Syonan Jinja

Syonan Jinja 昭南神社 (The Light of the South Shrine) is a Japanese Shinto shrine hidden in the jungle of MacRitchie Reservoir. The Japanese Imperial Army began construction on 7 May 1942 using British and Australian Allied prisoners of war. The shrine officially opened less than a year later on 15 February 1943 to commentate the first anniversary of the fall of Singapore. 

Before the shrine was burned down by the Japanese on the 18 August 1945, a bridge known as the Devine Bridge connected the shrine to this more accessible area of MacRitchie Reservoir that today houses The Singapore Island Country Club.

Reaching the shrine involves a rather difficult trek through the jungle. There are two routes, one from Petaling Hut and another from the Terentang Trail. While both "trails" have some markings, if you are not able to follow a very faint path through the jungle you will get lost.  

Syonan Jinja was built on the north side of a hill facing the south and the granite retaining wall, which varies between 3-6 meters in height is still standing.

The stairs leading from the banks of Macritchie Reservoir up to the temple are also still intact. 

While jungle has swallowed nearly the entire shrine, the Chōzuya 手水舎, a granite water-fill basin used by worshipers to wash their hands before entering a shrine, remains intact.

Deeper back in the jungle all that remains of the shrines buildings are their foundations.

Further back from the shrine there are the remains of what likely was a fence or wall.

Near the very back of the shrine is the remains of either a Sentō 銭湯 or restroom. 

Inside the building the lower part of the foundation is flooded. 

There is also a pump house located near the bank of the reservoir 

The inside of the pump houses water tank is presently dry and full of leaves.

MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore