Singapore Istana, the official residence and office of the President of Singapore

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Istana Singapore The Istana is the official residence and office of the President of Singapore. Meaning "palace" in Malay, it is where the president receives and entertains state guests. It is located within a large open compound in the otherwise urbanised setting of the Orchard Road area. The 106 acre (0.4 km2) estate was once part of the extensive nutmeg plantation of Mount Sophia. In 1867, the British colonial government acquired the land and built a mansion to be the official home of the British Governor. This continued until 1959 when Singapore was granted self-government, and the Governor was replaced by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara, who was in turn replaced by the President. The Istana was built in 1867-1869 on the instructions of Sir Harry Saint George Ord, Singapore's first colonial governor. It was formerly known as Government House. Located within the same compound is Sri Temasek, one of several senior colonial officers' residences in the Istana previously assigned to the Colonial Secretary. Sir Harry's desire for a stately Governor's residence arose from his dissatisfaction with the leased housing on Grange Hill and Leonie Hill that Governors had to make do with. An earlier governor's residence on Bukit Larangan (now Fort Canning), a flimsy timber structure, had been torn down to make way for the fort and was never replaced. Ord's views were met with much resistance amongst his colleagues. To build a residence of palatial proportions and cost was deemed too extravagant. Ord stood his ground, however, and eventually acquired 106 acres (0.43 km2) of land from C.R. Prinsep's nutmeg estate in 1867. Construction began later in the year after the design was finalised on March 1867. 新加坡总统府命名为“Istana”，是马来语宫殿的意思。总统府是总统的官邸，座落于闹区乌节路黄金地带的一座小丘上，占地面积达100多英亩。通常在新加坡国庆节或者其它的一些重要节日期间会开放给公众参观。新加坡总统府开放日就叫 Istana Open House。建立在原本是肉豆蔻种植园地的总统府，昔日是英国皇室代表的官邸。富古典风味，这座壮观、华丽的建筑集合了多种设计风格，如维多利亚文艺复兴建筑风格、罗马经典风格、哥德式建筑特色等，形成了其独特的风格。总统府内的大片园林也种植了许多难得一见的稀有植物。总统府所处的园地宽阔，放眼望去，尽是一片青葱的树木和五彩灌木。园地内还有一个九洞高尔夫球场、主题花园和几座小平房。总统府里面挂满了圆形吊顶水晶灯，壁灯也都是同系列的水晶灯。水晶反射的光芒五顔六色，看起来那是相当的金壁辉煌。 Istana总共分三个厅，左手边的那个是宴会厅，里面只有一张容的下十人同时用餐的圆桌。正对门口的第二个厅展有新加坡从各个国家收到的礼物。右手边的厅就是议事厅了，用来接见各国领导人的地方。

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