Nanyang University Memorial
| Location | Nanyang University |
|---|---|
| Designer | Koh Tiang Thai |
| Builder | Ng Keng Siang |
| Type | Tower |
| Inauguration date | 30 March 1958 |
| Dedicated to | Donors to Nanyang University |
The Nanyang University Memorial is a memorial donated by Koh Tiang Thai[1][2] and revealed by Sir William Goode and Tan Lark Sye, on 30 March 1958. It is located at the center of Yunnan Garden in Nanyang University.[3]
Background
Nanyang University was Southeast Asia’s first ever Chinese language university and Singapore’s second ever university, a turning point for the region.[4][5]
Ng Keng Siang was a prolific architect who built most of the structures relating to the University, including the Monument.[6]
Design
The memorial is designed in Chinese National style.[7] It is capped with a double-tiered Chinese roof, siting on an octagonal base[8] with steps from the four directions.[4][5]
History
It was donated by Koh Tiang Thai, was built in 1956[9] by Ng Keng Siang[10] and revealed on 30 March 1958 to signal the end of the first construction period of former Nanyang University in 1955.[4] It also serves to honor the donors that funded the university building, who primarily were common people.[5]
Unveiled by then governor of Singapore, William Goode and Singaporean businessman Tan Lark Sye in a ceremony with more than 100 guests[11] and 50.000 onlookers.[4] It was gazetted as a single national monument along with the University Library and Administration Building and the nearby Gateway Arch in 1998.[12][13][14]
It was restored as part of the Yunnan Garden Rejuvenation Project by STX Landscape, a restoring company, in 2021.[15]
In popular culture
The National Heritage Board of Singapore tasked the Finbarr Fallon Creative Office, a photographic studio, with documenting the Monument and Yunnan Garden as a whole.[16]
The National Library Board of Singapore's archives contain various photographs from diverse timeframes and architectural blueprints of the monument.[1][2][3][7]
References
- ^ a b "Old Nanyang University Memorial at Yunnan Garden in Jurong, between 1954 and 1998". www.nlb.gov.sg. National Library Board of Singapore. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Nanyang University Memorial, 1960s : exterior". www.nlb.gov.sg. National Library Board of Singapore. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Memorial tower of Nanyang University at Yunnan Garden, between 1954 and 1963". www.nlb.gov.sg. National Library Board of Singapore. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d "National Monuments Of Singapore: Former Nanyang University Library and Administration Building, Memorial, and Arch". Wonderwall. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ a b c "Former Nanyang University Library and Administration Building, Memorial and Arch". www.roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ "Ng Keng Siang (1908 – 1967)". Do_co,mo.mo_sg. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ a b "THE OLD NANYANG UNIVERSITY LIBRARY AND ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, MEMORIAL AND ARCH". eservice.nlb.gov.sg. National Library Board of Singapore. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ Goh, Tiffany (18 August 2016). "Nantah's historical structures". The Straits Times. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ "Old Nanyang University Memorial, Singapore". sg.pagenation.com. PageNation.com. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ "MONUMENT OPEN HOUSE 2012" (PDF). Preservation of Monuments Board. 17–18 November 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ "A view of the Nanyang University Memorial at Yunnan Garden". www.roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ Kwa, Chong Guan; Kua, Bak Lim (21 June 2019). A General History Of The Chinese In Singapore. World Scientific. p. 889. ISBN 978-981-327-765-6. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ "Our History". Nanyang Technological University. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ Kai, Ng. "Uncovering Secrets: What I've Learnt From Visiting All 75 National Monuments In Singapore". Wonderwall. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ "Yunnan Garden Rejuvenation". STX Landscape. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ^ "Former Nanyang University Library and Administration Building, Memorial and Arch". Retrieved 9 November 2025.
