The Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal was built in 1995. In 2007 the terminal underwent a S$3 million renovation to improve the space to better serve its passengers and customers. Currently 4 berths serve regional ferries that travel to destinations to the South and East of Singapore, including:
– Nongsapura, Batam
– Batam Centre, Batam
– Pulau Lobam, Bintan
– Bintan Lagoon, Bintan
– Tanjung Pinang, Bintan
– Telok Sebong (Bintan Resorts), Bintan
Tanah Merah (Chinese: 丹那美拉 Tamil: தானா மேரா), is a geographical region located along the south-eastern coast of the East Region of Singapore. Although its boundaries aren’t exactly clear, it is often widely accepted that term “Tanah Merah”, is used to refer to the southern coast of present-day Bedok, Tampines, Changi and Changi Bay.
The name “Tanah Merah” appears in the seventeenth century (1604) map by Manuel Godinho de Erédia on Singapore, written as Tana Mera. This place name is likely to have been an important reference point for the orang laut (sea Gypsies) in their activities in the region.
The Malay name for this area is derived from the red lateritic cliffs along the coast that were visible from the sea, hence the name Tanah Merah or “red land”. The earliest written reference comes from James Horsburgh’s 1806 chart of “Singapore and Malacca”, which has the name “Red Cliffs”. Later, two sets of red cliffs were identified in Franklin and Jackson’s 1830 map: “Large Red Cliff” (Tanah Merah area) and “Small Red Cliff” (present Bedok area) and “2nd Red Cliffs” (Tanah Merah area). J.E. Tassin’s 1836 Map of Singapore refers to the area as “1st Red Cliffs” (Bedok area) and “2nd Red Cliffs” (Tanah Merah area).
Old maps also show the existence of Tanah Merah Road as early as the 1840s, which stretched from Kallang River to Changi Point. Now, the road ran mostly along the original route but was renamed Geylang Road, Changi Road and Upper Changi Road, with a section between Siglap Road and Tanah Merah Kechil Road lost after the hills of Chai Chee and Bedok were levelled, and another short section lost under Changi Airport. Later, the road leading to “Large Red Cliff” was named “Tanah Merah Besar Road” while the other was named “Tanah Merah Kechil Road”. Besar means “large” while Kechil means “little” in Malay.
The presence of weathered lateritic soil provided the red-orange colouring of the area that led to its name even before Raffles’ founding of Singapore. The exposed red lateritic soils were probably visible to many passing boats and hence the “landmark” was captured in early maps of Singapore.
When land reclamation works began in the early 1970s, most of the coastal hills were levelled and dumped into the sea to create the present East Coast. The East Coast Parkway was constructed almost completely on reclaimed land. The location of Tanah Merah Kechil cliff is where Temasek Primary School now stands. One can still see where the hills abruptly end at the junction of Bedok South Avenue 3 and Upper East Coast Road at one end, and New Upper Changi Road at the other end.
Tanah Merah Besar was a large coastal cliff located approximately at the southern end of Changi Airport Terminal 3. Its base was exposed to large tidal surges which created a ‘thunderous roar’ as the waves crashed on its rocky base and the sound echoed in the hollows and cavelets. It was reported that the booming sound was loud enough to be heard at a nearby village, especially during the monsoon season. Hence the name of that village, Kampong Ayer Gemuroh, or Thundering Water Village. Now, the only reference to the village is a drainage canal sometimes referred to as Ayer Gemuroh Canal, which was once Sungei Ayer Gemuroh, that runs along the West Perimeter Fence of Changi Airport, behind Changi Prison. Number 48A, Tanah Merah Besar Road was the home of David Marshall. He was a barrister in what was then The Malay Federation,a champion defender of the poor and of the accused facing execution (which he abhorred). Marshall became Singapore’s first Chief Minister when it separated from the British Colonial rule of the Malay Federation.
Tanah Merah’s suburbs has a number of available transport routes in and out of the area, making its accessibility little cause for concern. New Upper Changi Road, which runs through the residential area of Tanah Merah, offers a number of bus services, some of which travel long distances.
Raised above the middle of New Upper Changi Road is Tanah Merah MRT Station, a railway station which also operates as an interchange for passengers who wish to travel by train to Singapore Expo, Changi Business Park and Singapore Changi Airport. Its neighbouring stations are Expo MRT Station, Bedok MRT Station and Simei MRT Station.
#AmbientWalking #Walk #Walking #Walks #DJIOsmoPocket #Singapore #ArchivingSg #WalkingSg #WalkSg #Asia #SoutheastAsia #Travel #Sightseeing #Equatorial #Tropics