If you’re looking for a fun way to clock in steps on your fitness tracker this year, here’s some good news.
The Community Development Councils (CDCs) have launched five new heritage walking trails on Saturday (March 14), where participants can learn about Singapore’s history while exploring iconic landmarks and earning CDC vouchers.
These trails span various areas across the island such as Kampong Glam, Jurong, Woodlands, Tampines and Bedok.
On Saturday morning, AsiaOne had the opportunity to try out a portion of the Central Singapore Walking Trails @ CDC: Kampong Glam.
The journey, which begins at Peranakan Museum, passes through landmarks such as Bras Basah Complex, Sultan Mosque and Golden Mile Food Centre before ending at Jalan Besar Stadium.
This 4km-long walk takes participants through Bugis, City Hall and Lavender — areas that are not only familiar to many, but also full of historical significance.
From the elegant architecture of the Peranakan Museum to the hustle and bustle of eateries along Kampong Glam in front of Sultan Mosque’s golden facade, the route is a treat for the eyes and ears.
As participants arrive at checkpoints along the walking trail, they are required to complete two tasks on a web app on their mobile phones — snap a picture of the landmark they are at, and answer a question about its history.
For instance, when we reached Bras Basah Complex, we had to take a photo of the vivid mural on the side of its main building and answer the question “What was Bras Basah Complex known as?”.
Once these two tasks are completed, the checkpoint is considered cleared.
Along the way, participants can also catch the CDC’s digital mascot Ollie on the interactive map for additional rewards.
I found the Central Singapore walking trail fairly easy, as it has little to no uphill climbing. Despite the sweltering weather, I wasn’t sweating as much as I usually do.
One thing to note, however, is that the route requires participants to cross multiple roads in areas such as Kampong Glam, which means they will need to stay alert to their surroundings.
‘Feels like home’
One participant of the inaugural walk, Alex Wong, told AsiaOne that he was very excited about this initiative.
As chairman of Crawford Residents Network’s Kampong Glam Division, this means that the trail is pretty much in his backyard.
While the Peranakan Museum had been the landmark he was most looking forward to, Alex found the Bras Basah Complex most striking.
“The colourful murals are eye-catching. The old-school atmosphere is comforting and familiar,” he said. “It feels like home.”
Alex, who is in his 40s, was joined by his wife Shirley and their two daughters, who are 10 and 13.
When asked about the new heritage walking trails, Shirley said: “It’s a great learning opportunity. For example, I found out the Peranakan Museum used to be Tao Nan School through this.”
“It’s good for us as Singaporeans to know our history. Usually, we don’t know much unless we study it in school,” she added.
After completing the checkpoint at Sultan Mosque, the family of four told AsiaOne they would continue along the trail as a bonding activity.
They also plan to check out some of the other new walking trails that were launched on Saturday, as well as routes which are in the works.
Launch of heritage walking trails at CDC
Walking Trails @ CDC Heritage Edition makes use of curated routes and an interactive digital platform to enhance participants’ self-guided neighbourhood experience.
It was developed in collaboration with the National Heritage Board (NHB) and Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech).
On Saturday, the initiative was launched at Singapore Management University by Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo, as well as CDC Mayors Denise Phua, Low Yen Ling, Alex Yam, Baey Yam Keng and Dinesh Vasu Dash.
This comes after the CDCs launched five neighbourhood trails last August, which have recorded over 80,000 completions by about 30,000 residents to date.
The initiative also supports the national Healthier SG movement as it encourages regular walking, one of the most accessible forms of preventive health.
Those interested in checking out these new walking trails can visit go.gov.sg/walkingtrailscdc
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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com
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