Image (C) Pilot Potato Photography

Size & Population
7 Sq Km with an estimated 75,000 residents.

About
There are three sub-zones; Upper Thomson, Marymount and Bishan East. The name Bishan or Bi Shang Ting in Chinese is derived from the Cantonese term for large burial ground. The burial ground was excavated to make way for residential development. There were initial fears that the town would face poor occupancy due to inauspicious reasons, but on the contrary,  the town boomed with residents because of its accessible locality.

History
Bishan used to be known as Kampong San Theng and Soon Hock Village. Kampong San Theng, together with the temple and other facilities, was set up by members of three prefectures from the province of Canton, China. Soon Hock Village was part of the kampong. It was occupied mostly by Hokkiens, and was famous for its sesame oil and noodles.

Residential
Prices of units in this area are relatively high. In fact, it is one of the most expensive public residential areas in Singapore because of its prime location and good condition of flats and units. There are many coffeeshops in the estate and Junction 8 is the neighbourhood mall that provides its residences with all the essential amenities. There are a variety of 3 rooms, 4 rooms to 5 rooms units, the majority of which are 4 rooms, with an estimated 1,500 executive flats serving its 74,000 residents. Total number of flats is about 19,000.

Transportation
Being a centralized location, Bishan is linked to the rest of Singapore via the Central Expressway. The Central Expressway is a major highway connecting the city center and the northen areas of  Singapore.

In addition, Bishan is also joined to the other areas of the island via the Mass Rapid Transit System. Having its own station, Bishan MRT Station sits on the North-South Line. In the near future the station will also serve as an interchange station for the Circle Line.

The Circle Line, an entirely underground and driverless orbital line linking all its 29 station to the city center, it is currently under construction with its completetion in 2008.

Bishan roads are also conveniently served by the SBS (Singapore Bus Services) via the Bishan bus interchange, linking its roads to various parts of Singapore.

Other Informations in Bishan District Guide