Above us looms the Hillview Flyover. It’s more than just concrete and steel. It’s a thread in the rich tapestry of Hillview’s story. Hillview itself got its name from the stunning views it offers of Bukit Timah Hill. This area, now dominated by the Hillview Flyover, was once a battlefield. During World War II, Bukit Timah held immense strategic importance. The nearby Ford Motor Factory, which predates the flyover by decades, became the site of the British surrender to the Japanese in 1942. Imagine the weight of that moment, right here in the shadow of where the Hillview Flyover now stands. Before the war, and even before the factories, Hillview was a hub of gambier and pepper farms, carved from the dense jungle. These farms stretched for miles, their boundaries shaping the roads we see today around the Hillview Flyover: Hillview Avenue, Hillview Road, Lorong Taluki, Jalan Remaja. The railway line that once ran through Hillview, bringing resources from Malaysia down to Tanjong Pagar, also played a role in shaping this area. The two old truss bridges nearby stand as testaments to this history. The Hillview Flyover itself is a much more recent addition, built as part of the area’s transformation. From industrial past to residential present, Hillview has undergone a dramatic shift. The factories have given way to condominiums and landed properties. The Hillview Flyover stands as a symbol of this modernization. It facilitates the flow of traffic in and out of this now desirable residential area. The Hillview Flyover isn’t just a bridge. It’s a link between Hillview’s past and present, a silent observer of the many changes this area has witnessed.
Seah Eu Chin
Consider this a rags-to-riches story. Seah Eu Chin’s life is a morality tale. It is economic history. Seah Eu Chin