SUGGESTED SHORT TRAIL ROUTES From its origins as American Consul Joseph Balestier’s sugarcane plantation in the 1840s, Balestier has evolved into a multi-faceted neighbourhood with landmarks established by diverse communities and faiths. Through the three thematic trails below, discover the precinct’s history and heritage, including lesser-known sites hidden in its many side lanes.

Historical Landmarks of Balestier (45 mins; on foot) Faith, Film and Food (1.5 hours; on foot) Building Balestier (2 hours; on foot) Balestier Road is home to many historical sites, from colonial-style villas to traditional The Balestier area is home to many places of worship, traditional food trades as well as Balestier is a showcase of architectural diversity with its temples, shophouses as well as shophouses and temples. This thematic trail introduces you to some landmarks that have landmarks from the Golden Age of Malay Cinema. This thematic trail brings you to religious various buildings that used to be part of . This thematic trail brings you shaped Balestier Road from its early days to the recent past. buildings, a former movie studio as well as “makan places” around the neighbourhood. to some of these landmarks, many of which continue to serve the religious, residential and healthcare needs of the community.

Begin your journey at Goh Chor Tua Pek Medicine), a neoclassical building built in Kong Temple, which was established in 1847 1924. Next to it is the new Clinical Science by workers employed at Joseph Building, which has a terrace concourse Balestier’s sugarcane estate nearby. Built in from which you can enjoy a panoramic view a southern Chinese style, this temple is the of the area. area’s oldest surviving landmark and the only visible legacy of Balestier’s former Next, walk back down Mandalay Road and estate. Across the road from the temple, you turn into Bassein Road. On your left stands can also see two Art Deco Chan Chor Min Tong*, a former Buddhist blocks. Built after the war, these buildings vegetarian hall founded in 1936 as a feature eye-catching corner facades with cloister-like home for female devotees. You bold vertical fins typical of Art Deco design. can admire its Cantonese-style architecture before continuing up Bassein Road. Turn right after Jalan Tan Tock Seng and you will find, on your left, a row of former pavilion wards (also known as Nightingale wards) that housed patients after Tan Tock Seng Hospital relocated here in 1909. Facing the wards on your right are black and white houses that once housed the hospital’s senior doctors.

Start your journey at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Begin your journey at Goh Chor Tua Pek 1964 to serve Muslim residents of the Memorial Hall. This colonial-era villa was Kong Temple, which was founded in 1847 by Balestier area, this mosque was rebuilt in Walk up Balestier Road until the Kim Keat

once the Southeast Asian headquarters of Dr Hokkien workers of a nearby sugarcane 1984 and named after a philanthropist who Road junction. On your left stands Balestier

MAP & SUGGESTED ROUTES SUGGESTED & MAP

MAP & SUGGESTED ROUTES SUGGESTED & MAP Sun Yat Sen’s Tong Meng Hui (Chinese estate owned by Joseph Balestier, the first contributed to its reconstruction. Point, a mixed-use high-rise completed in

Revolutionary Alliance). This National American Consul to . Located HERITAGE TRAIL HERITAGE HERITAGE TRAIL HERITAGE 1986 and inspired by the work of Canadian

Monument now houses galleries showcasing beside the temple is one of the last surviving Cross Kim Keat Road and enter Whampoa architect Moshe Safdie. Across the road,

