Pulau Ubin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).

Coordinates: 1°24′34″N, 103°57′36″E

Pulau Ubin
English Pulau Ubin
Chinese 乌敏岛
(Pinyin wūmǐn dǎo)
Malay Pulau Ubin
Tamil புலாவ் உபின்

Pulau Ubin is a small island (10.19 km²) situated in the north east of Singapore, to the west of Pulau Tekong. Granite quarrying supported a few thousand settlers on Pulau Ubin in the 1960s, but only about a hundred villagers live there today. It is also one of the very few off-shore islands in Singapore that is still inhabitated.

The disused Ubin Quarry on Pulau Ubin.
The disused Ubin Quarry on Pulau Ubin.

Contents

[edit] Etymology

The name Pulau Ubin literally means "Granite Island" in Malay, which explains the many abandoned granite quarries there. The word ubin is said to be a Javanese term for "squared stone". To the Malays, the island is also known as Pulau Batu Ubin, or "Granite Stone Island". The rocks on the island were used to make floor tiles in the past and were called Jubin, which was then shortened to Ubin.

The island is known as chioh sua in Hokkien, which means "stone hill".

[edit] Legend

Legend has it that Pulau Ubin was formed when three animals from Singapore (a frog, a pig and an elephant) challenged each other to a race to reach the shores of Johor. The animals that failed would turn to stone. All three came across many difficulties and were unable to reach the shores of Johor. Therefore, the elephant and pig together turned into Pulau Ubin whilst the frog became Pulau Sekudu or Frog Island.

[edit] History

Pulau Ubin first appeared on map in an 1828 sketch of the Island of Singapore as Pulo Obin and in Franklin and Jackson's map as Po. Ubin.

Since the British founding of Singapore, the island has been known for its granite. The numerous granite quarries on the island supply the local construction industry. The granite outcrops are particularly spectacular from the sea because their grooves and fluted sides create furrows and ridges on each granite rock slab. These features are captured in John Turnbull Thomson's 1850 painting — Grooved stones on Pulo Ubin near Singapore.

The granite from Pulau Ubin was used in the construction of Horsburgh Lighthouse. Tongkangs ferried the huge rock blocks (30 by 20 feet) from the island to Pedra Branca, the site of the lighthouse, in 1850 and 1851.

Later, the granite was also used to build the Singapore-Johor Causeway. None of the quarries are in operation today and are being slowly recolonised by vegetation or filled with water. Apart from quarrying, farming and fishing were the principal occupations of the inhabitants of the island in the past. It is also called Selat Tebrau (tebrau is a kind of large fish).

In the 1880s, a number of Malays led by Endut Senin, from the Kallang River were said to have moved to the island that began the thriving Malay community on the island.

Many of the former kampongs on Pulau Ubin were either named after the first person who settled in the kampong or by some feature in the area. Kampong Leman was named by Leman; Kampong Cik Jawa by a Singaporean named Jawa; and Kampong Jelutong from people from Changi and from its jelutong trees.

On June 3, 2005, the Singapore Government ordered that all the farmers rearing poultry on the island were to ship them to mainland Singapore and rear them in government-approved farms by June 17, 2005, in the wake of the avian flu from Malaysia. In exchange, the local inhabitants were offered HDB government housing packages, although they could choose to live on the island.

[edit] Current situation

Pulau Ubin is one of the few areas in Singapore that is yet largely free from urban development.
Pulau Ubin is one of the few areas in Singapore that is yet largely free from urban development.

Pulau Ubin is one of the last areas in Singapore that has been preserved from urban development, concrete buildings and tarmac roads.

Pulau Ubin's wooden house villages and wooden jetties, relaxed inhabitants, rich and preserved wildlife, abandoned quarries and plantations, and untouched nature in general make it the last witness of the old "kampong" Singapore that existed before modern industrial times and large scale urban development.

The Singapore Government's development projects on the island in the last few years has been controversial and debate has been able to find its way through government-controlled media.

Though recent government action has been limited to widening the paths for bicycles, building shelters for trekkers and other facilities for the growing number of visitors, it is already discreetly changing the face and nature of Pulau Ubin from untouched to planned, and paving the way for further developments.

