The Changi Village Bus Terminal was built over an old village cinema, while many Housing Board estates stand on what were swamps and cemeteries.

Many places that are taken for granted now, including the Changi Airport, Marina Bay and Shenton Way, were built on reclaimed land.

In 50 years, Singapore has transformed from a land of shophouses and kampungs to one littered with highrises and mega structures.

These are some of the layers of Singapore's history that the Singapore Slider series peeled back and explored last year.

A series of interactive sliders - that allow users to contrast old and new photos of places in Singapore - has appeared each week on the Straits Times website as part of the newspaper's special coverage of the nation's 50th year of independence.

These photos and stories, which give readers a peek into how the landscape has evolved in the last 50 years, are now available in the Singapore Slider: Then & Now e-book.

Along with national monuments, such as the Sri Mariamman Temple and Fullerton Building, the free e-book also features places that Singaporeans have fond memories of, including Holland Village, Serangoon Gardens and other residential estates.

The sliders reveal where Singapore's first bridge was located, how the names Ang Mo Kio and Clementi came about and the country's oldest mosque.

By sliding between the old and new photos, readers can see how the landscape has changed.

Videos embedded in the text offer more details about the history of places.

Photos from The Straits Times archives have also been added to capture the transformation of five areas over five decades. They are: Toa Payoh, Orchard Road, Chinatown, Singapore River and Ang Mo Kio.

Due to the popularity of the series, The Straits Times will continue to feature a new slider every fortnight this year.

Check out the Singapore Slider series online at str.sg/sgsliders.