Singapore by MRT: The East West Line, Tanjong Pagar to Pasir Ris

travelertina

09:11:00 November 3, 2020

Asia,Singapore

The plan:

Continue my adventure of visiting every MRT (subway) stop in Singapore, seeing how the island changes from one stop to the next. Here I took on the second half of the East West Line (less formally known as the Green Line), starting in Singapore’s downtown center and then heading east.

The stops:

Tanjong Pagar

Once a fishing village, Tanjong Pagar now sits at the southern edge of Singapore’s central business district. So it’s crowded with skyscrapers, the most notable of which is the plant-covered Oasia Hotel:

View looking up at the red-and-green Oasia Hotel skyscraper in Singapore, wrapped in vertical gardens and framed by cloudy skies, near Tanjong Pagar MRT station

A few older buildings still survive in this neighborhood, including the 1905 Seng Wong Beo Temple (where you can have a ghost marriage performed)…

Colorful front façade of Seng Wong Beo Temple near Tanjong Pagar MRT, with dragon-adorned columns, hanging lanterns, and ornate carvings standing out against nearby office towers

… and the 1933 Singapore Custom House:

Street view of the white colonial-style Maxwell Chambers building with modern high-rises in the background, located near Tanjong Pagar MRT in Singapore

Raffles Place

Tall buildings tower as far as the eye can see above the beautiful station exits at Raffles Place (above). This is the heart of Singapore’s financial district, which is commemorated in this “Progress and Advancement” sculpture from 1988:

Portion of "Progress and Advancement" near Raffles Place MRT, depicting a traditional Chinese junk ship beneath a dramatic abstract spiral form symbolizing maritime trade history — “Progress and Advancement,” by Yang Ying-Feng

Relief panel showing early 20th-century Singapore street life with rickshaws, carriages, and shophouses in high relief near Raffles Place MRT. — “Progress and Advancement,” by Yang Ying-Feng

Raffles Place is one of the busiest MRT stations in the country, and it was once both the largest and the deepest. It serves as an interchange with the North South (Red) line.

City Hall

City Hall is the gateway to Singapore’s civic district, where you can visit everything from the National Gallery …

Neoclassical facade of the National Gallery Singapore, formerly the Supreme Court, with a green dome and Singaporean flag flying above, under cloudy skies

… to St. Andrew’s Cathedral …

View of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Singapore, a white Gothic-style Anglican church with a tall spire, framed by leafy trees near City Hall MRT Station on a cloudy day

…to the Victoria Theater and Concert Hall and Singapore Cricket Club (those are the older, shorter buildings in the foreground, with the skyscrapers of downtown just beyond):

Skyline view of downtown Singapore with modern skyscrapers rising behind the historic Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, taken from the Padang near City Hall MRT on the East West Line

And you can, of course, walk from here to the Raffles Hotel!

When the MRT was first being developed in the late 1980s, this was one of the very first stations to be opened — and like Raffles Place, it is both a Green-Red Line interchange and one of the busiest stops in the country.

Bugis

Another wildly busy interchange — this time with the Downtown (Blue) line — the Bugis MRT station sits beneath a sprawling shopping area. The centerpiece is Bugis Junction Mall.

Historic shophouse with green shutters at Bugis Junction in Singapore, with a modern glass-roofed shopping arcade visible on the right.

Bugis has a colorful past (it was once the center of Singapore’s now-illegal trans culture), but it now feels pretty shiny. And the area is gaining new developments, like Parkview Square (affectionately known as the Batman Building):

Towering Art Deco-style Parkview Square building in Bugis, Singapore, with geometric columns and a modern glass façade, with the honeycomb pattern of another building at street level

If this isn’t your speed and you find yourself looking for a taste of old Singapore, the Kampong Glam neighborhood is just a short walk away.

Lavender

I had high hopes for Lavender, entirely based on the name (though I knew that residents had chosen the moniker back in the mid-1800s as a humorous nod to the neighborhood stink that arose from the local gasworks and night soil disposal areas). Sadly, I was disappointed — unless you walk up to Jalan Besar (which has its own stop on the Downtown Line), there’s not much to see here. It’s largely commercial, and I walked by a good number of auto parts and hardware stores. My favorite things to look at were the alleyway spiral staircases …

A pair of colorful spiral staircases—one yellow, one white—curve along the back of old shophouses in the Lavender neighborhood of Singapore

… and this tiny altar, which was tucked in underneath a fire extinguisher at the base of a semi-industrial building:

Close-up of a red shrine in Lavender, Singapore, featuring Chinese script, red incense sticks, and a plate of pears as offerings, tucked into a niche beside a building

Kallang

The MRT peeks its head out into the open at Kallang, the first aboveground station on the eastern side of this line. At first, it looks like the station is a bit in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but wide fields and HDBs off in the distance.

Wide-angle view of green open space and modern residential towers near Kallang MRT, Singapore, on an overcast afternoon

Walk toward the National Stadium, however, and you’ll come across the ruins of what was once the imposing entrance to the Kallang Airport.

