The 17th heritage trail launched by the National Heritage Board comprises three different routes that take visitors to places such as watermelon and mangosteen playgrounds at Tampines Central Park and the Lorong Halus Wetlands.
Mayo Martin Channel NewsAsia 6 Sep 17;
SINGAPORE: Take a selfie at the iconic watermelon and mangosteen playgrounds at Tampines Central Park. Cycle through the Lorong Halus Wetlands. Stuff yourself silly at one of the famous hawker food stalls at Tampines Round Market.
Tampines residents and visitors can now explore the different sides of the bustling estate, courtesy of a new heritage trail launched by the National Heritage Board (NHB).
Aside from the main trail, which can be followed using an accompanying booklet, there are also three short routes that explore different facets of the bustling estate’s heritage: A town trail, a religious institutions trail, and a “green spaces” cycling trail.
The latter takes one to some unique sites such as a converted quarry, former locations of Tampines’ kampongs, and Lorong Halus wetlands, which was once a landfill.
Named after the Tempinis trees that were once abundant in the area during the 19th century, Tampines was formerly a rural area with farms, kampongs, swamps, and sand quarries.
It was also home to wildlife, as big cats were reportedly sighted in the forested areas of Tampines and Changi. And as recent as 1975, a panther was also spotted by villagers due to wildlife smuggling in the area.
In the 1980s, it slowly transformed into a model town that integrated green corridors into the estate, and became the first centre to bring businesses to the suburbs. In 1992, it was conferred the World Habitat Award.
The new trail is the 17th such heritage trail launched by the NHB. Among the sites included in the trail are the Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity, the former Golden Palace Holiday Resort, the former Keris Film Studio, Masjid Darul Ghufran, Pasir Ris Park’s mangrove reserve, the temple cluster at Tampines Link, and the Tampines Round Market.
“As with all our heritage trails, we hope that the Tampines Heritage Trail will raise Singaporeans’ awareness of the town’s rich heritage and increase their appreciation of the interesting landmarks found in Tampines,” said Alvin Tan, assistant chief executive (policy and community), NHB.
“In doing so, we hope that the trail will foster a greater sense of belonging amongst residents, and instill a sense of pride in Singaporeans as they learn more about Tampines’ progress and its achievements.”
Aside from going on the trail, heritage enthusiasts can also drop by Tampines Regional Library, which is exhibiting a community heritage gallery that features interviews with long-time residents as well as other historical trivia.
When tigers used to prowl in Tampines
New heritage trail contrasts town's past and present and includes first cycling-based route
Melody Zaccheus Straits Times 7 Sep 17;
It may be hard to imagine now but the concrete jungle of Tampines was a real forest and in the late 1800s, it was the hunting ground for tigers, which would carry off calves from a dairy farm in the area.
Even in the 1970s, the eastern suburb had pockets of woods where wildlife roamed. For instance, the New Nation newspaper in 1975 reported sightings of a panther - described as being the size of a large alsatian dog - stalking the area, eating wild dogs and farm chickens.
The animals and many of the original tempinis trees, after which the district is named, are now gone.
The contrast between old and new is highlighted in a National Heritage Board (NHB) trail of the Tampines estate which was launched yesterday. It is the 17th heritage trail by NHB.
Landmarks along the trail include a cluster of 12 temples in Tampines Link, Tampines Central Park and the Lorong Halus Wetland.
To enrich the trail experience, three bite-sized thematic routes have been curated for trailgoers to explore Tampines' heritage.
These include a first Green Spaces Trail - a cycling trail that takes visitors through scenic landscapes, such as sites where kampungs were once located.
Mr Alvin Tan, NHB's assistant chief executive of policy and community, said: "NHB is constantly exploring innovative ways to enrich the public's experience with each new heritage trail.
"The Green Spaces Trail was curated for Tampines because of its well-integrated green spaces and because cycling is a way of life for many of its residents. Through such thematic trails, we hope to encourage the public to explore and experience different aspects of Tampines' heritage according to their own interests."
The Tampines Heritage Trail also aims to celebrate lesser-known stories from the community.
Mr Alex Peck, 50, chairman of Kiew Sian King temple in Tampines Avenue, recalled how the old Tampines Road, built in 1847, was a winding, two-lane road lined with coconut trees and villages. Mr Peck, who grew up in the area, said: "We would harvest the coconuts to sell. The area had many fish ponds and vegetable farms. Our homes had zinc roofs and the walls were made of wooden planks for ventilation. It was very cooling at night."
Sharing about an old row of shophouses in Tampines Avenue which used to be part of the former Hun Yeang Village, Mr Peck said people used to flock there for the exotic cuisine which included fried wild boar and bats. "A man used to operate there till the early 1980s but it was expensive and I couldn't afford such food then. Instead I would eat home-cooked food that was shared among our family of 50 or so at the nearby Defu Village."
NHB's Mr Tan added that Tampines is a town of many firsts.
He noted that it was the first to pioneer town-planning innovations in the 1980s by integrating green corridors, the first regional centre set up to decentralise commercial activities from downtown business area to suburbs and the first and only town in Singapore to be conferred the World Habitat Award in 1991.
WATCH: Explore the Tampines heritage trail http://str.sg/4VUt
