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Best heritage trails in Singapore

Play the cultural tourist on your homeground

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By SG Staff | May 18, 2016

Play the cultural tourist on your homeground

By SG Staff
| May 18, 2016

Previously, the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) launched Roots.sg portal, packed with fascinating information and local heritage trails. The first 16 of which were developed since 1999, before the rest panned out and took shape. Some of us may like aimless walks but for trail seekers, here are our favourites, and then some. Time for another instagram shoot, recommended caption - "of exploration".

Little India Heritage Trail

An obvious choice and it does not disappoint, Little India is a well-known cultural enclave. Unique in the fact that it houses a great number and diversity of religious spaces, there’s the magnificent Abdul Gafoor Mosque, Foochow Methodist Church, Shree Lakshminarayan Temple and the Thai Buddhist Monastery Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple.

Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail

Although a target of gentrification, Tiong Bahru still holds a charm beneath its almost modern façade and indie cafes. An interesting titbit – this estate was colloquially referred to as “er nai chun” as it housed the mistresses of rich men. Check out this trail for its conserved SIT pre-war flats that homeowners are required to apply for a clearance permit should they want to renovate; the grave of Tan Tock Seng, the pioneering batch of SERS flats, Singapore’s oldest and most famous chwee kueh stall – Jian Bo Shui Kueh opened in 1950, and the famous Tiong Bahru food market, constructed in 1945, that had resulted in the removal of two shophouses.

Jurong Heritage Trail

For when you want to wind down, Jurong Trail is the likes of a suburban retreat. Concerted efforts and budget have seen to the conversion of Jurong into a green belt and the maintenance of the Pandan reservoir and Chinese gardens with its twin Pagodas. Also drop by Jurong Fishery port and its 400 meter long wharf that opens at 4 AM; Singapore’s remaining dragon kiln has successfully negotiated a lease extension and will be in operation til 2023.

Toa Payoh Trail

Toa Payoh isn’t just your typical heartland neighborhood, it was Singapore’s second satellite town, providing the blueprint for all residential areas that had followed suit. The Toa Payoh Trail takes you around nine landmarks from its storied past including the 1973 SEAP Games Village, Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery and the iconic dragon playground. To sweeten up your experience, drop by the famous albeit ironically named Hougang Six Miles Muachee at 480 Toa Payoh North, that offers two dressings - grounded peanut and black sesame.

Queenstown Heritage Trail

Of course, you can’t visit Singapore’s second satellite town without visiting its first. Queenstown holds a history beyond its hosting of the contemporary IKEA store. Highlights of the Queenstown Heritage Trail include the Church of the Good Shepherd, the former Thye Hong Biscuit and Confectionery Factory and some of Singapore’s first HDB flats. For history buffs, underneath Gillman Barracks was the holding place for British troops during the second World War.

Bedok Heritage Trail

One worthy addition to the NHB’s collection of heritage trails is the Bedok trail. This transports you back in time, to the era before the development of the East Coast area; a time when Singapore’s wealthiest inhabitants resided in waterfront bungalows alongside fishing villages. With 10 markers spread along a 15km route, you’ll discover Bedok’s long history, from its kampung beginnings to its key role in the East Coast Reclamation Scheme.

Jalan Besar Heritage Trail

Finally served with its own MRT station, Jalan Besar is neighborhood popular amongst hipsters and backpackers. The trail is a visual treat of low-rise traditional pre-war shophouses lighting up the neighbourhood with charm. In 2017, the Sungei Road's Thieves Market was shut down to make way for commercial developments. Reportedly Singapore's oldest and biggest flea market where peddlers congregate to sell stolen wares, the iconic market is sorely missed. Make a trip down to look at historic structures including Allenby House with multicolored panels; Hong San See Temple, Chinese-Baroque style multi-colored terrace houses on Petain Road and Singapore's famous Sri Manmatha Karuneshvarar Temple.

Ang Mo Kio Heritage Trails

Like Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio is another vast, underrated heartland neighborhood with plenty of stories to tell and avenues to navigate in. See its unusual circular block of flats and its town gardens on Trail One, then explore Lower Pierce Reservoir on Trail Two. Check out Singapore's last few remaining heritage playground in this neighbourhood, famous Dragon feature included.

Yishun Sembawang Heritage Trail

With 33 landmarks spread out over 6.8km, the Yishun Sembawang Heritage Trail is one of Singapore’s most expansive historic walks. Start at Upper or Lower Seletar Reservoir, enjoy a soak at the Sembawang Hot Spring, dine at Beaulieu House and visit Singapore’s last kampung mosque, Masjid Petempatan Melayu.

Geylang Serai Foot Trail

Geylang has many claims to fame (and infamy), but this trail allows you to experience a very different side of the area. You’ll see 1920s terrace shophouses, and significant landmarks for Singapore’s Buddhist and Muslim communities such as Mosques, ethnic temples, a baptist church and even the Singapore Buddhist Federation, all highlighting Geylang as a cultural enclave. The former Geylang Fire Station, opened in 1929, is a pre-war infrastructure reminiscent of our colonial history, is worth a visit.

