Be one with nature and explore Singapore’s historical sites through the Yishun Heritage Trail.
Initially launched in 2010 by the National Heritage Board (NHB), this free self-guided trail has now been refreshed with 2 curated routes, letting travelers uncover the Singapore’s past across various locations. It features 17 heritage sites with 8 trail markers, showcasing the site’s evolution from the home of the Orang Seletar ethnic group, to a hub for rubber and pineapple cultivation, and finally into today’s Yishun New Town.
The refreshed route includes stories from Seletar, Chan Chu Kang, and Chye Kay Village—gambier and pepper plantations that can be found at the riverbank of Seletar River. These plantations helped Singapore’s rural economy in the 19th century by attracting immigrant labor. Chan Chu Kang was named after Chan Ah Lek, a pioneer of a gambier plantation in 1850 in the area. The village later shifted to rubber plantations, which established Singapore’s strong rubber production and became a vital industry to the country. Today, Chan Chu Kang is known as Nee Soon Village, which gave Yishun its name.
First of the themed routes, Rockets and Reservoirs is an hour-long trip where you can see sci-fi-inspired architecture that defined many buildings in the 1990s. The second themed route—the Yishun Ring Route—takes 2.5 hours to complete, giving travelers ample time to enjoy the view of the 1980s town and how it began to take shape. Both routes are navigable via public transport, with a companion guide and map provided for the trail.
Find out more about the trail at https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/trails/yishun-heritage-trail-yishun-ring-route and explore Singapore’s heritage route by yourself today!