Discover 9 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Singapore. Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Bishan (Singapore/East Coast), Tan Kim Seng Fountain (Central Area) or Lim Bo Seng Memorial (Central Area).
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Singapore.
Table of Contents
Bishan, Singapore/East Coast
Bishan, also known as either Bishan New Town or Bishan Town, is a planning area and matured residential town located at the northernmost portion of the Central Region of Singapore. Statistically, the area is ranked the 38th biggest in terms of geographical size and the 22nd most populated planning area in the country. It is located at the most Central point of Singapore, and is made out of Upper Thomson, Marymount, Shunfu, Sin Ming, Bishan North and Bishan East. There are also many private residential properties in Bishan. This however, makes Bishan ranked 15th in terms of population density. Apart from its boundary with the Central Water Catchment in the west, Bishan borders three other planning areas - Ang Mo Kio to the north, Toa Payoh to the south and Serangoon to the east.
What is now Bishan today was once land that belonged to Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng, a cemetery that mainly served the Cantonese and Hakka communities of Singapore. Following the establishment of the cemetery in 1870, the first human settlements began to appear in the area, forming what eventually became Kampong San Teng. During the Battle of Singapore in 1942, Peck San Theng was the site of a fierce firefight between the invading Japanese forces and the defending British. The subsequent fall of the island to the Japanese that same year eventually made Peck San Theng a place of refuge for most of the Singapore population. In 1973, Peck San Theng stopped accepting burials and six years later following a government lease, land was acquired for development. Graves were then exhumed between 1982 and 1984 paving the way for the construction of Bishan New Town in 1983. Today, Peck San Theng still remains in operation, although it had since been converted into a columbarium.
Bishan New Town became the first in Singapore to depart from the brutalist design seen in most previous Housing and Development Board (HDB) towns. Instead of slab-like residential blocks that were built in uniformed rows, apartment blocks in Bishan varied in height and were often dislocated. Flats within the town also featured pitched roofs which have since become closely associated with the skyline of Bishan. The town is also home to three of Singapore's most prestigious educational institutions, Catholic High School, Raffles Girls' School and Raffles Institution.[1]
Tan Kim Seng Fountain, Central Area
Monument in Singapore. The Tan Kim Seng Fountain is a fountain in Singapore that was erected in 1882 in honor of notable philanthropist Tan Kim Seng for his donations for the Singapore’s first reservoir and waterworks.[2]
Lim Bo Seng Memorial, Central Area
Monument in Singapore. The Lim Bo Seng Memorial is an octagonal pagoda-like war memorial at Esplanade Park, Singapore. It was erected in 1954 in honour of the late Lim Bo Seng for his heroic acts and selfless sacrifice during the World War II. The war memorial is the only structure in Singapore that commemorates an individual's efforts in World War II and was gazetted as a national monument on 28 December 2010.[3]
Bidadari Garden, Singapore/East Coast
Memorial park in Singapore. The Bidadari Garden was a memorial garden once located along Veron Road in Bidadari, Singapore.[4]
Objectifs, Central Area
Objectifs is an independent non-profit visual arts space in Singapore that aims to cultivate original voices in visual storytelling, and to inspire and broaden perspectives through the power of images. It presents a year round programme of exhibitions, screenings, residencies, developmental programmes, talks and workshops that advance the practice and appreciation of photography and film.[5]
Address: 155 Middle Road, Central Area (Central Region)
Kampong Glam, Singapore/East Coast
Neighbourhood in Singapore. Kampong Glam is a neighbourhood and ethnic enclave in Singapore. It is located north of the Singapore River, in the planning area of Rochor, known as the Malay-Muslim quarter.[6]
Omni-Theatre, Jurong East
The Omni-Theatre is an observatory and large-format film theatre located at the Science Centre Singapore in Jurong East, Singapore.[7]
Ang Chee Sia Ong Temple, Jurong East
Temple in Singapore. Ang Chee Sia Ong Temple is a Taoist, Mahayana Buddhism and Confucianism temple located in West Coast, Singapore. The main hall is dedicated to the Lord Green Dragon.
The temple was established in 1918 when the ash of the joss sticks of the original Green Dragon Temple at Han River, Chaozhou, Guangdong, China is brought to Singapore by Wang Dong Qing and worshipped at his home.
In 1930, a temple was built at Pasir Panjang's 7th Milestone to properly worship Ang Chee Sia Ong. The area was later slated for redevelopment and the temple moved to West Coast Drive. The temple was consecrated in 1997.[8]
Address: 131 West Coast Drive, Jurong East (West Region)
Jurong, Jurong East
Jurong is a geographical region located at the south-westernmost point of the West Region of Singapore. Although mostly vaguely defined, the region's extent roughly covers the planning areas of Jurong East, Jurong West, Boon Lay, and Pioneer, along with Jurong Island in the Western Islands cluster and the southernmost portions of the Western Water Catchment. Should it be described at its greatest historical extent, the region can also include present-day Bukit Batok and Tuas as well. Jurong also covers several offshore islands as well, including Pulau Damar Laut and Pulau Samulun, both of which are located within the planning areas of Jurong East and Boon Lay respectively; along with the aforementioned Jurong Island. The coastline of the region on mainland Singapore, faces the strait of Selat Jurong, while the southernmost island of the region, Jurong Island, faces the strait of Selat Pandan.
Jurong was largely industrialised in the early 1960s in a response to the general economic situation of post-war Singapore. The heavy redevelopment of the region paved the way for the opening of a large-scale industrial sector in the country, something which was unprecedented at that time.
Today, the rapid growth and much development of Jurong has led it to become one of the most densely-populated industrial areas in the city-state.[9]