Lim Bo Seng Memorial In Honour Of War Hero
The Lim Bo Seng Memorial is the only structure in Singapore that commemorates an individual’s efforts in World War II and was gazetted as a national monument on December 28, 2010.
Major-General Lim Bo Seng was a prominent Hokkien businessman, who led many anti-Japanese activities before and during the Japanese occupation to support the war efforts in China and also the creation of an intelligence network in Malaya.
He was caught by the Japanese Secret Police in Ipoh, after being betrayed by a spy. Seng was soon held captive and tortured, till he died in the Batu Gajah Jail on June 29, 1944.
He received the rank of Major-General by the Chinese Nationalist Government posthumously. On January 13, 1946, the British government brought Lim’s remains to Singapore and buried him with full glory and honours at MacRitchie Reservoir, where his grave lies.
Lim Bo Seng Memorial: The Unique Pagoda
Image courtesy: iStock
The Memorial was designed by architect Ng Keng Siang and was unveiled in 1954. It was constructed on a site that was donated by the government. The donations came from the Chinese community.
The pagoda measuring 3.6 metres is made of bronze, concrete and marble. It is an important work of the Chinese National Style architecture. The pagoda has four bronze lions at the base.
Do take some time to read the four bronze plaques. They narrate an interesting account of Lim’s life in Chinese, English, Tamil and Jawi (Malay).
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