In Singapore, a stroll along the River Walk is a visual feast.

Perched on the water’s edge, and at the base of the office towers, are dozens of restaurants.

By the Cavenagh Bridge, you’ll find the transition back to Old Singapore.

The Fullerton Hotel is a 400-room Neoclassical beauty, built in 1928. Recognised in 2015 as a National Monument, the building previously housed the Singapore Club, the Exchange Room and Exchange Reference Library, and even Singapore’s General Post Office.

Stroll across the Cavenagh Bridge, and you’ll find yourself by Empress Place Building and the Asian Civilisations Museum … and Mirror Balls that reflect the hotel, River Walk and more.

That obelisk behind the Mirror Balls reflects another bit of Singapore History. It’s known as the Dalhousie Obelisk, and was built by local merchants in 1850 to mark the visit of the Marquis of Dalhousie (who, at the time, was Governor-General of India) to Singapore.

Singapore’s National Heritage Board (NHB) notes that those merchants of 1850 – led by Seah Eu Chin, Dr. Robert Little and Tan Kim Seng – also viewed the obelisk as symbolic  of their belief in free trade.