Choa Chu Kang

Choa Chu Kang (locally /ˌtʃwɑː ˌtʃuː ˈkɑːŋ/), alternatively spelled Chua Chu Kang and often abbreviated as CCK, is a planning area and residential town located at the northwestern point of the West Region of Singapore. The town shares borders with Sungei Kadut to the north, Tengah to the southwest, Bukit Batok to the southeast, Bukit Panjang to the east and the Western Water Catchment to the west. Choa Chu Kang New Town is separated into two portions by the Kranji Expressway.

Originally a kampung, the area has been rapidly developed under the ambition of the Housing and Development Board, to transform it into a modern township. The town comprises six subzones, five of which are the most densely populated: Choa Chu Kang Central, Choa Chu Kang North, Yew Tee, Teck Whye, and Keat Hong.

Other than the New Town, Choa Chu Kang sometime refers to the areas around Old Chua Chu Kang Road, which include several military installations and cemeteries in the northwestern part of Singapore.

The spelling of Choa Chu Kang is more common. It is found on road and flyover names, MRT station names, the polyclinic, Choa Chu Kang Sports Centre, park facilities like Choa Chu Kang Park and Park Connector, civic institutions like Choa Chu Kang Neighbourhood Police Post and Choa Chu Kang Fire Post, Choa Chu Kang Lian He Temple, military facilities like Choa Chu Kang Camp and SAFRA Choa Chu Kang, and cemeteries like Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, Jewish Cemetery, Columbarium and Crematorium. The spelling of Chua Chu Kang is found on Chua Chu Kang Community Centre, schools like Chua Chu Kang Primary School and Chua Chu Kang Secondary School, political entities like Chua Chu Kang GRC and Town Council.

Choa Chu Kang's name is derived from its historical core at the former site of Chua Chu Kang Village located near the junction of Choa Chu Kang Road and Jalan Sungei Poyan, currently occupied by the grounds of the National Shooting Centre which comes under the purview of Singapore Shooting Association. The name began to be applied to the general area around the village when Choa Chu Kang Road, a main arterial road linking the village to Upper Bukit Timah Road towards the east was built.

The name "Choa Chu Kang" is derived from the Teochew word "chu kang" (厝港, Peng'im: cu3 gang2), meaning "back port". In the nineteenth century, Chinese immigrants planted gambier and pepper along the river banks of Choa Chu Kang, although many migrated to Johor to the north at the encouragement of the Temenggong of Johor. The plantation owners were known as Kangchu (港主, Peng'im: gang2 zu2)- the word "kang" refers to the riverbank and "chu" means "owner" or "master", referring to the headman in charge of the plantations in the area. "Choa" is the clan name of the first headman.

Choa Chu Kang was a diverse area with old kampong housing and rubber plantations. Residents had to depend on boats or bullock carts for transportation. Among the few villages which sprang up were Kampong Belimbing and Chua Chu Kang Village. Most of the inhabitants belonged to the Teochew dialect group. The early Teochew settlers were mainly farmers growing gambier and pepper. The Hokkiens, who moved in later, established pineapple, rubber and coconut plantations as well as vegetable farms and poultry farms. In the early days, tigers used to roam in the area. The last tiger of Singapore was shot here in the 1930s.

Kampong Belimbing, Chua Chu Kang Village and Kampong Berih were demolished in phases from 1993 to 1998. It was replaced by the National Shooting Centre and military plot (Cemetery North) and (Jalan Bahar). The Cemetery North has been gazetted as an army restricted and live-firing area since 19 September 2003. The Jalan Bahar is gazetted as an army restricted and live-firing area from 16 March 2001.