From the white sands of its shoreline to the Alexandra Barracks of the Singapore Mutiny, from tiger traps and plantations to kampong and wealthy seaside bungalows, the rocky ridge running parallel to Singapore’s western seashore is one of the island city-state’s most memorable landscapes. Kent Ridge is also special for another reason—it’s home to the National University of Singapore and to NUS Press.
Extending from Clementi Road in the west to Alexandra Road in the east, and divided by the “ninety-nine curves” of South Buona Vista Road, Kent Ridge exerts its imaginative pull on many Singaporeans and visitors, but especially those who are studying at or have graduated from the NUS. This book will help anyone beguiled by the Ridge to look beyond the academic institutions of today to see the area’s geological past. It points out the wealth of flora and fauna that still can be found here: from indigenous plants such as the tembusu, tiup tiup, and senduduk to monitor lizards, flying dragons, and oriental green snakes. The book moves through the changing human geography of the region and tells the inside stories behind the NUS’s original campus master plan. Richly illustrated with photos, historical maps, and images, each chapter of this book is written by NUS faculty and staff who are passionate about the Ridge.
 

Kevin Y. L. Tan is adjunct professor in the faculty of law at the National University of Singapore and adjunct professor in the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University.