Old
Chong Pang is named after a Chinese man who set up a big business and provided work for a lot of Indian workers. An engaging statue on the corner as the bus turns into the shopping area reminds you of the history. You can read the plaque below and look up the story on Wikipedia.
Chinese Shops
Chinese Regular Market
A big hall has market stalls.Chinese vegetables and Chinese goods.
Shop Alleys
The shops leave space for shoppers to walk along two abreast. But the shops' goods are on the other side of the 'five foot way' walking space established as the rule by Raffles, still under cover.
Chinese Pop Up Seasonal stalls
In January the stall holders were ready to sell goods to shoppers looking to decorate their houses and find gifts for the Chinese New Year (lunar calendar, in 2019 February). What did I see?
1 A profusion of orangey-red lanterns and good luck messages and hangings. Lion toys.
2 Pots and porcelain for the home and garden. terracotta pots with Chinese writing. White china with blue patterns, reminded me of the British Wedgwood's blue and white Willow Pattern plates.
Clothes
3 Clothes in all colours and sizes, from modern long-sleeve tops from only S$10 (ten Singapore dollars) Western and Chinese lace on one stall. Muslim head coverings and ankle length dresses - all styles of dress. The dresses were about 50 Singapore dollars.
I had trouble communicating my wish for a larger size - and a lower price. I got my size but no lower price. The dearest top was about 30 dollars, the cheapest tops were clearly marked at only ten Singapore dollars.
On the way home on the train, I went back to Duolingo to try to brush up my Chinese. Duolingo has free Chinese lessons on the internet and on your smart phone.
If you want signs in English, go to the 24 hour McDonalds.
The Bus Journey
I took a bus to Bukit Panjang from opposite Pending station. What a delightful journey. We passed the Singapore Zoo; and the Night Safari Park, at Mandai, signs to the columbarium (polite word for crematorium - I reckoned for those who didn't obey keep out signs at the zoo!) and big banners announcing that the excavations which you see are part of an extra development being added to the zoo in years to come.
On to the Dieppe Barracks, with signs warning keep out.
Right next to them a pretty condo.
Then the blue sign to Chong Pang CC. The bus turns left. All traffic and crowds around kerbside stalls.
McDonalds
In front of the Chong Pang CC and adjoining it on the main road is a 24 hour McDonalds. If you want Chinese food, there's plenty in the hawker stalls.
(Photos in previous posts. I shall add more to this post shortly.)
Later I took a bus onto Tampines, another busy hub. You can't miss it. Your bus stops in the big Bus Exchange. trains run on to and from Changi Airport.
You could do my journey in reverse, Changi Airport to Tampines, on to Bukit Panjang, via the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, then to Bukit Panjang, then along the Downtown to Orchard Road shopping in the centre. that should fill up a nice day.
Travel Tips
Singapore Airlines:
Author
Angela Lansbury, BA Hons, ACG, ALB. Travel writer and photographer, author, speaker, trainer specialising in the English language, etiquette and communication.
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