Thursday, June 06, 2013

Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail - WW

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I signed up for the Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail organised by the National Heritage Board (NHB). Held every first Saturday of the month, the guided tour (lasting 2 hours) features 10 marker sites along a 2.5 km trail. It offers unique insights into the history of Tiong Bahru. I am posting some of the interesting marker sites here.

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First stop, Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre which dates back to 1945 was reopened in 2006 after a renovation. There are now more parking lots for diners who drive here to eat. I had my dinner here after the tour. There are many famous food stalls here.

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A market store which has been around for more than 30 years.

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This metal structure allows bird owners to hang their birdcages on. It was built by the owner of a coffee-shop named Wah Heng. Customers hung their birdcages on it while they enjoyed their drinks at the coffee-shop. The coffee-shop no longer exists, in its place stands Link Hotel.

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It was a surprise discovering the grave of Singapore pioneer Tan Tock Seng. Photo above shows the grave of his daughter-in-law Wuing Neo.

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This 93-year-old Monkey God temple in Eng Hoon Street was founded in 1920. It is the first temple here to be dedicated to the worship of the Monkey God.

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We had a glimpse of the pre-war air-raid shelter at Block 78, Moh Guan Terrace. Built in 1940, this first civilian air-raid shelter provided shelter from Japanese bombs during World War II.

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It was a tiring but enjoyable tour. Our volunteer guide Mr Barnie Leow, who is a long-time resident in Tiong Bahru, not only showed us the gems of Tiong Bahru, he also entertained us with many juicy stories of the area. I am most fascinated by the area’s unique pre-war and post-war architecture.

Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail is offered to the public every first Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Gathering point of the tour is at the Tiong Bahru Community Centre. Tour participants will be charged a nominal fee of $2 each. Proceeds will go towards the Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru Community Development Welfare Fund.

15 comments:

  1. Interesting Historical spots! Good to sign up for this type of tours for knowledge.. :)

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    1. Yes, I have been to Tiong Bahru to eat at the food centre but didn't take a good look of the neighbourhood. :P

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  2. Nice blog. Was the tour so trying that you spelt trail as "Trial"?

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    1. Yes, saw the unique insights of this old neighbourhood. :)

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  4. I would love to go on this Heritage Trail! : )

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  5. Iremember going on the MRT, (not frequent) and trying to remember the stations to go to tanjong Pagar.

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    1. You probably would get more confused with the MRT stations now. :P

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  6. Hi EastCoastLIfe, I am Stephanie from Malaysia. Although I stayed in Singapore for a while, I have never been to Tiong Bahru market. Bet you enjoyed the Heritage Trail a lot. You have a great day! Cheers

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    1. Hi Stephanie,
      Living in Singapore my whole life, I have not explored this gem until I went on this fantastic tour. I will be going there more often to enjoy the great food there. :D

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  7. interesting, shall join when i head to Sg next time :P

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    1. Book the tour first. It's very popular. I heard the next available tour is in October.

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