If you explore around MacRitchie Reservoir, you might encounter oddly placed stone structures like the ones pictured above. Little might you suspect that it is the remnants of a grand Shinto shrine in Singapore.
Syonan Jinja (Light of the South Shrine) was planned to be the second greatest Shinto shrine (after the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo) in the world. Major Yasuji Tamura dedicated the shrine to commemorate the sacrifices made by Japanese during their invasion of Singapore.
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| Syonan Jinja in 1943 |
The Japanese destroyed the shrine for fear of Allied desecration after the surrender of Japan in August 1945. As of 2002, the National Hertiage Board of Singapore has declared Syonan Jinja a heritage site. However, no plans are made to make it accessible to the public.
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