Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un meet at Sentosa Island. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
The venue where Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un met for a historic meeting is a resort island with luxury hotels, a casino, manmade beaches and a Universal Studios theme park.
Sentosa Island, where the two leaders met today, is located off the southern coast of Singapore and is surrounded by 30 acres of lush grounds and gardens. While its contemporary name means ‘peace and tranquillity’, this island served as a Japanese prisoner of war camp for British and Australian servicemen after allied forces surrendered to Japan in 1942.
The pristine beaches of the island that are now home to some of the best golf courses, including the 18-hole Serapong golf course, were once a site of summary executions of numerous Singaporean Chinese, who were suspected of anti-Japanese activities. Once known as Pulau Belakang Mati, which roughly means ‘Island of death from behind’, Sentosa was renamed after the Singaporean government decided to turn it into a resort.
Its dark past aside, the island can be a great vacation spot seeing the various attractions it offers. From a movie theme-park that boasts of thrilling rides, to mega adventurous activities like the Zip-line, the island also has some interesting museums tucked away for history enthusiasts.
Sentosa is connected to the main island via a 300m causeway bridge and offers easy commute. Other landmarks that make tourists flock to the island include Fort Siloso, Tiger Sky Tower and the Sentosa Merlion, among others.
The Merlion statue is one of the tourist attractions at Sentosa. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
For the summit meeting, the island makes logistic sense as it offers seclusion and privacy and thus will be easier to secure.