White colonial-style gate with black wrought iron archway leading into the former entrance of the Kallang airport in Singapore, surrounded by large rain trees and lush greenery

This shaded promenade, constructed in the late 1930s, would have welcomed visitors to an airport hailed as “the finest in the British Empire.”

Tree-lined avenue with symmetrical black rain trees arching over the former road to the airport in Kallang, Singapore

Sadly, if you want to see the Old Kallang Airport today, you’ll have to squint through the barbed wire (you can also see the National Stadium just beyond):

Singapore Sports Hub in Kallang, with its iconic domed roof, seen through barbed green fencing

The Kallang station also offers easy access to old Singapore shophouses, some of which have beautiful Peranakan styling and tile work.

Colorful facade and red roof of the Gay World Hotel in Geylang, Singapore, near the East West MRT Line, with HDBs in the background

Side note: the name of this hotel comes from the Gay World Amusement Park that once stood nearby (other amusement park worlds in Singapore included Great World, New World, and Beauty World).

Aljunied

The Aljunied stop sits smack in the middle of Geylang, one of Singapore’s oldest Malay settlements. Today, Geylang is most famous for (1) its food and (2) its red light district (legal and regulated). For whatever reason, there are also a lot of temples — they seem to be everywhere.

Interior of a colorful Taoist temple in Geylang, Singapore, with an altar full of intricate statues, red lanterns, and offerings of oranges.

Row of golden Tibetan prayer wheels with embossed characters at a temple in Geylang, Singapore, set into a white and gold shrine wall.

Exterior of a Chinese temple in Geylang, Singapore, with a green-tiled roof, red lanterns, and dragon sculptures perched on the ridgeline

Bright yellow and red facade of a Buddhist temple in Geylang, Singapore, featuring a tiled roof, ornate carvings, and a decorative gate with Chinese script

Entrance to Yin Zhen Dian Temple Association in Geylang, Singapore, with rows of red lanterns hanging from the ceiling and Chinese calligraphy above the door

The other thing really worth seeing in this neck of the woods are the shophouses, many of which seem to have been built in the fabulously detailed Late Shophouse style so popular in the 1920s.

Close-up of a pastel green heritage shophouse facade in Geylang, Singapore, with green, pink, and white floral ceramic tiles and a decorative metal gate in the foreground.

Wandering down the street and looking at the architecture is a real treat in this neighborhood.

Row of brightly painted heritage shophouses near Aljunied MRT station in Singapore, including a fruit stand and wallpaper shop under red-tiled roofs.

If you find yourself near Aljunied and need a great lunch, I’d recommend An La Ghien for Vietnamese food — it’s nothing fancy, but it’s delicious.

Paya Lebar

As far as I can tell, people pretty much head to Paya Lebar to go to the mall — it’s the largest “commercial hub” in this neck of the woods. But a short walk will bring you to the Wak Tanjong mosque …

Exterior of Masjid Wak Tanjong in Paya Lebar, Singapore, with its striking green-and-white facade and golden dome framed by tropical trees under a cloudy sky.

… the Sri Sivan Temple …

Low-angle view of the intricately carved cream-colored gopuram (towers) of a Hindu temple in Paya Lebar, Singapore, with sculpted deities and a statue of Nandi the bull in the foreground.

… and the Foo Hai Ch’an Monastery …

Traditional black-and-grey Chinese-style pagoda at a Buddhist monastery in near Paya Lebar, Singapore, featuring multiple tiers with upturned eaves and architectural symmetry.

… with its fabulous shrine cat!

A cat stands in front of a dramatic statue of the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara inside a Buddhist monastery in Paya Lebar, Singapore, with glossy floors reflecting the ornate altar.

Eunos

Eunos is a very local neighborhood, and they’ve tried to keep true to the area’s heritage in the MRT station design: the roof has been crafted to suggest a traditional Malay atap building. Just beyond lies a vast world of HDBs.

View of two symmetrical HDB apartment blocks labeled 1 and 2 in Eunos, Singapore, with a central courtyard, parked vehicles, and additional residential blocks in the background

Long rectangular buildings stretch out as far as the eye can see, some in the older style (above), and others in a more contemporary design:

Upward view of a tall green-and-white HDB apartment building in Eunos, Singapore, next to a neighboring block with yellow highlights, under a cloudy sky.

Kembangan

The world changes abruptly at Kembangan, as HDBs give way to a large swath of condos and landed houses. It’s an elegant neighborhood with homes that range from fascinating …

Eclectic house in Kembangan, Singapore, with a decorative high-wheel bicycle sculpture on a brick facade, surrounded by lush tropical plants and garden decor

… to just plain fancy:

Contemporary three-story house in Kembangan, Singapore, with a grey-brick façade and open terrace, flanked by more traditional neighboring houses under a partly cloudy sky.

But it’s not just houses here; various temples and mosques are tucked in along Kembangan’s side streets:

Vibrant red-roofed neighborhood temple in Singapore featuring colorful rooftop dragons, gold ornamental gate, and a lush garden of potted plants along the fence line.

