Bukit Timah Heritage Trail 6 - Beauty World to Bukit Panjang

Upper Bukit Timah Road runs from Clementi Road to Bukit Panjang Road. In the old days before the BKE (Bukit Timah Expressway) and Tuas Second Link were built, most Singaporeans traveling north to Malaysia would have to use this road which joins to Woodlands Road. Thus, as part of this series on the Bukit Timah Heritage Trail, I will (probably) also follow the same route and end only when I reach the causeway.

Actually, I don’t know much about this area. So, in this post, I will just try to list the places that once stood here and let my regular readers – especially Peter and Chuck fill in the details. Later, in subsequent posts, Peter, having grown up in this area, will share a couple of interesting stories about the places along this trail.

So what were some of the familiar landmarks as we make our way northwards from Beauty World?

1. Bukit Timah Fire Station

The most famous landmark here of course is the Bukit Timah Fire Station at the junction with Jurong Road. Today the buildings are still there but I think the station has shifted to a more modern station in nearby Bukit Batok new town.

Just before coming to the fire station, you would pass by the Amoy Canning Corporation and another rubber factory on your right. You will also see some flatted factories near Hindhede Road. This rubber factory is smaller that Lam Choon Rubber Factory at Anak Bukit (see previous post). I found some photos in the National Archives website which I think are of this factory. You will also see a huge Green Spot bottle outside the Amoy Canning premises. Today, this stretch of road is mostly occupied by new condominiums.

After Jurong Road you will pass by two famous factories on the high ground to your left. These are Ford Motors and Hume Industries. I have previously blogged about my university vacation training at the Ford factory which has been recently converted into a museum. The Hume site is now (what else but) another condo.

2. Hillview Road

As you passed Hillview Road, you will not miss the Chartered Bank building on your left. At night, it was especially prominent because of its brightness in contrast to the dark surrounding. This road led to the Princess Elizabeth Estate where Chuck used to live in. On the left would be the Union Carbide Factory which the locals referred to as Tian Tor Long (battery factory) in Hokkien.

3. Dairy Farm Road

This used to be a very rough dirt track which led to the dairy farm at the foot of our highest hill, Bukit Timah Hill. I have one interesting story to share. Once I dated a girl who lived here. This was during my army days. One evening I sent her home in our family car; an old Mazda Capella. Next morning, I discovered that one of my wheel hubs were missing. You can picture how bumpy the road was. I began to empathize with those daring young men who used to date my elder sister during my kampong days.

4. Chestnut Drive

I know practically nothing about this place except that my old friend Chuck used to study at a secondary school here. The only time I came here in the old days (early 70’s) was when we had AG (anti-guerilla) Warfare training during my Section Leaders Course days in Safti. We pitched our base camp near a rubber plantation at the edge of the jungle, and each day we were sent for ‘patrols’ in the jungle. Those days, the jungle was quite ‘authentic’, and I remember crossing some streams with very clean water. At night, we slept in our bashas with our ‘wives’ (AR15) strapped to our wrists to prevent them from being stolen by our irritating corporals.

5. Bukit Panjang

Continuing our journey northwards, you will finally come to the junction with Chua Chu Kang Road and Bukit Panjang Road. There were rows of shops on both sides of the road. There was a rather busy kampong on the left just before the junction. During those last few months of my NS days in Mandai Camp, my buddies and I occasionally came here in the evenings for some makan and shopping. I seem to recall a pasar malam atmosphere and even a primitive cinema here. Strange; whenever I think of this Bukit Panjang Village, I always picture the Chong Pang Village at Sembawang. There must be some similarities. Or maybe it’s because I only visited these two places at night for shopping and makan.

This is the old cinema I told you about. It's called Sin Wah Theatre. This photo and the two previous ones are from National Archives Collection.

Those days, I was staying in Farrer Road. On Sunday evenings, I would to take a bus back to my camp, 30SCE in Mandai Road . I would either take a bus to Coronation Plaza and change to SBS no. 171, or I would take TIBS no. 181 right to the end of its route at Bukit Panjang, and then change to SBS no. 171.

And thus we come to the end of one of the longest roads in Singapore. One quiz question before I leave. What is the Hokkien name for Bukit Panjang?