Tour of the Heartlands - Ang Mo Kio

By Judy Smith

On March 13, Dolores Parker, Debbie Milne and Kelly Woodward were our intrepid guides on this Out & About Tour of Ang Mo Kio in north central Singapore. Our visit started with a lighthearted discussion of the possible origins for the name Ang Mo Kio.  Depending if Hokkien or Malay sources are consulted, one comes up with: red hair, red tomato or the red hairy fruit – ambutan. A short history of the development of this distinctive heartland neighbourhood followed, including the basic characteristics of hawker centers, wet markets and the numerous apartment blocks built by the Housing & Development Board (HDB).

The Out and Abouters were fascinated by the Bird Corner, with different species of colourful birds singing in beautifully decorated cages. There are bird-singing competitions held regularly around Singapore, with prizes for the most melodious singers.

We then proceeded to a nearby temple that featured four separate altars, each to a different deity. We saw people worshipping and making offers of fruit, flowers and money.  Our next stop was a handicraft store where large paper houses, painted in vivid colours, are made for use at funerals.

After our time at the handicraft store we made our way to the Tay Guan Heng workshop. This family-run business manufactures joss sticks and hand-crafted figurines. Our lively and gregarious host, Amos Tay, gave us a very entertaining demonstration of wood clay art – an almost lost art form that he and his family are trying to keep alive in Singapore. Amos and two brothers continue to produce joss sticks in various sizes.  They also make figurines that are becoming increasingly popular with visitors and residents alike.  We all had an opportunity to model a small hand and some participants showed definite talent.

We continued to the Ban Choon Hiang shop which sells joss paper and a vast array of boxed items that are also used for funerals: everything from packages of cigarettes to sets of liquor, beer bottles, hand phones and toiletries.  Not long thereafter we ended our tour at the adjoining hawker center that offered many tasty choices for Lunch.

Thanks to Dolores, Debbie and Kelly for scouting out and presenting this vibrant area of Singapore that few tourists or foreign residents readily know.