A relaxing ride to historical Changi

Ride Changi

Mention "Changi" and the impression of the modern airport which greeted you on arrival in Singapore came to mind. More than just an airport, Changi refers to the area around the eastern tip of Singapore. In the mid-19th century, the landscape of this area was quite different from what we know of today, with fishing villages, plantations, swamps and mangrove forests within sight in Changi.

Our ride on the eastern part of the island starts from Tampines MRT station. This station is in the heart of Tampines New Town, a model of affordable high-density housing in a land scarce country. Transforming a once barren landscape left from quarrying activities to this new town to accommodate 260,000 residences took less than 10 years. In 1992, Tampines New Town was awarded the UN World Habitat Award as a recognition of the country's efficiency in developing affordable high-rise housing. We will cycle through Tampines and take in the features that made it a model housing estate for the country.

We cycle on the Tampines Park Connector along Sungei (River) Tampines. In the neighbouring town of Pasir RIs, we will see how nature is integrated into the housing estate in a harmonious way. Keep a look-out for natural wildlife that frequent the river and its surroundings, proving that nature and urban development can co-exist.

As we leave the housing estates, we head towards an area steeped in military history. First stop will be Changi Chapel, a replica of the chapel built by POW's and inmates of Changi Prison during the Japanese Occupation. The Changi Cross which was fashioned out of spent artillery shells, stands on the chapel altar and reminds us of the resourcefulness of the POW's during that dark period of history.

Next stop is Johore Battery, sitting on a site used to store ammunition for the massive 15-inch guns that were supposed to defend the island from invading seaborne forces. As it turned out, the invading forces came from a land crossing towards the western part of the island. And although the guns did fire at the invading forces, the fall of Singapore was imminent and the guns were destroyed to prevent the invading forces from using them.

We continue our ride towards Changi Point Coastal Walk. This is a boardwalk build over the rugged coastline of Changi, and we will visit two sections of the boardwalk, Kelong Walk and Sunset Walk. If our ride was in the afternoon, you will have a spectacular view of the sunset here. A short ride on, and we will reach Changi Beach Park and the infamous site of the Changi Beach Massacre. Save from a marker, no traces of that dark episode is left today.

A slight backtrack will take us to Changi Village Bus Terminal where our ride ends. In summary, this is a ride that brings you close to the life in a modern public housing development, and the unfortunate events of WWII. If you are an avid follower of WWII events, this is a ride not to be missed.