Bukit Batok Town Park

Constructed from a disused granite quarry, Bukit Batok Town Park is commonly known as "Little Guilin" or "Xiao Guilin", after the scenic spot in China. Comprising 42 ha of land, it is located at Bukit Batok East Avenue 5. The name "Bukit Batok" has been suggested to be derived from the noise made by the blasting in the granite quarry that now form the natural surroundings of Little Guilin.

Bukit Batok Town Park and the neighbouring Bukit Batok Nature Park together occupy 77 ha of land in the planning area of Bukit Batok. It encompasses Gombak, Hong Kah, Brickworks, Hillview, Guilin and Bukit Batok itself.

The Housing and Development Board had originally intended to fill the quarry up and build a road on it in 1984. It was converted to a pond instead when it was realized that the existing quarry had rugged granite outcrops and a contrasting backdrop of green hills that gave it a pleasant look. The surrounding areas were also beautified and made accessible by placing granite blocks on the retaining walls and adding footpaths, lights and seating.

In 1996, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) conceptualised the Development Plan Guide for Yishun and Bukit Batok, which proposed the use of the surrounding parks to enhance the residential landscape for the area. It also proposed links between the Town Park and Nature Parks, and eventually linking them via park connectors to the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Sungei Pandan.

Besides being used for exercise and walks, the town park has also been used as a stage for Chinese opera, dance and music performances such as the Heroine of the Water Margin. The park has also been suggested as an alternative destination for tourists wishing to see a different side of Singapore.



Author
Eunice Low, 2001



References 
Little Guilin almost lost to bulldozers. (1990, June 4). The Straits Times, p. 23.

Natural landscape to be tapped in Bt Batok, Yishun. (1996, January 31). The Straits Times, p. 2.

Bukit Batok avenue. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2001, from www.recordsingapore.com/placename/st-abc/bukitbatokave.htm

National Parks Board, Singapore. (n.d.). Bukit Batok Town Park. Retrieved October 20, 2003, from www.nparks.gov.sg/parks/loc/par-loc-bt_bat_tow.shtml

Urban Redevelopment Authority. (n.d.). Bukit Batok planning report 1996. Retrieved October 20, 2003, from
http://www.ura.gov.sg/dgp_reports/bbatok/main.html



The information in this article is valid as at 2001 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Architecture and Landscape>>Streets and Places
Nature>>Nature Conservation>>Nature Reserves
Parks--Singapore
Law and government>>National development>>Land use



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