the role of overseas Chinese communities in free-standing wayang stages in Singapore. Park Connector for a pleasant stroll along you will see the Sim Kwong Ho shophouses. BALESTIER BALESTIER the 1911 Chinese Revolution. Next, visit Maha Sungei Whampoa. Many rattan factories These conserved shophouses were built in Sasanaramsi Burmese Buddhist Temple were once located by this river. At Jalan 1926 in an ornate style known as Chinese After viewing the pavilion wards, turn right at located beside the villa at Tai Gin Road. Ampas, you will find Phang Pheng Mei baroque and feature elaborate plaster Minbu Road and head towards the car park Established at Kinta Road in 1878, the temple Temple*, a former Buddhist vegetarian hall stucco work and colourful tiles. on your left. Take the path on the right of the relocated here in 1991 and houses the largest which was once home to female devotees. car park to reach Balestier Market. Built in marble Buddha statue outside Myanmar. A short distance from the temple is Shaw Next, turn into Pegu Road and you will find, 1922 to house roadside vendors, it was Organisation’s former Malay Film Productions on your left, a single-storey building that converted into a food centre in the 1990s and studio, where movie stars such as P Ramlee was once the former School Dental Clinic, conserved in 2003 as Singapore’s only and Maria Menado made films during the which operated from 1963 until the surviving rural market building. You may mid-1990s. Pegu Road is also the site of a wish to grab some refreshments here before The Balestier Heritage Trail is part of the National Heritage Board’s ongoing Golden Age of Malay Cinema in the 1950s-60s. row of elegant pre-war terrace houses that continuing on your journey. efforts to document and present the history and social memories of places in Next, cross the road to Balestier Market, a were conserved in 2003. A lane next to Singapore. We hope this trail will bring back fond memories for those who former rural market built in 1922 to house these houses leads to Martaban Road, Next, cross Balestier Road and walk towards Return to the Park Connector and continue roadside vendors. It was converted into a Next, walk up Balestier Road and cross the which features another row of conserved Jalan Kemaman. Turn into this lane and you have worked, lived or played in the area, and serve as a useful source of on towards Jalan Kemaman, where you will food centre in the 1990s and conferred road at the Whampoa Drive junction. Along pre-war terrace houses, including one (13 will find another former vegetarian hall, also information for visitors and new residents. find another former vegetarian hall called conservation status in 2003. You may wish Whampoa Drive, you will pass a row of Martaban Road) that used to house orderlies called Chan Chor Min Tong*. This differs Chan Chor Min Tong*. This hall was founded to grab a bite here before continuing down conserved post-war shophouses. This row is from Tan Tock Seng Hospital. from the Bassein Road hall as it housed male in 1926 and housed male devotees. The Supported by Balestier Road. When you reach Pegu Road, the location of Sing Hon Loong, a traditional devotees. Take the lane on the right of the building is not open to public, but you can turn in to find a row of conserved pre-war bakery which has been making bread for hall to view its garden, which contains many take the lane right of the compound to view terrace houses and a single-storey building more than half a century. After the medicinal plants. The lane will bring you to its garden, which is filled with medicinal that used to house the former School shophouses, you will see a single-storey Boon Teck Road and Thong Teck Sian Tong plants. The lane leads to Boon Teck Road, After viewing the temple, walk through Dental Clinic, which operated from 1963 building housing the Handicaps Welfare Lian Sin Sia. Established in 1950, this temple where you will find Thong Teck Sian Tong Zhongshan Park and turn left at Balestier until the mid-1990s. Association. This building served as Rayman provides religious and charitable services, Lian Sin Sia. Established in 1950, this temple Road. At Boon Teck Road, you will see a School from 1953 until 1984. It is the only including a water kiosk at the junction of provides religious and charitable services, water kiosk with two dispensers. This kiosk Continue your journey down Balestier Road surviving legacy of the former Rayman Boon Teck and Balestier roads, which offers including a water kiosk at the junction of is provided by Thong Teck Sian Tong Lian Sin towards the Kim Keat Road junction where Estate, built in the 1940s by the Singapore free water and tea for passers-by. Balestier and Boon Teck roads that offers Sia, a Buddhist-Taoist temple established in you will see two contrasting landmarks. The Improvement Trust to provide homes for free water and tea. 1950. The kiosk offers water and tea at no Sim Kwong Ho shophouses across the former residents of urban slums. After this, continue up Balestier Road until charge as an act of charity and is probably junction were built in 1926 and are you reach Zhongshan Park. Walk through the last of its kind in Singapore. Feel free to outstanding examples of Chinese baroque Turn left after the kiosk and you will see the Continue up Martaban Road towards the the park and you will see the final stop, Sun Cross Whampoa Drive to reach Whampoa enjoy a refreshing sip of water or tea here architecture, with colourful tiles and Kwan Yow Luen shophouses. Built in 1928 by Minbu Road junction to reach the old Tan Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. Built in Makan Place, which occupies the site of the and visit the temple, located a short distance elaborate plaster stucco work. Facing these local architect Kwan Yow Luen, these Tock Seng Hospital grounds. On the left, you 1902 as a merchant’s home, this villa later former Rayman Market, built in 1952 for from the kiosk. shophouses is Balestier Point, which was shophouses provided the backdrop to P will see the rear of the former Middleton became the Southeast Asia headquarters residents of Rayman Estate. In 1973, it was completed in 1986 and inspired by the work Ramlee’s classic 1955 film Penarek Becha Hospital (now Communicable Disease for Dr Sun Yat Sen’s Chinese revolutionary replaced by Whampoa Market, which later of Canadian architect Moshe Safdie. (“Trishaw Puller”). You can admire their Centre), which opened in 1913 to treat movement. You have now completed the expanded into the present-day Whampoa facade before crossing the road to Balestier patients with infectious diseases. On the longest route in the Balestier Heritage Trail! Makan Place. You may wish to grab some Market, Singapore’s only surviving rural right, you will see the former Mandalay Road You can cool down by exploring the galleries food here before continuing on to Kim Keat market. Built in 1922 to house roadside Hospital, which treated Tan Tock Seng here which highlight the 1911 Chinese Lane, where you will find another traditional vendors, this conserved building is now a Hospital’s tuberculosis patients in the 1950s. Revolution from the perspective of the bakery, called Sweetlands Confectionery, popular food centre where you can grab a overseas Chinese communities. offering freshly baked loaves. bite before heading home. Optional: You may wish to continue up At Kim Keat Road, turn right to reach Masjid Balestier Road towards the junction of Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau. Opened in Thomson Road. Facing Jalan Datoh, you will see a row of single-storey terraced units built in the 1940s by Ngee Ann Kongsi. Today, this conserved row is known for its variety of shops, including Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah, a Return to Balestier Road, where you will find, coffee shop that opened here in 1948. After at the junction of Jalan Kemaman, the Kwan this, take a bus at Thomson Road to Church of Yow Luen shophouses. Built in 1928 and Finally, continue down Balestier Road until At the end of Martaban Road, turn left into St Alphonsus (Novena Church). This religious designed by local architect Kwan Yow Luen, you reach Goh Chor Tua Pek Kong Temple. *Phang Pheng Mei Temple and Chan Chor Min Tong Mandalay Road. After the car park on the landmark is known for its Saturday novenas, who was well-known for designing traditional Established in 1847 by Hokkien workers of are not open to public. left, you will find a stately black and white which began in 1949 and after which the shophouses, these richly ornamented Joseph Balestier’s sugarcane estate, this bungalow that once housed a Medical surrounding area and nearby MRT station shophouses feature detailed plaster stucco temple is the area’s oldest surviving landmark Superintendent and is now a private residence. were named. figures, including two symbolic Sikh guards, and the only visible legacy of Balestier’s once Across the road is the former nurses’ quarters on their facades. vast plantation. (now part of the Lee Kong Chian School of *Both Chan Chor Min Tong halls are not open to public. Terrace houses at Pegu Road, 1988 From the Lee Kip Lin Collection. All rights reserved. Lee Kip Lin and National Library Board Singapore 2009. TOWN PARK

