state?
What you see before you is a replica of one of Singapore's most iconic buildings. But, if you haven't heard of it before, it's understandable. The story of this building has faded into the yellowed pages of history. A proud structure once stood nearby, but now, we have to look into the archives to know its significance
The National Theatre
In 1963, the Singapore National Theatre opened at the foot of Fort Canning Hill in what was once known as King George V's Park. It was a grand building and had a most unique design. The entrance was graced by 5 sharp spires, which spread backwards and was connected by cantilevers to the slopes of Fort Canning Hill behind it. A fountain adorned its entrance, and crowds will gather around it on weekends, either for a show or to relax in the park around it. The highlight of its event schedule was the National Day Rally, which was held there annually until 1985.
The story of the National Theatre ends here unfortunately, as the building was demolished ostensibly due to structural faults, but in actual fact, declining popularity due to its lack of air-conditioning and seating capacity, along with the need for the land it was on for the construction of the CTE basically sealed its fate.
In 2013, a replica of the building was erected in the Tank Road park as a celebration of what would be the Theatre's 50th birthday. It was meant to be a replica stage so that visitors could relive the glory days of the Theatre, but sadly, the memorial itself has fallen into a sad state of disrepair, and like what it was meant to represent, continues to fade slowly over time
The Cache
To get to the cache, climb onto the podium (no, not the rotten wooden one) and put yourself up and out there for all the world to see. Once you have received what you came for, exit stage left and make sure that the cache is back in place. Have fun!