The Padang

The Padang

 The Esplanade is a long, open stretch of field, originally by the sea, located in the Downtown Core of the Central Region. Sitting on the left bank of the Singapore River, it was originally called the Plain, or the Padang, which is Malay for field or open ground. It has been the venue of many momentous colonial and national events in the modern history of Singapore. It is still referred to as the Padang today.[1]
This green expanse was where the people of Singapore gathered to mark the end of the Japanese Occupation on 12 September 1945, and to witness the installation of Yusof bin Ishak as Singapore’s first  "Head of State" (President) and the unveiling of the State Flag, State Crest and National Anthem on 3 December 1959. 

The Padang was also the site of the first National Day Parade of newly independent Singapore on 9 August 1966, and the heart of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee National Day Celebrations on 9 August 2015. 
A view of the Padang in the 1960 and 1970s. Notice the smaller land area around the Padang.[3]
A view of the Padang in recent years. Notice the efforts of land reclamation around the area. [4]

National Day Parade @ Padang
From the first National Day Parade in 1966, Singapore's biggest celebrations were held at the historical grounds of the Padang, where Singapore declared its independence.  It was only in 1976 that the National Day Parade was moved from the Padang to the National Stadium to allow more people could take part in the nation's celebration. While the National Stadium had roughly six times more capacity than the Padang, offering about 60,000 seats, demand for tickets remained high, encouraging organisers to decentralise the venue to encourage more Singaporeans to join in the celebrations. Between 1975 and 1983, celebrations alternated between decentralised venues and one centered at the Padang. But in 1995, it was decided that the historically important Padang would be the venue every five years, although it poses greater logistical challenges to have the parade staged there.[5]


A newspaper report about Singapore's first National Day Parade held at the Padang. [6]

A video on Singapore's NDP during the nation's first four birthdays



The parade at the Padang began at 9 am with the arrival of then President Yusof bin Ishak. The playing of the national anthem was followed by the presidential salute and a 21-gun salute that thundered out from the grounds of Raffles Institution and the president’s review of the parade.
Then came the 90-minute march-past of 23,000 men, women and children. The march-past was led by six contingents from the People's Defence Force (PDF), which was on public parade for the first time. In the PDF contingents were four ministers – then Minister for Labour Jek Yeun Thong, then Minister for Education Ong Pang Boon, then Minister for Culture and Social Affairs Othman Wok, and then Minister of State for Defence Wee Toon Boon– wearing for the first time the uniform of officer cadets. Also in the PDF contingents were parliamentary secretaries and members of parliament.

The military detachments were followed by uniformed youth groups and performances by students of the major Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English schools to represent the four main cultures of Singapore. Marching next were the PAP contingent, followed by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) contingent. [7]
Singapore Satay Club


The Satay Club that most Singaporeans remember is the one at the Esplanade, which opened in January 1971. It was an open-air food centre, with most food stalls selling satay. The Satay Club opened from sunset to early morning. It sat in the Esplanade park under big, old trees and had a relaxed and cheerful ambience that was much loved by locals and tourists alike. Unlike other food centres such as the Newton Food Centre where fights would sometimes break out at the time, the Satay Club was a peaceful place for family outdoor dining. The nearby Queen Elizabeth Walk added charm to the place. [8]
A scene of the Satay Club during the 1970s [9]

A Malay stall owner preparing satay for his Chinese customers [9]

Notes

[1] Singapore Infopedia, The Esplanade, < http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_149_2004-12-13.html>, 2001

[2]National Heritage Board, The Padang, <https://roots.sg/Content/Places/landmarks/jubilee-walk/the-padang>, 2016

[3]Image taken from: http://www.nowhere.per.sg/?p=215
[4] Image taken from: straitstimes.com
[5]Strait Times Singapore, National Day Parade: 10 interesting facts of parades of the past, <http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/national-day-parade-10-interesting-facts-of-parades-of-the-past>, 2015
[6] Image taken from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/329818372682035371/
[7] Singapore Infopedia, Singapore's first National Day celebrations, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_524_2004-12-29.html, 2014
[8] Singapore Infopedia, Satay Club, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1027_2006-08-12.html, 2006
[9] Images taken from: http://blogtoexpress.blogspot.sg/2010/12/first-taste-of-satay_01.html 



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