Vanessa Paige Chelvan Channel NewsAsia 25 Nov 17;
SINGAPORE: Sembawang Hot Spring, the only hot spring on mainland Singapore, will be developed into a community park 10 times its current size.
The National Parks Board (NParks) said it would keep the rustic, kampung-like feel of the hot spring while turning the 0.1 hectare space, now tucked about 100m off Gambas Avenue, into a 1.1 hectare park.
NParks unveiled these plans at a public exhibition on Saturday (Nov 25). Among planned additions are a cascading pool cum foot bath, sheltered seating areas as well as a café and a floral walk.
Edible plants such as ginger, rambutan and chiku will be planted along the floral walkway to evoke memories of a bygone era in Singapore and also to preserve the hot spring’s untouched feel.
“Many of the residents from Sembawang and Yishun used to live in kampungs around here. They know how it was like back then and they also reminisce about the past," said Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung, who visited the exhibition on Saturday.
"They know that Singapore, between highly developed buildings and city centres versus a kampong atmosphere, can co-exist. And I think this is a fine place to demonstrate that."
Work on the park will begin in early 2018 and are expected to be completed by 2019.
Among the first to scribble a light-hearted suggestion was Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan.
“Let the chickens in!” he wrote on a Post-It note, before sticking it onto a board set up to collect public feedback.
Besides Mr Ong, Mr Khaw was accompanied by Members of Parliament from Nee Soon and Sembawang GRCs, including Mr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Dr Lee Bee Wah, Mr Amrin Amin and Mr Vikram Nair.
They planted the first trees along the walkway, toured the exhibition and chatted to regular users of the hot spring. They even sampled soft-boiled eggs cooked by the spring’s steaming water and soaked their feet in pails of warm spring water, much to the delight of residents.
“We are a concrete jungle, with lots of tall buildings, highly developed places and intensified plot ratios," said Mr Ong.
"So to find a jewel like this in Singapore is really rare, and we’re quite determined to keep this rustic vibe with the kampung spirit going."
ONCE A THERMAL BATHHOUSE FOR JAPANESE SOLDIERS
The Sembawang Hot Spring was discovered in 1908 on the grounds owned by a Chinese merchant, Seah Eng Keong. Since then, the land has changed hands a few times.
It was once a thermal bathhouse for Japanese soldiers, after their occupation of Singapore during World War II. Later in the 1960s, local media reported suggestions were made to develop the area into a tourist spa resort, restaurant, miniature golf course or nature reserve - but none came to fruition.
These ideas were put forth to local food and beverage conglomerate Fraser and Neave (F&N), who had acquired the land in 1921 after buying over an on-site spring water bottling plant established by the grounds’ original owner, Seah Eng Keong.
According to a signboard at the entrance of the spring, it was not the Chinese merchant who first discovered the spring in 1908, but a British soldier named William Arthur Bates Goodall.
The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) acquired the land in 1985, and in 2002 built much of the present infrastructure, including the entrance gate, perimeter fence, cemented walkway, concrete floor and standpipes.
MINDEF will return the land to the state, which will hand the plot to NParks ahead of works slated to begin next year.
The public exhibition at the hot springs will be held until Dec 3, and members of the public are invited to pen their thoughts on development plans.
The public can also view these plans and share their ideas until Dec 10 at www.nparks.gov.sg/sembawanghotspring.
Sembawang Hot Spring to be developed into bigger park with floral walk and cafe by 2019
Samantha Boh Straits Times 25 Nov 17;
SINGAPORE - The country's only natural hot spring on the mainland, the Sembawang Hot Spring, will soon be developed into a park 10 times its current size and feature a cafe, toilets and a floral walk.
Construction work will start in early 2018 and be completed by 2019, the National Parks Board (NParks) said on Saturday (Nov 25).
NParks said it will look into ways to ensure that people can still access the spring water during the construction period.
When completed, a floral walkway comprising flowers one would normally find in a kampung like the golden trumpet and oleander will greet visitors at the entrance to Sembawang Hot Spring Park, as it will be known.
There will also be toilets and a cafe, which will have shrubs and climbers on its walls to integrate it with the surrounding greenery.
Fruit trees like chiku and rambutan will also be planted in the vicinity.
In place of the current central pipes and taps, where the spring water runs from, there will be a cascading pool flowing down.
The cascading effect will help the water to cool down, and people will be able to dip their legs in the pool.
The pool will also come with a temperature meter.
Those who still want to collect the spring water in pails will be able to do so at a water collection point.
Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) and Sembawang GRC MP, Mr Ong Ye Kung, who was at the unveiling of the plans, said: "We are a concrete jungle...to find a jewel like this in the middle of Singapore is really rare so we are determined to keep this in the kampung spirit and the kampung rustic feel."
Other features include a naturalised stream that will channel the used water from the pool into a drainage system.
Sheltered seating areas, bicycle racks and a storage area for pails will also be added.
Sembawang Hot Spring to be developed into bigger park with floral walk and cafe by 2019
The NParks is soliciting public feedback on the plans till Dec 10, and will make alterations if need be.
The hot spring currently sits on Sembawang Air Base grounds, near the junction of Sembawang Road and Gambas Avenue, along Jalan Ulu Sembawang.
A deserted brick house believed to be part of a former bottled drink factory marks the site, which is open to the public from 7am to 7pm.
The spring was discovered in 1909 by Chinese merchant Seah Eng Keong, and people claim that its water can cure rheumatism, and heal skin problems such as acne or psoriasis.
News that the site was to be developed into a park was met with mixed reviews in April, with some wanting to keep its rustic character while others open to having facilities such as washrooms and basins.
On Saturday, visitors to the spring were generally positive about the redevelopment plans.
"There is nothing wrong with making it look prettier. In fact, it would be great if more people get to know about it because of that and come to benefit from it," said retiree Lim Chu Sun, 69, who used to work in a hotel.
She suggested having a space for people to completely submerge themselves in the water.
Madam Chris Goh, 56, a patient service associate, is open to the development plans as well but added that she is happy with how it is currently.
"They don't need to make it that nice, I'm already very satisfied with it," she said.
A daily visitor to the spring, she is looking forward to the toilets as she currently uses a towel to shield herself when she bathes with the spring water.
"My only request is that they don't cover the drains. I often lie on the railings as I feel that the steam rising from the water helps to improve my blood circulation."
Members of the public can view the plans and give their feedback on www.nparks.gov.sg/sembawanghotspringpark.