The future of the island is in the hands of Singaporeans, but its witness as a former rural way of life will most probably disappear with the last "kampong" generation.

[edit] Local tourism

Ferry services ply between Changi Point and Pulau Ubin in Serangoon Harbour. In the distant background lies Tanjung Chek Jawa of Pulau Ubin.
Ferry services ply between Changi Point and Pulau Ubin in Serangoon Harbour. In the distant background lies Tanjung Chek Jawa of Pulau Ubin.

Though the island attracted attention for development and planning only in recent years, Singaporeans visitors have been visiting Pulau Ubin for summer camps and outdoor activities for many years.

With growing attention and interest in nature, the flow of visitors to Pulau Ubin has increased over the years.

One of the current popular tourist attractions on the island is Tanjung Chek Jawa. A previous coral reef 5,000 years ago, Chek Jawa can be said to be virtually unspoilt, with a variety of marine wildlife comparable to other islands, such as sea hares, sea squirts, octopuses, starfishes, sand dollars, fishes, sponges, cuttlefishes and nudibranches.

Visitors may travel to Pulau Ubin from the main island of Singapore via a 10-minute bumboat ride from the Changi Village jetty at an affordable cost of $2/-. These boats only depart if they've reached their maximum load of 12 passengers or if one is willing to book the whole boat will costs $24/- (12*$2/-).

[edit] Reference

  • Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern Universities Press, ISBN 981-210-205-1

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:


edit Islands of Singapore Islands of Singapore
Natural islands: Pedra Branca (disputed with Malaysia) | Pulau Anak Bukom/Pulau Anak Bukum | Pulau Bajau | Pulau Berkas | Pulau Biola (Violin Island) | Pulau Brani | Pulau Buaya | Pulau Bukom/Pulau Bukum | Pulau Bukom Kechil/Pulau Bukum Kechil | Pulau Buloh | Pulau Busing | Pulau Damar Laut | Pulau Damien | Pulau Hantu (Ghost Island) | Pulau Jong (Junk Island) | Pulau Keppel | Pulau Ketam | Pulau Khatib Bongsu | Pulau Malang Siajar | Pulau Palawan | Pulau Pawai | Pulau Pergam | Pulau Renggis | Pulau Sakijang Bendera (Saint John's Island) | Pulau Sakijang Pelepah (Lazarus Island) | Pulau Salu | Pulau Samulun | Pulau Sarimbun | Pulau Satumu (One Tree Island) | Pulau Sebarok (Middle Island) | Pulau Seletar | Pulau Semakau | Pulau Senang (Barn Island) | Pulau Sekudu (Frog Island) | Pulau Selugu (Sarong Island) | Pulau Serangoon (Coney Island) | Pulau Seringat | Pulau Seringat Kechil | Pulau Subar Darat (Sisters' Islands) | Pulau Subar Laut (Sisters' Islands) | Pulau Sudong | Pulau Tekong | Pulau Tekukor | Pulau Tembakul (Kusu Island/Peak Island) | Pulau Ubin | Pulau Ujong (Singapore Island) | Pulau Ular | Pulau Unum | Sentosa | Sultan Shoal
Artificial islands: Chinese Garden | Coral Island | Japanese Garden | Jurong Island | Kias Island | Paradise Island | Pearl Island | Pulau Punggol Barat | Pulau Punggol Timor | Sandy Island | Treasure Island
Former islands: Anak Pulau | Berhala Reping | Pulau Ayer Chawan | Pulau Ayer Merbau | Pulau Bakau | Pulau Darat | Pulau Merlimau | Pulau Mesemut Darat | Pulau Mesemut Laut | Pulau Meskol | Pulau Pesek | Pulau Pesek Kecil | Pulau Saigon | Pulau Sejahat | Pulau Sejahat Kechil | Pulau Sakeng/Pulau Sekang/Pulau Seking | Pulau Sakra | Pulau Sanyongkong | Pulau Semechek | Pulau Seraya | Pulau Tekong Kechil | Terumbu Retan Laut
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../p/u/l/Pulau_Ubin_ac4f.html"