Bukit Timah Planning Area

Bukit Timah, often abbreviated as Bt Timah, is a planning area and residential estate located in the westernmost part of the Central Region of Singapore. Bukit Timah lies roughly from the Central Business District, bordering the Central Water Catchment to the north, Bukit Panjang to the northwest, Queenstown to the south, Tanglin to the southeast, Clementi to the southwest, Novena to the east and Bukit Batok to the west.

Owing to its prime location, Bukit Timah has some of the densest clusters of luxury condominiums and landed property in the city, with very few public housing.

Etymology

The first identification of the area was on the 1828 map by Frankin and Jackson and was noted as Bukit Timah. As the interior of Singapore was not fully explored, it is likely the name came from the Malays.

In Malay, Bukit Timah meant ''Tin bearing hill''. The original Malay name was ''Bukit Temak'', meaning "hill of the temak trees" as the temak trees were abundant in the area. It was possible that the British in Singapore had mispronounced or misheard and became Bukit Timah.

History

During Japanese rule, the Japanese built the Syonan Jinja, a Shinto shrine (Syonan-to was the Occupation name for Singapore), similar to the Yasukuni Shrine in Japan but of a smaller size, at Bukit Timah. Two war memorials dedicated to the Japanese war dead and, surprisingly, to the British and Empire troops who died defending Singapore, were built at the site. Students, Japanese commanders and British POWs' representatives would gather there regularly to commemorate the dead during the Occupation. Syonan Jinja was destroyed by the Japanese before the Japanese surrender.

Infrastructure

The Bukit Timah area is a particularly prominent location with high land value.

The Bukit Timah Race Course, a thoroughbred horse racing facility, was opened in 1933 and operated until 1999. The land has since been renovated, and is currently home to The Grandstand, which hosts several food outlets, childcare services and a Giant supermarket.

The nearby area hosts many bungalows, typically expensive in land-scarce Singapore, as well as high rise condominiums. Many expatriates and well-heeled Singaporeans live in this region. Its main attractions include popular eateries at Sixth Avenue, as well as Turf City.

This region was later extended and Upper Bukit Timah (District 21) was formed.

Mass Rapid Transit

There are 6 MRT stations within the planning area, spanning 2 lines, the Downtown Line and Circle Line. Stage 2 of the Downtown MRT Line train service started on 27 December 2015 and parallels the Bukit Timah Road. It connects Bukit Panjang in the North-Western edge of Bukit Timah to the city centre in the South. Both lines have an interchange station at Botanic Gardens MRT station. The 6 stations are:

* Beauty World
* King Albert Park
* Sixth Avenue
* Tan Kah Kee
* Farrer Road
* Holland Village

Education

Bukit Timah is known to having many international schools in the region, due to the high number of expatriates and immigrants living in this region.

Primary schools

* Bukit Timah Primary School
* Henry Park Primary School
* Methodist Girls' School (Primary)
* Nanyang Primary School
* Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School
* Raffles Girls' Primary School

Secondary schools

*Anglo Chinese School*
* St Joseph's Institution
* Singapore Chinese Girls School*
* Hwa Chong Institution
* Methodist Girls' School (Secondary)
* Nanyang Girls' High School
* National Junior College
* St. Margaret's Secondary School

Tertiary Institutions

* Hwa Chong Institution
* National Junior College
* St Joseph's Institution
* Ngee Ann Polytechnic
* Singapore University of Social Sciences

Other schools

* Chatsworth International School
* DIMENSIONS International College (Bukit Timah Campus)
* German European School
* Hollandse School
* Hwa Chong International School
* St Francis Methodist School
* Singapore Korean International School
* Swiss School in Singapore

See also

* Bukit Timah Monkey Man – cryptid said to be living in the Bukit Timah forest

References

Sources

*National Heritage Board (2002), ''Singapore's 100 Historic Places'', Archipelago Press,

External links

{{Places in Singapore

Central Region, Singapore
Places in Singapore