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Civic district tree trail to open soon

This article is more than 12 months old

Some 35 trees will be part of a civic district trail that will be open to the public from May 1.

Among the highlights of the trail is an avenue of 22 heritage rain trees along Connaught Drive.

These were unveiled in a ceremony officiated by Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Desmond Lee yesterday.

It is the largest number of trees in a single avenue to be endorsed under NParks' heritage tree scheme.

Some of the heritage rain trees along the Connaught Drive stretch date back to the mid-1880s and have witnessed key events, including the declaration of independence from Britain in 1963, and Singapore's first National Day celebrations in 1966.

NParks said the tree trail will allow members of the public to learn about the natural heritage in the heart of Singapore.

Mr Lee said: "Even as we continue to plant new trees, we must also cherish and protect the trees that have been maturing gracefully since Singapore's early days.

"These trees are a familiar sight for us and have been providing shade, shelter and a green respite for many generations of Singaporeans."

The trail has 20 stops, including one at the National Museum where an old and large Indian rubber tree from 1955 still stands.

Other highlights include five angsana trees at Esplanade Park that were replanted from Upper Serangoon Road to recreate an iconic area familiar to dating couples between the 1960s and 1980s.

The original trees, known as "Gor Zhang Chiu Kar" in Hokkien, which means "under the shade of five trees", were removed after they were affected by fungus.

SingaporeEnvironmentLee Kuan Yew