We got an invite to go for the new Changi Heritage Trail by the National Heritage Board (NHB). Inevitably, the ever lazy and allergic to walking Wilber decided that this was something that Kevin and Daryl had to attend. He based this decision on the fact that in the office, the two of us are the ones who obsess about hitting out daily 10,000 steps. Fine by me and fine by Kevin.
This was organised by the National Heritage Board and it featured a tour around Changi. The tour features 23 heritage sites and six trail markers. For starters, this is a trail marker.
There are six of these littered around the Changi area.
The media were ready at 930 am.
This was our tour guide. Well, one of our tour guides. From NHB.
This was the first trail marker that we were introduced to. It is located very close to the Changi Food Centre. More specifically, it is at the carpark entrance of Little Island Brewing Co at Changi Village.
It was a searingly hot Tuesday. This was our first port of call. We had the benefit of having a team from NHB bring us around.
Do you see that red-coloured rectangular gadget hanging around our tour guide’s neck? That is a whisperer. Every tour participant had one and when the tour guide spoke, we could hear what was spoken via the earpiece that we had on. This meant that the tour participants did not have to cluster too closely together to be able to hear the tour guide’s presentation.
There are soft copies of the booklet and brochures which were given to us. I think if you would like to truly appreciate this heritage trail, it would serve you well to have this material.
This was our other tour guide for the day.
Oh and good thing there was a chartered bus. It was really hot!
This was the second stop of the day. The Sree Ramar Temple.
First things first, we had to remove our shoes and leave them at the door of the temple.
There was a Guan Yin altar placed at the entrance of the temple.
This is Mr K V Thalapathy. He is a temple volunteer and resident who grew up in Changi Village. He shared with us the surrounding and how this temple had over the years become a cornerstone of the area.
Ok, Kevin got me in one of his shots… I was giving my utmost attention. You just cannot see my eyes.
The people in the temple were extremely welcoming. There were worshippers and they even allowed us to take photos of what they were doing. This is perhaps something that I greatly appreciate. The religious harmony in Singapore. It allowed me to better understand a different faith from my own.
The Hindu monks (sorry if I termed them wrongly) were very welcoming. They explained their practices to some of the participants.
Oh yes, the trail marker is located by the side of the entrance of the temple.
This is the address of the temple. I believe that the people in the temple will be welcoming to visitors. This should also apply to just about every other temple in Singapore. So if you are on this heritage trail, feel free to enter the Sree Ramar Temple to take a look!
Next up, Changi Sailing Club.
This was the walk into the seafront. 
We went past some chalets. I believe some of you may even recognise these chalets. Look at the sea in the background!
Welcome to Changi Point! This is perhaps one of the nicest views in Singapore.
Mdm Isiah Majid, a former resident of Kampung Ayer Gemuroh, introduced us to the area. The original Kampung was located at the current Changi Airport site. It was cleared to make way for the airport and the kampung shifted to this point. She reminisced about the times she spent in the area as a child. There were fruits which were aplenty for her while playing in the area. Children in Singapore nowadays do not have the experience of running around freely and getting fruits from trees in public. Such is the progress of Singapore but these are perhaps experiences that would make lives more memorable.
This was the view… It was so serene.
While everyone was in the shade, Kevin and I managed to get some nice shots of the sea with the yachts.
Next stop was the Former Kitchener Barracks.
You can find the trail marker along the main road.
These barracks are still vacant. Recently the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) held a public consultation with regards to the use of these barracks.
The final stop was Changi Airport Terminal 1. This was Mr Joshua. His father was a former contractor who built the Changi Airport Control Tower.
Super effort… He brought along old photographs of the Changi Airport Control Tower.
Ok, so we are done for the day!
Would I recommend the Changi Heritage Trail? Yes. I am a person who believes in conservation and I love old colonial or heritage buildings. I love history and learning about how places once were. There is a QR code on every trail marker. It will provide you with information about the Changi Heritage Trail. If you and your family or friends have a day to spare over the weekend, why not experience a heritage trail? Singapore has quite a few of these splayed all over the island. This beats having to jostle with the crowd at some shopping mall. Hot tip if you decide to embark on this heritage trail. A large bottle of water, loads of sunscreen and a hat will serve you well.
The six places with the trail markers are:
- Changi Village
- Sree Ramar Temple
- Van Kit Village Chinese Temple
- Former Changi Cantonment and RAF Changi (located near the former Kitchener Barracks)
- Bungalows and Leisure in Changi (located outside the clubhouse of CSC@Changi) (Civil Service Club)
- Changi Airport
Yours sincerely,
Daryl
