LION CITY HUB • NATIONAL EDUCATION & HERITAGE
Pulau Ubin: Kampung and Nature
Step into a rustic island landscape shaped by granite, village life and rich coastal ecosystems.
A Living Window into an Earlier Singapore
Pulau Ubin lies off Singapore’s north-eastern coast and remains home to one of the country’s last village communities. Granite quarrying once drove much of the island’s economy and helped shape its ponds and rugged landscape. Kampung houses, small farms, shrines and tracks preserve traces of everyday rural life.
At Chek Jawa Wetlands, visitors can encounter coastal forest, mangroves, seagrass and rocky shore within one area. Conservation programmes now work with residents and volunteers to protect both natural and cultural heritage. Ubin Village adds another layer to the story. The main settlement retains small businesses, homes and informal spaces that reflect the island’s kampung character.
Granite Quarries shows how the area changed while retaining links to its past. Former quarry sites record an industry that supplied building material and transformed parts of the island’s landscape. This context helps readers connect the place with Singapore's wider development.
Did You Know?
The name Pulau Ubin is commonly understood as “Granite Island”, reflecting the quarrying that once supported local livelihoods, in Singapore today.
Chek Jawa contains several coastal habitats close together, including mangroves, seagrass lagoon and rocky shore, and a visible link with its past.
What Makes Pulau Ubin Special
Ubin Village
The main settlement retains small businesses, homes and informal spaces that reflect the island’s kampung character. It helps visitors connect Ubin Village with the wider history of Pulau Ubin.
Chek Jawa Wetlands
This biodiverse coastal area brings together multiple habitats and supports education, research and nature appreciation. Its story adds context to the district's changing landscape and community life.
Granite Quarries
Former quarry sites record an industry that supplied building material and transformed parts of the island’s landscape. It helps visitors connect Granite Quarries with the wider history of Pulau Ubin.
German Girl Shrine
Hidden within Pulau Ubin’s landscape, this unusual shrine grew around stories of a German girl said to have died during the First World War and later became a local place of devotion. It remains.
Trail Routes
Route 1: Faith & Multi-Religious Harmony
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Duration: 1.5 hours on foot | Distance: 1.2 km
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Focus: Trace South Bridge Road and Telok Ayer Street to observe Singapore’s religious co-existence, where Buddhist temples, Singapore's oldest Hindu temple, a Chulia mosque, and a Chinese Methodist church stand side by side.
Route 2: Early Immigrants & Street Life
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Duration: 1 hour on foot | Distance: 900 m
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Focus: Walk down Pagoda Street, Smith Street, and Sago Lane to discover the history of rickshaw pullers, Samsui women, high-density tenement living, and heritage street murals.
Route 3: Clans, Trade & Pioneer Leaders
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Duration: 1.5 hours on foot | Distance: 1.8 km
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Focus: Explore Bukit Pasoh Road, Club Street, and Ann Siang Hill—the historic strongholds of dialect clan associations, elite pioneer clubs, and traditional shophouse architecture.
