LION CITY HUB • NATIONAL EDUCATION & HERITAGE
Telok Blangah Heritage and Hills
Follow a landscape of Malay history, harbour views and green connections across Singapore’s southern ridges.
A Historic Bay Below the Hills
Telok Blangah means “cooking-pot bay” in Malay and has deep connections with Malay royal history. Temenggong Abdul Rahman and his followers moved to the area in the 1820s, and Telok Blangah became the seat of the Temenggong’s family, ancestors of the modern Johor royal house. The hills above the coast became lookout and defence positions, while villages and harbour work shaped daily life below.
Today, Telok Blangah Hill Park, Forest Walk and Henderson Waves link this history with nature and views across the southern city.
Henderson Waves, Singapore’s highest pedestrian bridge, connects Telok Blangah Hill Park with Mount Faber. The Temenggong’s settlement remains a less visible chapter, recalling the area’s links with the founding of modern Johor.
Did You Know?
Telok Blangah means “cooking-pot bay” in Malay, referring to the curved form traditionally associated with the coast.
Henderson Waves is a 274-metre pedestrian bridge linking Telok Blangah Hill Park and Mount Faber Park.
What Makes Telok Blangah Special
Telok Blangah Hill Park
The hill offers heritage, greenery and broad views as part of the connected Southern Ridges route.
Henderson Waves
Singapore’s highest pedestrian bridge is recognised for its wave-shaped timber structure and panoramic connection between Mount Faber and Telok Blangah Hill Park.
Forest Walk
An elevated walkway brings visitors close to the forest canopy and links green spaces across the hills.
Temenggong’s Royal Settlement
Temenggong Abdul Rahman and his followers established a settlement at Telok Blangah in the early 19th century, giving the area a royal history less visible than its parks.
Trail Routes
Route 1 Royal Connections and a Powerhouse by the Port
Explore how Malay royal history and industrial infrastructure contributed to Telok Blangah’s coastal identity.
Duration: 40–60 minutes · Distance: 0.5–0.7 km · Stops: 2
1. Masjid Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim
The mosque stands on grounds associated with the Temenggong family’s former Istana Lama. Named after Daeng Ibrahim, it connects today’s coastal district with the family’s influence on nineteenth-century Telok Blangah and its earlier landscape of Malay authority and settlement.
2. St James Power Station
Opened in 1927, St James Power Station supplied electricity to nearby shipyards, factories and homes. Its conserved industrial structure and heritage interpretation preserve connections with the working harbour, showing how infrastructure supporting industry can acquire new uses while retaining historical significance.
Route 2 Hilltop Heritage and the Southern Ridges
Discover how a landscaped hill, a conserved mansion and a modern pedestrian bridge reflect changing uses of Telok Blangah’s landscape.
Duration: 60–90 minutes · Distance: 0.8–1.0 km · Stops: 3
1. Terrace Garden
The Terrace Garden’s semi-circular levels create a landscaped viewpoint on Telok Blangah Hill. Associated with recreation and wedding photography, its shared public setting adds a leisure chapter to a landscape that also contains the nearby conserved Alkaff Mansion.
2. Alkaff Mansion
Built in 1918 by Syed Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Alkaff, the mansion recalls a family involved in regional trade. Its history of society gatherings and later hospitality uses connects wealth, leisure and architecture with Telok Blangah’s hilltop landscape.
3. Henderson Waves
Completed in 2008, Henderson Waves connects hill parks across Henderson Road. Its wave-shaped structure adds a modern architectural layer to the Southern Ridges, illustrating how pedestrian infrastructure creates new opportunities to share landscapes associated with earlier residential and leisure uses.
