Located off the southern coast of mainland Singapore, Sentosa (Isle of Tranquillity) was initially known as Pulau Blakang Mati (Island Behind Death). Starting from the 1880s, the island was an important British military base with a number of forts built on it to protect the southern shipping lanes. In 1970, the island was renamed Sentosa following a naming contest organised by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB). The development of the island into a tourist and recreation resort came under the management of the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), which was formed in 1972.Completed in the early 1880s, Fort Siloso was one of three fortifications built by the British on what was then Pulau Blakang Mati (Island Behind Death). Together with Fort Connaught and Fort Serapong, Fort Siloso defended the southern coast of Singapore. Located on the western end of the island, the fort was used as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945). After the island was renamed Sentosa, the fort was turned into a tourist attraction. Reopened in 1975, the restored fort comprised of underground tunnels, bunkers, gun emplacements and searchlight posts. A guns and weapons museum was later opened at the fort. As part of the island’s upgrading works, a $100,000 interactive Sounds of Siloso exhibit was added to the Fort’s tunnel system in 1987.
