SINGAPORE - As a young boy, Mr Jerome Lim spent many happy days playing at the dragon playground in Toa Payoh Town Garden, now known as Toa Payoh Town Park.
On Thursday, a similar playground at Lorong 6 Toa Payoh which sports the iconic dragon was announced as one of two newly marked sites along the Toa Payoh heritage trail that was launched by the National Heritage Board (NHB) in 2014.
The other new heritage trail marker is at Block 53 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh, which was visited by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1972.
With the refreshed trail, there are now 10 trail markers, among 29 heritage sites, in the Toa Payoh heritage trail. Sites chosen to be marked were selected based on their historical, social and cultural significance.
NHB also took into account logistical feasibility to ensure traffic would not be obstructed after a site is marked.
The Toa Payoh heritage trail was the 11th such trail launched by NHB. Other heritage trails include the Tiong Bahru heritage trail and Sembawang heritage trail. There are currently 23 heritage trails.
Mr Lim, 58, a heritage researcher, who lived in Toa Payoh from 1967 to 1976, said of the dragon playground at Lorong 6 Toa Payoh: “This playground is iconic to Toa Payoh residents as it stands at one of the main entrances to the town. It really gives a warm welcome to the town as people drive in from the Kim Keat area.”
Of the original dragon playground he used to play at the old Toa Payoh Town Garden, he said: “Back in the day, I used to play in this spacious area and made many fantastic memories.”
Built in 1975 but demolished in 1997 to make way for a temporary bus interchange, the dragon playground at Toa Payoh Town Garden, which was designed by Housing Board architect Khor Ean Ghee, was so popular it inspired a series of similar dragon playgrounds across the island, including the one at Lorong 6, which was built in 1979.
The current iteration of the playground includes colourful rings for children to climb through and slide down the dragon’s slides. The design became so popular that different versions began appearing in playgrounds across Singapore in the 1980s.
Mr Alvin Tan, deputy chief executive of policy and community at NHB, said: “We hope to present new aspects of Toa Payoh’s heritage to the public and instil a greater sense of pride and belonging for residents of Toa Payoh.”
He also highlighted NHB’s outreach efforts, which include collaborating with grassroots organisations and schools to train volunteers and students to conduct guided tours along the trails.
“The main objective of these heritage trails is to allow self-guided tours to be carried out by the public to rediscover Singapore’s heritage,” Mr Tan added.
“We hope that by breaking down our trails into more bite-size thematic ones, members of the public can select trails that interest them.”
Madam Tang Mei Fong, 86, who has lived in Block 53 – affectionately known as the “VIP block” among residents – since 1967, recounted Queen Elizabeth II’s visit in 1972.
“There were so many people surrounding her on that day!” she said in Mandarin.
“I remember I was cooking rice and stopped to catch a glimpse of her. From the viewing gallery on the 19th floor, she waved back at us while accompanied by (her daughter) Princess Anne, and (husband) Prince Philip.
“Before this block (was built), Toa Payoh didn’t have such a high and beautiful building. It is a lovely block with beautiful gardens for me to exercise in the morning. I feel very fortunate to be living here.”
