Hougang Fifth milestone and Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre

[Cecil Lee]

 

The 5th milestone of Upper Serangoon Road starts near the junction of Bukit Arang Road with Upper Serangoon Road and extends until the 6th milestone near Flower Road. The practice of referring to places by their nearest milestones came from the colonial approach of indicating distance in miles from the town by placing physical markers, i.e. milestones.

Though Hougang was predominantly a Teochew enclave, the 5th milestone was home to other communities including the Hokkiens (along Lorong Lew Lian) and the Hainanese (along Lorong Ah Soo). From Hillside Road to Simon Road, there were also a thriving Eurasian community and a few Malay villages. Prior to the 1980s, this stretch was already bustling with amenities such as schools and places of worship that catered to the different ethnic enclaves as well as shops and a thriving market.

For many residents, social life centred around the 5½ milestone near Lim Tua Tow Road. In the early 1950s, the authorities built Lim Tua Tow market which operated until the 1990s. When the market opened, there were not enough hawker stalls to house every applicant, and it was common to see itinerant hawkers peddling fares and lining the sidewalks around the market.

Teck Chye Terrace was another social node along the 5th milestone and housed shops and eateries at its lower levels. Located adjacent to the former market, this row of shophouses is one of the last remaining traces of the area prior to redevelopment. Built in 1928 by businessman Lim Teck Chye, these shophouses were designed with Art Deco features which include geometric decorative elements above the second-floor windows. Today, Teck Chye Terrace is still reputed for its food offerings.

 

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[Cecil Lee]

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