Building a Nation: Samsui Women in Singapore

This brief trail takes you back to the world of Samsui women, also known as hong tou jin for their trademark red scarf. This group of pioneer immigrants are well-respected for their toil and involvement in the construction and industrial jobs, having constructed many a building by hand. Today, their contribution is well-celebrated.

In the Steps of G. D. Coleman

Rediscover the story of George Drumgoole Coleman, an Irishman who arrived in Singapore in 1822 to serve as an architect, a surveyor and, eventually, the Superintendent of Public Works. Designing and constructing bridges, government buildings, private homes and places of worship, Coleman helped to shape the young settlement.

A Stroll in the Jewish Quarters

Jewish quarters in old European towns are venerable tourist spots, and in Singapore, we have our very own Jewish quarter that is every bit as historic as the Europe's. In fact, the first Jewish community arrived at our shores in the 1800s. Visit the historic heart of Singapore’s Jewish community at Maghain Aboth Synagogue and Prinsep Street where many weathered buildings tell stories of a bygone era.

Sepoy Lines Trail

The Sepoy Lines Trail traces the history of Singapore’s Sikh community, bringing you past former barracks, the Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji Memorial and the Silat Road Sikh Temple.

World War II Trail

Into dark tourism, anyone? With markers almost all across Singapore, the World War II Trail calls for a road trip. You’ll wish to cover the site of the Kranji Beach Battle, the Sook Ching Inspection Centre and the massacre sites of Changi, Punggol and Sentosa as you remember Singapore’s darkest chapter.

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The Analog Vault

7 of the best vinyl record stores in Singapore

Here's to waxing lyrical, on wax.

8 years ago

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By SG Staff | Apr 14, 2016

Here's to waxing lyrical, on wax.

By SG Staff
| Apr 14, 2016

[Updated Nov 30] CDs, a relic of a not-so-distant past may be experiencing a dearth here, but thankfully, there is still the resurgence of the dusty old vinyl. To indulge in some audio archaeology, strike out for these stores.

Simply Music

Denny Pue started this shop more than a decade ago, when his own collection got too big to keep at home. These days he sells high-quality vintage vinyl, including albums by '30's Shanghai songstress Yao Lee and iconic '40's Chinese singer and actress, Zhou Xuan. Sadly, most of the store's original '60's albums from Singapore bands like The Quests are out of stock. A golden assortment of bebop records, both original and re-issue, is supplemented by a choice selection of 1980s Canto-pop albums, most in pristine condition.

Red Point Record Warehouse

Since opening eleven years ago, Ong Chai Koon’s monumental shop has already achieved legendary status among collectors and rival sellers. With an estimated 70,000 albums, and a warehouse sized floor space, the selection is vast and offers probably the largest collection of Singapore pop 33rpm records on the island. It’s best to call ahead and make sure the store will be open when you want to visit, especially on weekdays: the affable Mr. Ong has a day job.

Roxy Disc House

For the past eleven years, brothers Richard and Cheong Wan have sold everything from used vinyl to import CDs. Keep your eyes peeled for vinyl re-issues of seldom seen jazz classics. The many boxes of 45rpm Singapore-pop albums crammed in a corner is one of the largest caches in town. They also offer a record cleaning service for old albums: at $2.50 per record, plus new sleeves and inserts—a bargain!

Hear Records (Burlington Square & Chinatown)

It's a tiny, tightly packed space in unassuming Burlington Square, but we are quite impressed by the range of records here—from oldens but goodens, The Verve, The Jesus and Mary Chain and The Velvet Underground, to current indie acts like Viet Cong, Beirut and Liars. Even sassy pop songstress Meghan Trainor (of this year's All About That Bass) is on the list, for high fidelity purists who abhore music streaming with a vengence. While digging, you're likely to find some pretty fun world music from Africa and India, too. They've expanded with a second store in Chinatown providing the same huge variety as the one in Burlington Square, with the exception that their used titles have been organized alphabetically and according to sections for jazz, blues, compilations and even Japanese artistes. There are regular stock updates on both their Facebook pages (here and here), so be sure to keep tabs if you don't want to miss out on rare gems.

Curated Records

No hipster central is complete without a vinyl record store, which is why we are not too surprised to find one in Tiong Bahru. Here, you can wear your radio-friendly music tastes loud and proud, as the store stocks crowd-pleasing chart-toppers like Mariah Carey, Joss Stone and Calvin Harris. We are also pretty stoked to find names like Yo La Tengo, Ben Folds Five, The White Stripes and Sonic Youth—all essential additions to any indie music lover's collection. Those with hardened ear drums will rejoice knowing that there is hard rock on wax, like Slash, for sale too. The owner, Tremon, is sweet and friendly and will gladly play any record you're curious about. He has recently started bringing in older used records and all the jazz essentials, too.

The Analog Vault

The store at the Esplanade Mall sells vinyl records, books and magazines curated by partners Vinylicious Records, The Arkhivist and Magpie Magazines, but the highlight has to be their collection of new, pre-loved and rare records with genres ranging from rock, jazz, classical and world, such as The Hunter by American singer-songwriter Jennifer Warnes, a limited-edition red vinyl release of gangsta-jazz moaner Lana Del Rey's Honeymoon and avant-garde wunderkind Bjork (we spied Post, Homogenic and Biophilia). Expect to pay between $25 to $800 for these babies.