A tiger in the plains is insulted by dogs…and even the police suffer?
Once the “Tiger on the mountain” became a “tiger in the plains”, the Hill Street Police Station’s fate was forever changed…
A tiger in the plains is insulted by dogs – this idiom certainly holds truth!
According to landscape feng shui, the geography of Fort Canning Hill (formerly Government Hill) encompasses the head of the Central Dragon as well as a “Tiger on the Mountain” formation. While unimpressive in size or scale, it’s a formidable landform. Early residents of this area around the Singapore River will have experienced the negative effects having this “Tiger on the Mountain” around.
In those days, the Singapore River flourished economically but also bred violence and illicit activity. Why? It’s simple: a tiger needs water to drink, and naturally this “tiger” would come down the hill to the Singapore River for water, thereby disturbing the peace. Add to that the pollution and mess and you can see why this area aroused fear and antipathy. Still, the Old Hill Street Police Station that was built in 1934 turned things around. Situated at the foot of Fort Canning Hill, this police station quelled the tiger and turned it into a “tiger in the plains”.
On another note, landscape feng shui speaks of the “dragon head”, which is a landform that is usually considered a feng shui treasure. Such places are often (intentionally or unintentionally) used as capital cities, vital business districts and so on. Hence, military units, police stations and law enforcement agencies are also stationed nearby. For instance, Singapore’s North Dragon’s head is at Pulau Ubin, which is an important military area; the South Dragon’s head is at Mount Emily, near the Istana. So does building the police headquarters near Fort Canning Hill have any hidden feng shui meaning? The old Hill Street Police Station has since been converted into the lively and cultured MICA Building – perhaps in a bid to promote the arts!
One outstanding feature of the MICA Building is, without a doubt, its rainbow-coloured windows. Each of the 927 shuttered windows are vibrant and eye-catching, and in feng shui the numbers 9 and 27 are known as numbers with the “five lines of fire”. The building’s main entrance also faces “Wu”, which represents the “five lines of fire”. “Fire” represents civilization and culture, so having the Ministry of Communications and Information here will help in the growth ofarts and culture.
If you’re pursuing a career in the arts, don’t fret about not having enough room for growth – Singapore may well become a nation steeped in culture!
