Sentosa

Lore & Background

Sentosa, meaning "peace and tranquility" in Malay, was formerly known as Pulau Blakang Mati, or "Island of Death Behind." Several explanations exist for this ominous name: past murder and piracy; a belief that the island was a spirit paradise for warriors buried on nearby Pulau Brani; a malaria outbreak among Bugis settlers in the late 1840s, then called "Belakang Mati Fever"; or a nautical term referring to dead water behind the island. The island lies off Singapore’s southern coast, separated by Keppel Harbour and adjacent to Pulau Brani. Once a British military base and later a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, it was renamed Sentosa in the 1970s and developed into a major tourist destination. Today, it features a 2.5 km sheltered beach, two golf courses, 14 hotels, and Resorts World Sentosa, which includes Universal Studios Singapore and one of the country’s two casinos. The island also hosted the 2018 North Korea–United States summit at Capella Singapore. Its defining characteristics include tropical climate, luxury residences, and extensive cable car network, with a size more than double that of Monaco.

Reader's Guide

Sentosa's significance lies in its transformation from a fortified military outpost to a global tourism hub. During the 19th century, it was fortified with four forts—Fort Siloso, Fort Serapong, Fort Connaught, and Mount Imbiah Battery—to protect Keppel Harbour. In World War II, the island was a British fortress; its guns, though capable of swiveling north, were equipped only with armor-piercing shells, making them ineffective against the Japanese land invasion. Following the war, the island served as a base for the First Singapore Regiment of the Royal Artillery. Its redevelopment as a resort began in the 1970s, and today it features attractions such as a 2.5 km sheltered beach, Madame Tussauds Singapore, a cable car network, two golf courses, 14 hotels, Resorts World Sentosa with Universal Studios Singapore, and one of Singapore's two casinos.

Did You Know?

• Sentosa was formerly known as Pulau Blakang Mati, meaning 'Island of Death Behind' in Malay.
• The island is more than twice the size of Monaco.
• During the Japanese occupation, a prisoner-of-war camp for Australian and British prisoners was located at the former Blakang Mati barracks, not at Fort Siloso.

From 'Island of Death' to 'Peace and Tranquility'

The name Sentosa carries a remarkable transformation. In Malay, it translates to "peace and tranquility," a word ultimately rooted in the Sanskrit term Santosha, meaning contentment or satisfaction. Yet this serene label replaced a far darker identity. Several theories explain the grim moniker: piracy and murder, the burial of warrior spirits at neighboring Pulau Brani, a devastating disease outbreak, barren hillside soil, or simply the still, windless water that pools behind the island from a sailor's perspective.

Fortress of the Strait: Military Heritage

Strategically positioned to guard the waterway leading into Keppel Harbour, the island attracted military attention from the earliest days of colonial Singapore. Four fortifications eventually rose on the island: Fort Siloso, Fort Serapong, Fort Connaught, and the Mount Imbiah Battery. By that era the island was a heavily fortified pillar of Fortress Singapore and the base of the Royal Artillery. After serving as a British military installation, it later became a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp before its civilian rebirth.

The Resort Island and a Historic Summit

The island welcomes up to 25 million visitors annually and boasts a 2.5-kilometre sheltered beach, Madame Tussauds Singapore, an extensive cable car network, two golf courses, fourteen hotels, and the preserved Fort Siloso. Its crown jewel is Resorts World Sentosa, which houses the Universal Studios Singapore theme park and one of the country's two casinos, the other being at Marina Bay Sands. President Donald Trump, held at the Capella Singapore hotel. Set under a tropical climate and home to residences for the wealthy, Sentosa is more than twice the size of Monaco, a comparison that underscores its considerable scale as a destination.

Belakang Mati Fever and the Island's Unhealthy Past

Before its transformation into a playground, the island was widely regarded as an unhealthy place to live. The most dramatic episode in this dark medical history came in the late 1840s, when a disease outbreak nearly wiped out the original Bugis settlers. British coroner Dr Robert Little investigated the deaths and identified what was then called Belakang Mati Fever, a condition attributed to miasmatic fumes rising from decaying leaves and swampy water. The diagnosis sparked heated debate in medical circles over the true cause. It was not until 1898 that the illness was properly recognised as malaria transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. The government subsequently established its malaria research station on the island. Native Malay communities who had lived there were eventually relocated to the mainland in the late 1970s as urban redevelopment reshaped the area.