Rediscovering NTU on foot
Sergul Toh takes the road less travelled (and the occasional shuttle bus) in NTU and finds a campus that is at once familiar and yet startlingly new
I recently embarked on a journey across NTU so I could take in the sights and sounds of the campus that I have lived on for the past two years. After all, it is frequently listed among the top 15 most beautiful university campuses in the world.
My journey in the morning starts off not unlike a typical day for most NTU students: hitting the snooze button for a good hour. When I finally peel myself off the bed, I am already looking forward to the next time I can lie in it again. On my way to the toilet to wash up, it isn’t the call of the legendary Asian Koel that’s been sighted on campus that I hear, but the incessant iPhone alarms from my hall neighbours’ rooms.
I proceed to the nearby canteen to fuel up for the long walk I set myself up for. Every student worth his salt would know that waking up in time for a good breakfast before a 9am class is a commendable feat. Doesn’t matter that my order of half boiled eggs – every canteen’s signature breakfast dish – turns out to be 101 per cent cooked, thanks to the extra love and effort put in by the canteen aunties. Maybe they will excel at playing Overcooked (a cooking simulation game) with one another.
The first leg of my journey sees me walking from North Hill to the Sports & Recreation Centre – a treacherous 650m-long uphill trek. There’s a chance you will encounter preschoolers from the nearby kindergarten who may slow you down, but the biggest “obstacle” stopping you in your tracks are the adorable dogs trotting along this stretch of road. NTU professors who live on campus enjoy walking their cute canines. This might derail you from your plans, but seeing as how petting a dog can have a calming effect, we can all agree that the small sidetrack is worth it, right?
I pass by the Nanyang Executive Centre, which I discover is a hotel with guest rooms, ranging from deluxe rooms to executive suites. What a surprise find! I guess I know where to go for my next staycaytion. I just hope that they accept my SingapoRediscovers vouchers.
Sporting spectacle
I finally arrive at the Sports & Recreation Centre. Somehow, merely stepping into this area makes me feel healthier. Perhaps it’s the sight of a few brave souls running on the track under the afternoon sun. Jokes aside, on heatstroke alert, I soon yield to my screaming feet and plonk myself on the bleachers. Gazing upon The Wave’s beautiful architecture, I’m in awe. I can’t help but wonder how much grander the timber building will look at night, when lit from within.
The heat gets to me so I’m tempted to hide myself in one of the many air-conditioned rooms on campus. But that would be bad for the purpose of this story, so I trudge on down Lien Ying Chow Drive, along which sits one of NTU’s oldest halls, Hall 1, which dates all the way back to the 1950s. I guess it would be considered “boomers” next to the new kids on the block – the Crescent and Pioneer residential halls down the road.
The CresPion cluster of eight tree-like blocks are integrated seamlessly into the leafy surrounds to create the experience of being in a rainforest. In fact, much of my walk felt like I was in a jungle of sorts, with each segment of the walk peppered with lush greenery.
As I take a right turn onto Nanyang Drive, towards Halls 4 and 5, there is not a single food stall in plain sight, which is unusual in NTU. One step at a time, I finally arrive at the Chinese temple – I mean, the Chinese Heritage Centre.
A walk in the park
NTU’s “Shaolin temple” is actually the centrepiece of a nine-hectare heritage precinct that includes Yunnan Garden, a sprawling open space of greenery, waterscapes and heritage landmarks, complete with modern creature comforts such as Wi-Fi connectivity for all your Instagram stories. Built in the 1950s, Yunnan Garden has historical significance as the birthplace of Nanyang University, whose grounds NTU now occupies. In the recently rejuvenated garden still stands a replica of the distinctive arch at the entrance of the former Nanyang University. Hop over to the residential enclave of Jurong West Street 93 to see the original arch – you’ll have an idea of how large the campus once was!
The bubble tea shops near Yunnan Garden need no introduction. Just look out for the snaking queues and you will find LiHO at the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Building, or CHICHA San Chen at the South Spine canteen. I resist the temptation and continue my journey along the perimeter of NTU, arriving at the School of Biological Sciences. Did you know there is a traditional Chinese medicine clinic in there that is frequented by the public? I wonder if the doctors there can find a remedy for my ailing grades.
Head for the hills
No such luck, so I huff and puff my way up one of the many steep slopes on campus – the ones that even the campus buses have difficulty surmounting. For you fitspos out there, this is a good spot for hill training. At the top of this slope is the National Institute of Education, which grooms future generations of teachers. Hidden in there is a trove of facilities you probably never knew existed, such as a ceramics studio and an art gallery.
My exploration takes me to the North Spine Plaza, where my iron will finally crumbles at the deluge of food options all round. My journey would have to continue another day. I make it a point to end my day’s walk on a wholesome note. At the Boost Juice stall, I order: “One Skinny Dip, Original, please.”
With my smoothie in hand, I take the Campus Loop back to my hall, observing every passing building. While NTU continues to wow with amazing new buildings like The Arc and The Hive, perhaps we should also pay attention to the older, overlooked buildings with stories to tell.
This story was published in the Jan-Mar 2021 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
