Historical Origins
Bukit Panjang, a Malay phrase for "long spread of hill", was used to describe the range of low hills stretching from Mandai to Bukit Timah to the south.

In the early 1900s, the Bukit Panjang area was mainly comprised of rural settlements scattered along Bukit Timah Road. There were also some agricultural areas (Cold Storage Dairy Farm) and industrial areas (Nanyang Shoe Factory, Lam Soon Canning and Rubber Factory) as well as granite quarries.

Today, Bukit Panjang Town (formerly known as Zhenghua estate) is slightly smaller in size than the neighbouring Choa Chu Kang Town. It comprises some 500 hectares of land with half for residential use.

Bukit Panjang is close to the 414 ha Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. In 1882, the Government of the Straits Settlement commissioned Nathaniel Cantley, Superintendent of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, to prepare a report on the forests of the Settlements. On his recommendation, a patch of pristine rain forests around Bukit Timah Hill (also known as "Tin Hill") was set aside for the propagation, protection and preservation of the indigenous fauna and flora of Singapore. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve thus became Singapore's first nature reserve. The trees in this reserve have never been logged since 1883.



Location and Layout
Bukit Panjang Town is located in the Western Region of Singapore. It is bounded by Bukit Timah Expressway to the east; Kranji Expressway to the north; Upper Bukit Timah Road to the west and Pan Island Expressway to the south.



Transport Facilites
Bukit Panjang Town is sited across Woodlands Road opposite to Choa Chu Kang Town. Bukit Panjang Town is served by the Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange, and by the Bukit Panjang LRT system which originates and terminates at Choa Chu Kang MRT Station. The LRT loops through the town with seven strategic stops.



Housing Options
To enhance the mixture of housing options in the area, new low, medium and high density housing are planned. More housing developments are also planned near transit stations to allow more people to enjoy the convenience of living near MRT and LRT stations. With more residents and facilities, Bukit Panjang residents can look forward to living in an even livelier town.



Town Amenities & Attractions
Bukit Panjang Town is a relatively new town with the potential for further development. Though new, it is well supported by community facilities such as schools, places of worship, the Bukit Panjang Community Library (located within Bukit Panjang Plaza), and the Bukit Panjang Community Club.

Popular shopping attractions include Bukit Panjang Plaza (conveniently located beside Bukit Panjang bus interchange and between the Bukit Panjang and Senja LRT stations), Fajar Shopping Centre (next to Fajar LRT station), Greenridge Shopping Centre, Senja Grand, Ten Mile Junction, and The Rail Mall.

Under the Parks and Waterbodies Plan which seeks to enhance residents' living environment, extensions will be made to Zhenghua Park with a park connector to Bukit Panjang Park. In addition, a new Dairy Farm Nature Park will be introduced next to the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve for hikers to enjoy the flora and fauna. The proposed park will include the former Dairy Farm Quarry that has been land-filled, the Singapore Quarry, and a parcel of flatter ground abutting the junction of Dairy Farm Road and BKE.

It is expected that schools, social groups as well as uniformed groups will quickly find adventure-oriented recreation uses for the many unusual land forms and water features offered by these abandoned quarries and their surroundings.



Quality Education
Some of the quality schools in the Bukit Panjang area...