Remember the rubber tappers of Chye Kay village as we explore Yishun Park. This 14-hectare park in Yishun was once a rubber plantation. It later became home to the hardworking people of Chye Kay village in the 1920s.
Yishun Park opened to the public in January 1995. The park’s development cost S$2.7 million. Planners retained much of the site’s original vegetation. This offers a contrast to the surrounding housing estates.
Yishun Park once featured a 12-meter tall hill. It also had a Chinese chess board game area. There was a playground and a foot reflexology path.
In 2000 a SAFRA clubhouse opened in Yishun Park. It cost S$2.8 million to build. It occupies 3 hectares of the park.
Yishun Park is home to rare Indo-Malayan trees. These include Shorea Kapur and Chengal. Tropical fruit trees also grow here. You might spot rambutan durian guava and starfruit. These trees attract many bird species. Herons egrets and migratory birds visit Yishun Park.
The park features Singapore’s first Dipterocarp Arboretum. This showcases over 800 trees of more than 70 species.
The National Parks Board hosts an allotment gardening scheme here.
Take a walk through Yishun Park. Imagine the lives of those early villagers. They worked hard and lived frugally. Appreciate the natural beauty. Remember the history beneath your feet. Yishun Park connects us to the past. It also offers a peaceful escape today.