Buangkok is a neighbourhood situated in the north east part of the island. Its boundaries are fairly nebulous, but in general terms it covers parts of Sengkang and Hougang, specifically Compassvale and Trafalgar. Its name comes from the Chinese word for “united” and was given to the area by the Chinese who settled in the area.
History
Those Chinese farmers were the first people to really settle in the area now known as Buangkok. In the early part of the twentieth century, they started to move onto the land that was at the time largely made up of rubber plantations, and in fact the land was jointly owned by the state and the Singapore Rubber Plantation Ltd. Over the proceeding decades the area became a thriving neighbourhood made up of many different villages and kampongs. The Buangkok of today started to take shape in the last few years of the twentieth century as developers moved in, removing many of the original villages. Development continued over the years until by 2009 all but one of the kampongs had been cleared.
Lorong Buangkok
After the development of the late 1990’s and the first decade of the new century, only one kampong remained in Buangkok, and indeed in the whole of Singapore. Now known as Lorong Buangkok, it is a reminder of times gone by. Dating back to 1956, this living piece of history is a popular destination for school children, locals and tourists alike, who often come to walk along the narrow dirt lanes and paths. But Lorong Buangkok is not a theme park, it is still very much a community. It is home to 26 families, who still live, mostly in leaking homes with few modern facilities, the way much of the island did not so long ago. Despite continual calls for the kampong to be preserved from the developers, the site – already encroached and overlooked by HDB flats – has been earmarked for two schools as well as a major road.
Amenities
Buangkok has enough amenities to be self-sufficient. Schools include Compassvale Primary School, North Vista Primary School, Seng Kang Primary School, Compassvale Secondary School, Seng Kang Secondary School, Montfort Secondary School and Hougang Secondary School.
Buangkok is also home to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), on the site of the former Woodbridge Hospital. Shopping malls include Compass One and Hougang Green.
Two new notable developments in the area is a mixed development (commercial and residential) which will have a site area of over 37,000 square metres, and also an integrated community hub. This hub, located at the MRT station will include a bus interchange, shops, a childcare centre, hawker centre as well as a community club for the residents.
Transport Links
Buangkok has its own MRT station – Buangkok which opened in January 2006. It is on the North East Line, that runs between Punggol and Harbourfront. The area is served by several bus routes including the 101 and 329. Buangkok Green Road (in several different guises) leads to the KPE to the east and the CTE to the west.
Nearby new launch condos
New launches in other part of Singapore
- Stirling Residences
- The Jovell
- Jui Residences (freehold condo)
- 120 Grange (freehold condo)
- One Draycott (freehold condo)
