Woodlands

Gazing across the Straits of Johore, early inhabitants of Malaya saw a dense expanse of Keranji trees. This “woodland” gave its name to the area we know today as Woodlands, Singapore. Woodlands wasn’t always the bustling residential town it is now. In the early 20th century, it was a rural landscape of rubber plantations, farms, and scattered attap huts. The opening of the Johor-Singapore Causeway in 1923 transformed Woodlands, connecting Singapore to Malaya and ushering in an era of development. Woodlands is more than just a gateway to Malaysia. It’s a town rich in history and cultural heritage, a fact cemented by the National Heritage Board’s 2022 launch of the Woodlands Heritage Trail. Woodlands New Town, developed in the 1970s, aimed to create a self-contained residential area, a key part of Singapore’s decentralization plan. Woodlands also housed industries, making it a frontier town for both residents and tourists arriving from West Malaysia via the Causeway. Did you know the Woodlands Waterfront Jetty, now a popular spot for sunset views, was once called the Malaysian Base Jetty? It served the Malaysian naval base, KD Malaya, located off Admiralty Road West, for about five decades until the early 1980s. The base’s administration block still stands, its jetty’s old mooring anchors repurposed as seating, and a former storage shed transformed into a restaurant, preserving some of its original hoisting equipment. Woodlands also holds tributes to the past. Kranji War Cemetery, a peaceful garden with over 4,400 gravestones, commemorates soldiers who lost their lives during the fierce battle against the Japanese in February 1942. A hilltop tower within the cemetery houses memorials honoring their sacrifice. Echoes of the kampong days can be found at Hong Tho Bilw Temple on Marsiling Industrial Estate Road 3. The temple’s Taoist shrine, originally built in the 1940s in Kampong Chock Hoon, stands as a tribute to the villagers’ gratitude to deities for their protection during the Japanese occupation. Woodlands continues to evolve. The Woodlands Regional Centre is envisioned as the “Northern Gateway” of Singapore, with plans for extensive commercial development and green spaces, further shaping the identity of this vibrant town. From its origins as a quiet woodland to its current status as a thriving hub, Woodlands has a captivating story to tell, inviting you to explore its unique blend of history, culture, and progress.