Sembawang, Yishun (District 27)

District 27 has been commonly known as a sleepy, tranquil town tucked away from the hustle and bustle of city-life with its various reservoirs, parks and community and country clubs. This has appealed tremendously to property buyers, which explains the numerous HDB neighbourhood estates that form the bulk of property types in the region, though a considerable pockets of landed properties and condominiums like 1 Canberra and Eight Courtyards are built within the area.

The humble beginnings of Sembawang, located at the secluded northern tip of Singapore, can be traced back to the Franklin and Jackson’s 1830 Map of Singapore which was first referred as the River Tambuwang. Sembawang, the eventual name given in 1980, was derived from the Sembawang tree. The former rubber plantation was later developed as a naval base for the British navy in the 1920s where colonial barracks were constructed in monochrome style and are now known as the “black-and-white-houses”. As Singapore gained independence in 1965, the naval base was acquired by the Sembawang Corporation and as for the black-and-white-houses, they are occupied by expatriates. Today, ...

District 27 has been commonly known as a sleepy, tranquil town tucked away from the hustle and bustle of city-life with its various reservoirs, parks and community and country clubs. This has appealed tremendously to property buyers, which explains the numerous HDB neighbourhood estates that form the bulk of property types in the region, though a considerable pockets of landed properties and condominiums like 1 Canberra and Eight Courtyards are built within the area.

The humble beginnings of Sembawang, located at the secluded northern tip of Singapore, can be traced back to the Franklin and Jackson’s 1830 Map of Singapore which was first referred as the River Tambuwang. Sembawang, the eventual name given in 1980, was derived from the Sembawang tree. The former rubber plantation was later developed as a naval base for the British navy in the 1920s where colonial barracks were constructed in monochrome style and are now known as the “black-and-white-houses”. As Singapore gained independence in 1965, the naval base was acquired by the Sembawang Corporation and as for the black-and-white-houses, they are occupied by expatriates. Today, Sembawang’s urbanized façade of HDB estates, condominiums and leisure places forms a stark juxtaposition to its colonial past. One can find the Sembawang Park, a 15-hectare tranquil park which is a popular haven among city dwellers and campers. The Sembawang Hot Spring, the Bottle Tree Village, the Orchid Golf Course and the Seletar Golf Course also offers wide-ranging unconventional and interesting activities for families and gatherings among friends and even couples.

Yishun also began with very humble origins as a region formerly known as Nee Soon that comprised rubber, gambier, pepper and pineapple plantations. Nee Soon was a prominent peranakan businessman in early Singapore history. The area was renamed Yishun as part of the Singaporean government’s campaign to discourage the use of Chinese dialects and promote the use of Chinese-Mandarin to foster cohesion among Chinese-Singaporeans. Like Sembawang, Yishun also consists of many HDB estates and condominiums. Comparing to Sembawang, Yishun offers the more conventional modes of leisure like shopping malls including the Northpoint Shopping Centre, Yishun 10 Cineplex, Chong Pang City and the Yishun Community Library. A considerable number of community centres and clubs are also seen across Yishun to promote stronger ties between neighbours and engage the older generation in community-building projects. These include the Nee Soon East Community Club and the Nee Soon South Community Centre.