This time, I explored the Bedok Heritage Trail. Bedok is located in the eastern part of Singapore and was once a coastal area. The land was reclaimed, transforming the village from a fishing settlement into a residential area. Construction is currently underway for a new MRT station. I started the walk from the easternmost point, Kampong Bedok, to explore the town. You can reach the starting point of Kampong Bedok via Bus No. 10.
Here’s a photo of Kampong Bedok, but unfortunately, the entire area is under construction. While I could see the hawker center building, construction work was ongoing since the morning. On the opposite side, there was a relatively high-end supermarket, Cold Storage, showing that the area caters to a wide range of residents' needs. I began heading westward.
I continued westward towards Military Landmarks in the East. Although construction is still ongoing, I came across a community center along the way. It had a lively Christmas atmosphere, but I wondered if basketball courts were temporarily unusable. With the Lunar New Year coming right after Christmas, it might be unavailable for quite a while.
Finally, I arrived at the site. Although there are no visible traces of the past, it’s said that British military ammunition depots were stationed here until around the 1970s. The coastal land reclamation likely brought significant changes to the atmosphere.
Next, I visited Jalan Puay Poon. The area behind this location was a restricted zone, so I couldn’t take photos from the front. However, similar to other locations, much of the original atmosphere has been lost due to land reclamation. It’s said that during sand-washing operations in the 1960s, graves of approximately 2,000 individuals, victims of post-war purges of Japanese soldiers, were discovered here.
My next destination was the Former Coastline. Since it was once a coastal area, it’s more appropriate to think of this as a general zone rather than a specific location. As I walked, I reflected on how the area was once part of the sea. Being closer to the coastline, the land felt very flat, likely due to land reclamation. The inland areas still have slopes and hills, suggesting that the reclamation was done evenly. It makes moving around quite convenient, which is a plus.
Finally, I reached Siglap, Frankel Estate, and Opera Estate. This area had a vibrant atmosphere, perhaps because it was breakfast time, and there seemed to be many people. Siglap, once a fishing village, is said to mean “dark place.” This may have originated from the dense trees that shaded the area from sunlight. However, with the coastline gone and most of the trees cleared, the village's original fishing settlement feel is also lost. That said, the liveliness of the community seems to have been passed down through the generations despite the changing times.
In this walk, remnants of history were limited, but this very transformation seems to reflect Singapore's forward-thinking nature. With the MRT extension underway, Bedok is likely to undergo significant changes. I’m glad I had the chance to explore the area at this moment in time. It would be interesting to revisit and compare once the MRT opens.
Looking at the posts from worldmappin and its community, I’ve been inspired to make my daily walks more meaningful. I’m a Japanese resident living in Singapore, and I want to explore and document various places while I’m here. I’ll be following the members of this community, so please let me know if this causes any inconvenience.
