41-791: Tiong Bahru is a housing estate and subzone region located within Bukit Merah planning area, in the Central Region of Singapore . Tiong Bahru was constructed in the 1920s by the Singapore Improvement Trust , the predecessor to the Housing Development Board (HDB) and an entity of the British colonial authority providing mass public housing in Singapore and is the oldest housing estate in Singapore. According to URA 's definition,
82-468: A reference to the red-coloured lateritic soil found on the hill. According to the Sejarah Melayu , Singapore used to be plagued by swordfish attacking the people living in the coastal regions. A young boy named Hang Nadim proposed an ingenious solution, to build a wall of banana stems along the coast at the present location of Tanjong Pagar . When the swordfish attacked, their snouts were stuck in
123-405: A similar typology to the shophouse where the ground floor consisted of shops with residential flats above. According to Tan Mok Lee, one of the first residents in the estate, the area was peaceful and had quite many empty flats, due to the costly monthly rent of $ 25 at that time. All of the streets in the estate are named after Chinese pioneers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Chay Yan Street
164-432: A small head start in the emerging heavy industry market in Singapore. With the first brickwork factories and mills emerging in the precincts of Henderson Hill and Redhill as early as the 1930s. The town is also home to the first housing estate in the country, Tiong Bahru , which was developed by the Singapore Improvement Trust in the backdrop of a rapidly growing population in post-war Singapore . The estate later became
205-524: A triple-line interchange station after the commencement of the third stage of the Thomson–East Coast line in 2022. The 7 stations are: Future stations that are currently under construction include: The future stations, Keppel and Cantonment will be located within the new town as part of Stage 6 of the Circle line that will be completed by 2026. There are two bus interchanges and one bus terminal in
246-667: A wet market on the Tiong Poh Road. The market was named after the Hokkien merchant and shipping magnate, Khoo Tiong Poh (1830 – 1892). However, the space in the market was too small to accommodate all the hawkers who desired a space. In 1955, the Tiong Bahru Market (Seng Poh Market) was constructed under the auspices of the National Environment Agency after some hawkers moved to an open area on Seng Poh Road. The market
287-902: Is a genus of small insectivorous birds belonging to the passerine bird family Cisticolidae . They were at one time classed in the Old World warbler family, Sylviidae. The prinias are sometimes referred to as wren-warblers . They are a little-known group of the tropical and subtropical Old World, the roughly thirty species being divided fairly equally between Africa and Asia . These are birds mainly of open habitats such as long grass or scrub, in which they are not easily seen. They are mainly resident, migration being limited to local cold weather movements. Non-breeding birds may form small flocks. Prinias have short wings but long tapering tails. They are fairly drab birds, brown or grey above (sometimes with dark streaks) and whitish below. Some species have different breeding and non-breeding plumages. The bill
328-650: Is a planning area and new town situated in the southernmost part of the Central Region of Singapore . The planning area borders Tanglin to the north, Queenstown to the west and the Downtown Core , Outram and Singapore River planning areas of the Central Area to the east. It also shares a maritime boundary with the Southern Islands planning area to the south. Bukit Merah is linked to Sentosa Island via Sentosa Gateway, Sentosa Broadwalk, Sentosa Express and
369-602: Is a typical insectivore's, thin and slightly curved. The genus was erected by the American naturalist Thomas Horsfield in 1821. The type species is the bar-winged prinia ( Prinia familiaris ). The name of the genus is derived from the Javanese prinya , the local name for the bar-winged prinia. A molecular phylogenetic study of the Cisticolidae published in 2013 found that the rufous-vented grass babbler did not lie within
410-490: Is dedicated to the Monkey God. The temple will organised grand Birthday Celebrations on the 16th day of the 1st and 8th Lunar Months, which include lion, dragon dances, and performances of Chinese street opera. There is another Chinese temple that located along Kim Tian Road, Kim Lan Beo Temple (金兰庙) was founded in 1830 at Tanjong Pagar and was relocated to Kim Tian Road in 1988. In 1945, two house shops were sacrificed to build
