Anyone passing by Corporation Road some time between 2011 and 2012 would have noticed some derelict blocks of flats abandoned in a quiet neighbourhood. They were the Yung Ping/Yung Kuang flats.
A total of six flats, Block 5 to 10, stood here at the residential district of Taman Jurong. Built in the early seventies by the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC), the blocks were grouped in pairs, serviced by common lifts, link bridges and corridors. From the top view, it looked as though the blocks were in the shape of the letter H.
It was a display of how fast urban decay could occur in a city. The blocks were en-bloc in 2006, under the Housing Development Board’s (HDB) Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS). With the last residents moved out in 2010, the blocks of flats fell into disrepair within a year. Nature soon took over the flats, with ferns growing out of the cracks on the walls and pipes and window grilles rapidly eroded by rust.
Before 1961, Jurong was a land of swamps, jungles, farms and small kampongs. The industrialisation of Jurong took place in the sixties, but in its early stage, it had trouble attracting workers as the vast area of rural lands had no electricity, telephone lines and running water. Accessibility was an issue too; it would take hours to travel to Jurong, mainly via Bukit Timah Road.
In order to provide convenience for the workers, JTC started to build housing estates within Jurong, with the employers encouraging their workers to move into these estates subsidised by housing allowances. In 1964, Taman Jurong became the first estate established in Jurong to cater for the growing population. Boon Lay Garden, Teban Garden and Pandan Garden followed in the next few years.
The 40-year-old abandoned Yung Ping/Yung Kuang Road flats were one of the few remaining groups of JTC flats today. Most of the other JTC flats were demolished in the past two decades. Like the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) flats, the management of the JTC flats were handed over to HDB in 1982.
Published: 03 October 2012
These flats are really unique! Did people hang out clothes?
Yeap they did. By the way, I was one of the residents living there.
I didn’t know these flats still remain! I used to grew up in these neighbourhood and attended my primary sch nearby, It really brings back so much memories of growing up. Is it completely seal up?
I don’t think so. Should be open till the end of this year at least….
only first floor.. went there today… quite errie…
Great memories! according to 1 of my old friend, Taman Jurong used to be lively with pasar malems in the 80s.
Btw, the diamond blks opposite these blks has been given a new life!
Are these block of flats still there? i want to visit!
Still around… and empty
Looks quite creepy at night
so far, I’ve been to the en-bloc vacated flats at
- Yung Kuang
- Dover Road (refurbished and rented out to foreign students)
- Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
- Teban Gardens
- Zion Road
- Upper Boon Keng Road
- Geylang Bahru
- Ghim Moh
- East Coast Road
and Henderson road too…. went there last mth and saw the red gates being put up… hope the upper floors are still accessible by now…
oops.. i mean you should try going there too..
definitely creepy at night … still see a few lighted flats though …
Have created a new page for the en-bloc flats in Singapore (http://remembersingapore.wordpress.com/singapore-en-bloc-flats/)
Shall update the list along the way
Stayed in one of the blocks here. They are now deserted and creepy. This H-style blocks can be found in Boon Lay (some upgrading done many years back) and Sembawang (probably gone now). Many fond memories of this place. The residents here now resettled in the Kang Ching / Tah Ching Roads area. When my late dad bought it in early 70′s, it cost less than 10K. The hall was big – much bigger than current 3 rm flats. The nearby 4-rm blks 103, 105, etc. have been demolished. So sad to see this place changing but still it is not as bad as other estates – crowded, noisy ….
i stayed here for almost 20 years before we have to move out. taman jurong may be isolated and neglected compared to other estates but i love this peaceful place.
there was one such block at sembawang. torn down in early 2000s. Now they are building a new BTO there.
Could you investigate? It was beside the sembawang CC
and if i’m not wrong, one of the horror local movies “the Maid” featured this block, or this kind of block
The ones in Sembawang aren’t there any more. Empty land now. Probably reserved for community use later. Check this out
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?ftid=0x31da149dcc24b74f:0x3f5e1111901d4a44&q=Montreal+Drive+Singapore&hl=en&t=h&cd=1&cad=src:ppiwlink&ei=OoYgUYusGa6UiQfep4HoDg&dtab=0&ui=maps_mini
are these blocks still up? my grandma’s sis used to live there before passing on
Yes still there. Dont know for how long though. The nearby residents stil use the open car park there. Very quiet now with no residents.
it is now going through construction…… no longer accessible
now demolition
I am here now. Blks 9-10 are fully demolished. The lifts for blks 7-8 are demolished already and the blocks are about to begin demolition. Blks 5-6 are still not demolished yet
just passed into the old car park between blk 9-10 and 7-8. as mentioned blks 9-10 are just rubbles and debris now. my old blk still intact but should be gone soon. glad that they retain some of the angsana trees. drove around Taman Jurong – still has that atmosphere with places like the old cinema, jurong ice skating rink, the big field near market no 1 and behind mcdonalds drive-in, the rows of casuarinas along yuan ching rd, the old jurong town pr sch etc. but for how long before the spirit is gone …