Landmarks of Yesteryears – Amber Mansions
Before the Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station came into existence in the area between Orchard and Penang Roads in 1987, this was the site of the Amber Mansions, one of the prominent landmarks of the Orchard...
View ArticleThe Mosque of Paradise and Street of Worship at Old Choa Chu Kang Road
Al-Firdaus Mosque is located at Jalan Ibadat, a short road off present-day Old Choa Chu Kang Road which, in the past, was between Choa Chu Kang Road 13th and 14th milestone. Jalan Ibadat is “street of...
View ArticleSingapore Trivia – Time Adjustment for Singapore in 1982
Singapore’s 1982 New Year was a little special, as it arrived earlier at 11:30pm on 31 December 1981. To meet the correct time, Singapore’s government bodies, organisations, companies and people had to...
View ArticleMemories of the Jurong Bird Park
The good old Jurong Bird Park had officially closed and walked into history on 3 January 2023. It was opened exactly 52 years ago, on 3 January 1971, after two years of construction that cost a total...
View ArticleThe Past of Pasir Laba… Countryside Road, WW2 Fort and Army Camp
Even today, Pasir Laba is an unfamiliar name to many Singaporeans because it lies within a restricted area at the westernmost side of Singapore. In a 1911 map of Singapore, this area was known as Bajau...
View ArticleA Vanishing “Countryside” of Horse Stables and Lush Greenery
This used to be a go-to place for horse riding and coffee drinking. Tucked at the end of Fairways Drive, off Eng Neo Avenue, the horse stables and rustic surroundings resemble a quiet countryside...
View ArticleThe Last Days of Kampong Lorong Fatimah
It was 1989. The Malay coastal village of Kampong Lorong Fatimah was a pale shadow of its former bustling days because by August that year, most of the 40 to 50 remaining families had moved out and...
View Article“Little Thailand” No More… Rejuvenation of Golden Mile Complex
In the late sixties, the Singapore government launched several urban renewal projects at the city and downtown areas. The land between Beach Road and Nicoll Highway, dubbed as the Golden Mile, was one...
View ArticleAlexandra Post Office Walks Into History
After more than six decades of postal services, Alexandra Post Office has walked into history on 17 June 2023. The site it occupied will be part of a public housing project in the coming years....
View ArticleThe Former Maritime House and its Old-School Hainanese Western Food Restaurant
The former Maritime House building at Cantonment Road is currently undergoing demolition. After the demolition, a new Maritime House will be developed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore...
View ArticleLandmarks of Yesteryears – Tang Dynasty City
Many Singaporeans would remember the Tang Dynasty City, one of Singapore’s prominent landmarks of the nineties. Located next to Jurong Lake, the huge 12-hectare theme park was modelled after the...
View ArticleThe Camps Along Sembawang Road (Part 1) – Khatib Camp
The long Sembawang Road has been the home to many military camps and bases – Nee Soon Camp, Sembawang Air Base, Dieppe Barracks, Khatib Camp and Chong Pang Camp. The road ends at Sembawang Shipyard,...
View ArticleThe “Black Bridge” of Orh Kio Tau
In the past, the area along Havelock Road, between Zion Road and Delta Road, was colloquially known as orh kio tau (乌桥头) by the local Chinese. The name, literally “black bridge head” in Hokkien and...
View ArticleThe End of Singapore’s First HDB Flats at Merpati Road
Block 45, 48 and 49 of Stirling Road have long been considered as Singapore’s first Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats when they were completed in October 1960, eight months after the statutory...
View ArticleRedhill Close SIT Estate Walks Into History
By October 2023, a large part of Redhill Close estate has been bulldozed, with only a couple of blocks left standing. Another old Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) estate. has walked silently into the...
View Article50 Years of Toa Payoh Swimming Complex and Stadium
Toa Payoh Sports Centre’s 50-year-old legacy has come to an end as the complex will be making way for the new Toa Payoh Integrated Development expected to be ready by 2030. Located along Toa Payoh...
View ArticleRejuvenation of the Old Ang Mo Kio Swimming Complex
Right after the tearing down of the old Toa Payoh Swimming Complex, another old public swimming complex will also be walking into history. The old Ang Mo Kio Swimming Complex is currently undergoing...
View ArticleA Last Look at Turf City
Turf City was officially closed on 31 December 2023, after a brief history that lasted slightly more than two decades. It had been existing on borrowed time, as the site was safeguarded for future...
View ArticleDoors Shuttered for Good for Peace Centre
Peace Centre was born in the early seventies, a period where many skyscrapers popped up in the city and downtown areas of Singapore. Towering commercial complexes costing tens of millions of dollars...
View ArticleSago Lane’s Grim History of “Death Houses”
According to a 1840s map, Sago Street appeared earlier than Sago Lane. Sago Street was located at the westernmost boundary of the Chinatown area, a Chinese precinct created as part of the British’s...
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