451-682: Is located at the southern part of Bukit Merah, serving nearby amenities such as the HarbourFront Centre and VivoCity , the largest shopping mall in Singapore. The Kampong Bahru Bus Terminal is located along Spooner Road, near the vicinity of the Singapore General Hospital . Bukit Merah belongs to six political divisions in four constituencies. A large portion of Bukit Merah is under Tanjong Pagar GRC with some areas under Jalan Besar GRC , Radin Mas SMC and West Coast GRC , served by
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#1732868669910492-508: Is named after the rubber plantation merchant and philanthropist, Tan Chay Yan . Peng Nguan Street is named after Lim Peng Nguan, an early settler and the father of the community leader Lim Nee Soon . Tiong Bahru was surrounded by the Sit Wah Road and Outram Road. Beyond were mangrove swamp and hillocks. Tiong Bahru was then also known as 美人窝 ("den of beauties") as it was where wealthy men would keep their mistresses. Due to close proximity to
533-465: Is now seen as a hotspot for millennials who enjoy the old nostalgic vibes of the area. It attracts a good number of high-income residential population due to its close proximity to the CBD, while retaining a traditional Singapore charm. There is a thriving art community in the district, with murals and art-centric shops in the area. The architect for the pre-war flats was Alfred G. Church , a Briton appointed by
574-421: Is overseen by three town councils, namely Tanjong Pagar Town Council (TPTC), West Coast Town Council (WCTC) and Jalan Besar Town Council (JBTC). Bukit Merah is covered by two Community Development Councils (CDC), Central Singapore District and South West District . Denise Phua is the current mayor for Central CDC and Low Yen Ling is the current mayor for South West CDC. Prinia See text Prinia
615-554: The Cable Car . Bukit Merah planning area also includes two offshore islands which are linked to the mainland by road, namely Pulau Brani and Keppel Island . It is the most populated planning area in the Central Region, and the 12th most populated planning area in the country overall, being home to more than 150,000 residents. Bukit Merah translates to “ red hill ” in Malay , and is
656-676: The East West line and Havelock MRT station of the Thomson-East Coast line , which is more accessible from some parts of Tiong Bahru. Nearby bus stations include Bukit Merah Bus Interchange and Kampong Bahru Bus Terminal , which is connected to by various bus services that ply Tiong Bahru Road and Jalan Bukit Merah . Bukit Merah South West CDC Radin Mas SMC Tanjong Pagar GRC West Coast GRC Bukit Merah , also known as Redhill ,
697-527: The Great World Amusement Park , there was a predominance of ‘pipa girls’ within the SIT estate, which is a more polite term for prostitutes. It was speculated that the pipa girls use the staircase access at the back of the flats to entertain the men, and flee whenever the men's wives return. In 1939, Great Britain declared war on Nazi Germany. In 1940, a series of construction plans were drawn to convert
738-621: The People's Action Party . As of the 2020 General election , the Members of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC are Indranee Rajah for Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru division, Joan Pereira for Henderson-Dawson division and Eric Chua for Queenstown division. Melvin Yong is the current Member of Parliament for Radin Mas SMC, Rachel Ong for Telok Blangah division of West Coast GRC and Josephine Teo for Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng division of Jalan Besar GRC. The planning area
779-682: The Straits Settlements Surveyor, John Thomson, in August 1848 to widen the entrance a new harbour. With the earliest records of Bukit Merah's existence in the Malay Annals , the town had a huge role to play in the early maritime trade of the Kingdom of Singapura . Mount Faber was once known as Telok Blangah Hill. Its name was changed to Mount Faber after Captain Edward Faber cut the road up to
820-494: The Tiong Bahru Plaza . Other facilities include a community centre opened in 1948; the 3.3 hectare Tiong Bahru Park ; and Zhangde primary school. Alexandra Primary School and Singapore General Hospital are nearby. A number of cafes, restaurants and boutique shops cater to western Ex-Pats and Singaporean hipsters. These complement the traditional Kopitiams and Hainanese restaurants. The Qi Tian Gong Temple at Eng Hoon Street
861-473: The Japanese occupation. Then, Japanese soldiers who used British prisoners-of-war to perform duties and labour on site occupied many flats, which were also used as brothels and gambling dens. The SIT's pre-war housing output of 2112 units was insufficient to meet the housing shortage as it only provided about 100 units per year. As a result, the committee planned a three-year immediate housing programme to alleviate