Front view of the white and gold gabled entrance to the Buddhaguna Buddhist Temple in Kembangan, Singapore, with a colorful pinwheel decoration and blue-tiled Dharma Wheel mosaic under the roof peak.

Bedok

My summary of Bedok is this: HDBs, condos, and a mall.

View of Bedok Mall with its pink and white signage surrounded by greenery and modern high-rise residential buildings under a blue sky near Bedok MRT station in Singapore.

We did not find much to see here, though we did investigate the ill-named “play corridor.” This sounded promising, but we couldn’t find anything to play with (the wind towers featured in this tiny park have lost their sails) — and the “corridor” is 4 kilometers long, so if you really want to play, you have to be willing to walk a lot.

Colorful "Play Corridor" sign nestled among trees and greenery with HDB apartment blocks in the background, part of a recreational space near Bedok MRT station in Singapore.

Tanah Merah

HDBs stretch out as far as the eye can see between Bedok and this stop …

Cluster of green-accented HDB apartment blocks with a light blue parking structure and red ventilation units in front, near Tanah Merah MRT station in Singapore

… and then at Tanah Merah, you’re suddenly in the land of private condos.

Contemporary mid-rise condominiums with glass balconies and a lush green lawn in front, near Tanah Merah MRT station in Singapore.

The real excitement of Tanah Merah is that this is where the East West Line splits — you can either head north through Tampines to Pasir Ris, or east to Expo and Changi.

Map of Singapore’s MRT East West Line showing a green line with labeled stations, highlighting the Tanah Merah interchange where the line splits toward Changi Airport.

Expo

The name here says it all: this is the site of Singapore’s convention and exhibition center. You can also access a good number of malls and business buildings at this stop. But to me, the best thing here is the station itself — I’m a big fan of the UFO (the flamingo sculpture is just a bonus):

Outdoor view of the Expo MRT Station, showcasing a futuristic canopy structure with decorative flamingo sculptures and lush landscaping.

Changi

Back in the days when we could all travel, this impressive station was the gateway to the Singapore airport — and the world.

View of the iconic Changi Airport control tower and the glass-domed Jewel building, surrounded by lush greenery under a clear blue sky in Singapore.

Now, planes are few and far between, but dozens of people still get off at this stop to go to the wildly popular Jewel: “Singapore’s nature-themed entertainment and retail complex.”

Indoor waterfall cascading from a circular skylight past a lush tropical garden at Jewel Changi Airport mall in Singapore, surrounded by greenery and visitors on multiple levels

That’s a fancy way of saying that the Jewel is a mall with a waterfall — but this particular waterfall (at 40 meters, the world’s tallest indoor specimen), set within the lovely Shiseido Forest Valley, is so impressive that it’s worth the trip.

Simei

You have to double back from Changi to get to Simei, which sits in the middle of a large cluster of HDBs.

Upward view of a cream and white residential apartment building near Simei MRT Station in Singapore, framed by tall palm trees under a blue sky.

We had a great mixed veg rice snack at a coffee shop here, but there’s not much to see — even the park connector feels distinctly un-park-like:

View of a paved trail from beneath elevated MRT tracks near Simei MRT Station in Singapore, flanked by landscaped greenery and residential blocks.

Tampines

Tampines is a huge residential town with all sorts of amenities: a multitude of malls, a giant community space (Our Tampines Hub), and even a skate park:

Children with helmets and protective gear skate at a public skate park surrounded by greenery and HDB blocks near Tampines MRT station in Singapore.

It’s still very local, though — this is an area packed chock-a-block full with HDBs.

Wide-angle view of HDB flats with orange accents and a road with a red SBS Transit double-decker bus near Tampines MRT station in Singapore.

Pasir Ris

At first glance, Pasir Ris is an incredibly busy stop with a mall, a bus interchange, and a pretty cool station:

View of a tall palm tree and a white tower next to an MRT train traveling on the elevated tracks at Pasir Ris station on Singapore’s East West Line, with blue sky above.

But a short walk will take you to pleasant little Pasir Ris Town Park — and another ten minutes will get you to the beach!

Tranquil sandy shoreline lined with palm trees and mangroves at Pasir Ris Beach Park, Singapore, with clear water and distant hills visible across the sea.

Once you arrive at Pasir Ris Beach Park, you’ll find small stretches of sand, palm trees, and mangroves (all in evidence above). There’s also a great boardwalk through the mangrove swamp, where you can see an untamed river (a rarity in Singapore) …

Scenic view of a calm green waterway, Sungei Tampines, surrounded by lush mangrove trees at Pasir Ris Beach Park, Singapore, under a partly cloudy sky.

… and where we were lucky enough to catch a jellyfish bloom!

Pale orange mangrove jellyfish drifting in the turquoise-green waters of Sungei Tampines, located in Pasir Ris Beach Park, Singapore

These river jellyfish, also known as mangrove jellyfish, are wonderfully fun to watch. I can’t guarantee that they’ll be around if you try an East West Line adventure, but here’s hoping!

Traveler Tina