- Teong Siew Wei Ling Dong Shan Combined Temple
- Upper Seletar Reservoir
- Gurdwara Sahib Yishun
- Masjid Ahmad Ibrahim
- Masjid Darul Makmur
- Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea
- Institutions Serving the Community
- Sree Narayana Mission
- Former Nee Soon Post Office
- Sree Maha Mariamman Temple
- Yishun Neighbourhood Park
- Chong Pang City
- Yishun-Town-Centre
- Yishun Swimming Complex
- Landmarks of Chye Kay and Nee Soon
- Chye Kay Village Heritage Garden
- Yishun Park
- Spiritual Grace Presbyterian Church
What does Yishun mean to you? In recent years, this neighbourhood has gained a reputation for being the most “happening” (Singlish for “exciting” or “trendy”) town in Singapore. But truth is, this is nothing new, for Yishun has long been a place that hogged the headlines, be it for its heritage or notable happenings in the area.
The Yishun area has long captured the imagination. Seletar, as Yishun was known centuries ago, oversaw the escape of Singapura’s last king in the 14th century. It was also the home of the indigenous Orang Seletar, who roamed its rivers and coast.
In the 1800s, the Orang Seletar gained new neighbours in Teochew planters who arrived to cultivate gambier in Seletar’s interior. These pioneers were mostly peaceable folk, but among them were secret society members who used Seletar’s rivers and swamps as a hideout. Seletar was also the scene of communal violence in the 1850s, when islandwide riots resulted in death and destruction at its main village of Chan Chu Kang.
Chan Chu Kang later became associated with Teochew businessman Lim Nee Soon, who turned the area into a hub for rubber and pineapples. Lim Nee Soon’s legacy was not just economic; he welcomed people from all over to settle on his land, which became known as the Lim Nee Soon area in his honour. He also encouraged residents to live together in harmony. Today, many of Yishun’s religious and social institutions owe their origins to these pioneers who made Nee Soon their home.
Lim Nee Soon also lent his name (in Hanyu Pinyin form) to Yishun New Town, which HDB built in the 1980s. Originally thought as far-flung, Yishun became a “happening” place from the 1990s after Yishun Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station, Northpoint mall and Yishun 10 (Golden Village Yishun today) multiplex opened to turn this estate into a magnet for residents and visitors alike.
Today, Yishun blends new and old as a bustling neighbourhood that brims with landmarks from its rural past. Read on to discover how Yishun evolved from rubber plantations and tropical fish farms, and learn how life was like for former villagers as well as residents who experienced Yishun’s transformation from a remote town to a mature estate that continues to embrace its cultural and natural heritage.
Explore the trail on MyMaps
Suggested Short Trails
Explore the Suggested Short Trail Routes:
- Rockets And Reservoirs, 1 hour with public transport (6 km)
- Yishun Ring Route, 2.5 hours with public transport (7.1 km)
Downloads
Yishun Heritage Trail Booklet
Yishun Heritage Trail Map - English