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#1732868669910902-431: The area known as 'Tiong Bahru' is represented by three contiguous subzones of Bukit Merah, namely Tiong Bahru, Tiong Bahru Station and Kampong Tiong Bahru . The namesake subzone refers to the main estate which consists of 54 Walk-up flats with over 900 housing units built by SIT, as well as modern HDB flats and private condominiums along Boon Tiong Road, Kim Tian Road and Chay Yan Street. Tiong Bahru Station subzone refers to
943-615: The basis of what would eventually become the first new town in the Republic, Queenstown. According to the various master plans laid out by the Urban Redevelopment Authority , Bukit Merah is bounded by Alexandra Canal and the Singapore River to the north and HarbourFront and Keppel Bay to the south, Kim Seng Road, Outram Road and Cantonment Road to the east and Alexandra Road to the west. There are several subzones within
984-421: The best price was common. In 1993 and 2004, improvements were made to the market including a watertight roof, brighter lights, a broader walkway and garden lights. In 2004, the market was closed for two years for rebuilding. Stall holders were relocated to a temporary site on Kim Pong Road during this time. In 2006, the new market opened. It was a concrete two storey structure with a wet market and retail stalls on
1025-520: The colonial government. Block 55, the first block of 20 blocks was done by 1936. Built in the late Art Deco movement, the flats featured a style known as the Streamline Moderne. This style incorporated curved horizontal lines that embodied the machine age of automobiles. As a result, many settlers regarded the buildings as ‘fei ji lou’, or aeroplane flats in Chinese. Other architectural features include
1066-545: The ground floor and upstairs, an area for hawkers. It remains a place of community heritage. There are tours of the market, surrounding blocks of flats and the nearby WWII air raid shelters. In 2012, the National Heritage Board created an exhibition near the Tiong Bahru market to commemorate the battle for Singapore. Tiong Bahru is served by two Mass Rapid Transit stations, the namesake Tiong Bahru MRT station of
1107-561: The locality that encompasses Tiong Bahru MRT station , Tiong Bahru Plaza and housing developments along Jalan Membina while Kampong Tiong Bahru which refers to the locality around Jalan Bukit Merah and Silat Road. Since the mid-2000s, Tiong Bahru has undergone rapid gentrification and the neighbourhood has become synonymous with trendy cafes and indie boutiques amid pre-war architecture. The name Tiong Bahru means "new cemetery" ( thióng , 塚 (Traditional) / 冢 (Simplified) – Hokkien for "cemetery", bahru – Malay for "new"), which
1148-699: The motor garages at the back of the flats in Seng Poh Road into bomb shelters. By 1941, there were 784 flats, 54 tenements and 33 shops, which housed over 6000 residents. Since then, no new flats were built until the 1950s after the war. As the war drew near, the flats were painted in camouflage colours. Residents had also recalled at least two bombs landing on the estate during the Japanese occupation. The war had also brought widespread destruction of dwellings and overall overcrowding of slums with deterioration of hygiene conditions. The bomb shelters built around 1940 were effective in providing refuge for many residents during
1189-511: The new town. The Bukit Merah Bus Interchange , which serves Bukit Merah, is located at Bukit Merah Town Centre. Service Number 132 links the Interchange to Redhill MRT station while bus services 5, 16, and 851 link the interchange to Tiong Bahru MRT station . There are two feeder services originating from the interchange which serves the Telok Blangah estate. The HarbourFront Bus Interchange
1230-471: The now defunct Henderson Secondary School . During its existence, a Chinese cemetery was situated on the reverse side of this hill, which is today, the location of Tiong Bahru . Keppel Harbour dates back to the 14th century when an ancient Chinese traveller, Wang Dayuan named the harbour " Long-Ya-Men " or "Dragon Teeth Gate" after two rock outcrops located near Labrador Park, which resembled dragon's teeth. The two rock outcrops were subsequently blown up by
1271-505: The planning area across 4 lines, the East West line , Circle line , North East line and the Thomson-East Coast line . HarbourFront MRT station is an interchange station between the North East line and the Circle line, which is also the current terminus for both lines. Outram Park MRT station was initially a double-line interchange station between the East West and North East lines but became
