Take the new heritage trail to immerse in Changi's diverse past

Stories from the community accompany 23 sites tracing area’s military, social history

- Ng Keng Gene

On mornings when the fishermen of Kampong Ayer Gemuroh - a now-defunct village located where Changi Airport stands returned to shore, the beach would turn into a fish market.

"Everybody would help to pull the sampans (small boats) up the beach when the fishermen returned, and the makciks (aunties) would be there waiting with their baskets," said author Isiah Majid, 62, who lived in the village from 1962, when she was born, to 1974.

"They would rush to the fishermen, pick the fish that they wanted and bargain for the best price."

While Kampong Ayer Gemuroh may have made way for the development of Changi Airport in the 1970s, and the airport police division now stands in its place, Madam Isiah's memories of the kampung have been documented in a guide for the National Heritage Board's (NHB) latest heritage trail launched on March 26.

The Changi Heritage Trail features 23 sites that recall Changi's history and the diverse narratives associated with it, such as World War II, Changi Beach's coastal and recreational heritage, as well as the area's present-day role as Singapore's aviation hub.

Twenty-two stories from community members such as Madam Isiah are found in the guide.

While six of the 23 sites, including Kampong Ayer Gemuroh, cannot be visited, their histories are still documented in the guide. The public also has no access to sites such as Changi Prison or the bungalows near Changi Beach, but these places of interest can be observed from the outside.