This article has been migrated from an earlier version of the site and may display formatting inconsistencies.
What springs to mind when you think of Toa Payoh? 🤔
Perhaps the iconic Dragon Playground? 🐲 The terrazzo-clad head and ringed body, designed by HDB, has become a beloved symbol of Singaporean culture. But did you know:
"Toa Payoh" blends Hokkien and Malay to mean “big swamp”, reflecting the town's historical origins.
It is the first town entirely developed by HDB, emerging as a response to severe housing shortages and urban overcrowding.
Toa Payoh boasts a long list of "firsts". To list a few, it is home to the first Residents’ Association, the first neighbourhood police post system, the first MRT station, the first air-conditioned bus interchange, and the first mosque constructed under the Mosque Building Fund (MBF).
Today, Toa Payoh is vastly different from the swamp it used to be. Still, the familiar dragon playground continues to remind us of Toa Payoh’s enduring and enterprising character that had forged the path for Singapore’s public housing journey.
Share your childhood memories and create new ones at the Toa Payoh Dragon Playground! 🐲
#OurNeighbourhood #ToaPayoh #SingaporeHeritage #Singapore #DragonPlayground