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1312-472: The planning area, namely Alexandra , Bukit Ho Swee , Bukit Merah, City Terminals, Depot Road, Everton Park , HarbourFront , Henderson Hill, Redhill, Singapore General Hospital , Telok Blangah and Tiong Bahru . areas near Keppel Harbour Outram Park MRT station was the first station to open in the planning area in 1987, followed by the namesake Redhill MRT station and Tiong Bahru MRT station in 1988. Today, there are currently 7 MRT stations that serve
1353-573: The pre-WWII flats were gazetted by the Urban Redevelopment Authority for conservation. Included in the Tiong Bahru Conservation Area are 36 units of shop houses on Outram Road. The junction of Seng Poh Road and Tiong Bahru Road housed a "bird corner" dating back to the early 1980s. The owners of song birds such as Prinias , Robins , and Shrikes would gather at the corner to meet and chat over tea and coffee. The corner
1394-537: The problem. As a result, a total of 1258 flats were added in Tiong Bahru. They were built in differently from the pre-war flats and had a communal dwelling concept, with open courtyard spaces. These flats were housed by approximately 17,000 people in the 1950s. In 2003, as a result of many years of discussion over the estate's heritage status as a pioneering experiment in modern urban housing and in its entrenched familiarity in Singaporeans' sense of place, twenty blocks of
1435-467: The stems. With the swordfish problem solved, Hang Nadim earned great respect from the people, but also jealousy from the rulers. The fourth King of Singapura , Paduka Seri Maharaja , finally ordered his execution, and it was said that his blood-soaked the soil of the hill where he was killed, giving rise to the red-coloured hill. The hill was eventually trimmed to its current state in 1973, when it made way for Redhill Close and what would eventually become
1476-409: The top in 1845 to set up a signal station. The Singapore General Hospital site dates back to 1882. Labrador Nature Park was used as a defence outpost in the 19th century until World War II . The town's fertile red soil was employed to great effect when it was a district rich in gambier cultivation during British colonial rule. Even before the industrialisation of Jurong , Bukit Merah already had
1517-613: The use of masonry from the Alexandra Brickworks Company. Built between 1948 and 1954, the design of the post-war flats was done by the SIT senior architect and the first locally appointed assistant architect. This featured an International Style with boxier, cleaner lines and modern materials such as steel, glass and concrete. In addition, the design was the first time the climate was taken into consideration as it include tropical elements such as higher ceilings, large windows, and balconies. The estate has one shopping centre,
1558-603: Was a reference to a cemetery beside the Heng San Teng Burial Ground or the Old Chinese Burial Ground, located at the present site of the Singapore General Hospital . In 1927, 70 acres of land were acquired by Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) as a test case for a public housing estate. This land was Tiong Bahru, a term translated from the Hokkien and Malay tongues as “tomb” and “new” respectively. The land
1599-444: Was constructed of stalls with a simple wooden frame and zinc-pitched roofs. Meats were hung without refrigeration. The Tiong Bahru market catered to the residents of the Tiong Bahru, Bukit Merah and Henderson estates. Heritage street foods such as lor mee, chwee kueh, Hokkien mee, pao, porridge, and roast pork were available in the market as well as a diverse number of goods for sale from textiles to flowers and many besides. Bartering for
1640-715: Was disrupted by the building of the Link Hotel in 2003. In 2008 the owners of the hotel decided to reopen the structure for hanging birdcages. In 2010, the estate and its residents were the subject of the tenth of the Civic Life films by the Irish filmmakers, Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy. 150 volunteers from the estate and from across Singapore were involved. The film premiered at the National Museum of Singapore in October 2010. Tiong Bahru
1681-492: Was hilly and swampy, with ‘squatters of the pig-breeding and coolie types’. To build the first-ever public housing estate in Singapore, the SIT had to remove cemeteries and displace some nearly 2000 squatters , while leveling the hilly terrain by cutting the hills nearly. The first block of SIT flats, block 55, was ready in December 1936. Its 20 flat units of the total 28 flat units were occupied by 11 families then. It had adopted