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HERITAGE SITES IN THE SUGGESTED SHORT TRAIL ROUTES MOULMEIN ROAD For more information, please download the Balestier Heritage Trail Companion D OA Guide from www.roots.sg. R MOU ON LME T IN ROA EW D N All information contained in this trail ART DECO BALESTIER MARKET BALESTIER POINT BOON TECK ROAD CHAN CHOR MIN TONG CHAN CHOR MIN TONG CHURCH OF FORMER MALAY FILM FORMER MANDALAY FORMER MIDDLETON FORMER NURSES’ FORMER PAVILION FORMER RAYMAN map is provided in good faith, and BA every reasonable effort has been WATER KIOSK (AT BASSEIN ROAD) (AT JALAN KEMAMAN) LE APARTMENT BLOCKS ST ALPHONSUS PRODUCTIONS STUDIO ROAD HOSPITAL HOSPITAL QUARTERS ST WARDS SCHOOL made to ensure that the information IER RO is accurate and up to date at time AZA AD L PL of print. Accordingly, NHB makes no DHIL GOL warranty or representation relating to the trail map and all information contained therein, and users relying on any of the information contained in the trail map shall do so at their own risk and diligence.

FORMER SCHOOL GOH CHOR TUA PEK KWAN YOW LUEN MAHA SASANARAMSI MASJID HAJJAH RAHIMABI PHANG PHENG MEI PRE-WAR TERRACE SENIOR POLICE SIM KWONG HO SINGLE-STOREY SUN YAT SEN NANYANG THONG TECK SIAN TONG WHAMPOA MAKAN PLACE ©2018 National Heritage Board. DENTAL CLINIC KONG TEMPLE SHOPHOUSES BURMESE BUDDHIST TEMPLE KEBUN LIMAU TEMPLE HOUSES OFFICERS’ MESS SHOPHOUSES TERRACED UNITS MEMORIAL HALL LIAN SIN SIA AND FORMER RAYMAN ESTATE All rights reserved.