Mandai

Mandai
Name transcription(s)
• Chinese	万礼
• Pinyin	Wànlǐ
• Hokkien POJ	Bān-lé
• Malay	Mandai
Country	Singapore

The Singapore Zoo, which is located in Mandai

Mandai is a planning area located in the North Region of Singapore, famously known for being the location of the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.

The Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium, the largest crematorium and columbarium in Singapore, is also located in Mandai planning area.

In 2012 a new river-themed park, River Safari, opened beside the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.^[1]

Etymology and history

Mandai Road was cut in 1855. The name Mandai appears in the Franklin and Jackson Plan of Singapore (1828) as a river indicated as "R. Mandi". The name is said to come from a tree called the "Mandai tree".

Military training

Parts of Mandai are commonly used as military training areas as there is undeveloped land there. The following locations are used as training areas: Kwok Min, Asrama/Ulu Sembawang, Mandai Bumbong, Gali Batu and Mandai Central. Mandai Camp and Mandai West Camp are in Gali Batu, while Mandai Hill Camp and a live firing range are in Kwok Min.

Because of the massive makeover with the new bird park and rainforest park, the military training area will soon be moved to Lim Chu Kang and Pulau Tekong. MINDEF will release all the Mandai training areas for redevelopment.

Transportation

Apart from Mandai Road, the Mass Rapid Transit system's Mandai Depot, which is used for the Thomson Line, is located in Mandai.

References

1. Mustafa Shafawi; Hetty Musfira (21 May 2010), Attractions of Asia's first river-themed park River Safari unveiled, Channel NewsAsia, retrieved 20 October 2010.

• Victor R. Savage; Brenda S. A. Yeoh (2004), Toponymics: A Study of Singapore Street Names, Singapore: Eastern University Press, ISBN 978-981-210-364-2.

Coordinates: 1°25′36″N 103°49′07″E / 1.42657°N 103.81853°E