Along a 3km stretch of Upper Serangoon Road stand three religious institutions that have stood the test of time.
The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Hougang Tou Mu Kung and Haji Yusoff Mosque have a combined age of almost four centuries, with the church and the temple gazetted as national monuments. The road itself is almost 200 years old.
These places of worship are among 18 sites on the National Heritage Board's (NHB) latest self-guided trail - the Hougang Heritage Trail - that was unveiled yesterday.
The trail, the NHB's 20th, follows after the heartland trail in Pasir Ris launched last December. The board had said then that it planned to launch more of such heartland trails to bring the nation's heritage to the doorsteps of Singaporeans.
With stories and photos from 28 individuals familiar with Hougang, this new trail has the highest number of community contributions of all NHB trails. Others have about 10 to 20 community contributions.
Mr Bernard James Braberry, a parish administrator at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a Hougang resident since 1985, said: "What is special about the town to me are its people, and how spiritual they are.
"In the wee hours when our church gates were open before Covid-19 struck, many would come and offer prayers, no matter what religion they are from."
It is contributions like this - beyond historical facts - that help make the trail more interesting for participants, said NHB's deputy chief executive of policy and community Alvin Tan.
Three thematic routes through Hougang cater to varying interests. The first takes visitors along a stretch of Upper Serangoon Road, highlighting eight landmarks including religious sites and old businesses.
Those keen to find out more about community groups such as charitable halls and clan associations can go on the Institutions Of Service route which takes visitors to six sites.
Finally, those interested in building design will enjoy the Architectural Gems route, which features seven built heritage sites along the trail.
Hougang MP Dennis Tan said: "I hope the trail will provide more insights to residents, as well as others living outside the Hougang area, about the unique history of the area and its different communities and even villages, as well as its development over the years.
"I also hope that it will provoke interest and curiosity among Singaporeans to find out more about life in Hougang in the early years of Singapore, which I myself have certainly found from my residents' anecdotes to be very interesting."
NHB's Mr Tan said the board hopes to encourage Singaporeans to explore their own backyards through its trails during this period of travel restrictions and to rediscover local heritage delights.
"We hope that Singaporeans will come away with a renewed appreciation of what Singapore has to offer in terms of unique heritage experiences with a strong local appeal," he added.
Heritage buffs can expect three more trails to be launched next year.
The Hougang Heritage Trail's companion guide and map are available in four languages, and can be downloaded from NHB's heritage portal, Roots.sg, while hard copies are available at the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (Hougang Office), as well as community clubs and centres islandwide.
