Tiong Bahru is Singapore’s oldest public housing estate, built years before the Housing and Development Board (HDB) existed and the neighbourhood was already three decades old when Singapore became independent in 1965. The oldest and most recognisable corner of the neighbourhood is a precinct bounded by Tiong Bahru Road, Seng Poh Road, Moh Guan Terrace and Tiong Poh Road. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) gazetted the residential buildings in this pocket for conservation in 2003, and it has since become a regular stop on the National Heritage Board (NHB)’s walking trails. For me, the history of Tiong Bahru has a deeper, and more…
