Yunnan

Located in what was once considered the far west of residential Singapore, Yunnan which is an important subzone of Jurong West that has grown and evolved over the decades into an estate similar to its neighbouring zones. A number of accommodation options both for a temporary and permanent stay are available in the Yunnan area, including hotels, dozens of HDB blocks, and many private condominium units. The Boon Lay MRT and Pioneer MRT stations serve the neighbourhood. Furthermore, drivers might want to get familiar with the main roads of the Yunnan neighbourhood that include Jalan Bahar, Jurong West Avenue 4/2, Pioneer Road North, and the Upper Jurong Road or Boon Lay Way.

Public transport and amenities in Yunnan

Once a landscape of low hills and swamps, the primary inhabitants of Jurong West itself were wildlife, with little human interaction thanks to the rampant presence of crocodiles. Following the development of Boon Lay, Taman Jurong, and Hong Kah by the late 1960s, Jurong West soon followed suit, filling the swamps with material from the hilly grounds, levelling the area to make it suitable for urban cultivation. Even though now the area, especially the Yunnan part, has evolved into a mature neighbourhood, a touch of nature has always been preserved. Yunnan is home to the Jurong West Park Connector that forms part of the Western Adventure Loop, linking visitors to various park connectors, parks, and nature reserves.

Stay - Yunnan

HDB blocks can easily be found dotting the area. On top of that, with Jurong West’s rapid urbanization and the road to becoming Singapore’s second Central Business District, the establishment of condominiums in the Yunnan area was inevitable. Today, multiple private condominiums stand in the region from the traditional estates like the Lakeshore Condominium, Lakeville Condo, and Lakepoint Condominium.

Shop - Yunnan

Where to shop when you are in the neighbourhood? The four-storeyed Pioneer Mall can satisfy essential needs, with amenities like a Giant Supermarket and a pharmacy. Another one, Gek Poh Shopping Centre has a cute book exchange corner,  along with tuition centres and a Prime Supermarket which often holds recycling initiatives.

Eats and Drinks - Yunnan

Yunnan is an important subzone in Jurong West. With quite a number of accommodation options, it gets a lot of visitors each year. Therefore, for the ease of all the guests that visit, a lot of food places have come in the area. 99.co has listed some of the must-try eateries when you are around the neighbourhood. 

If you are looking for speciality coffee, then one of the best options available in Yunnan is Common Man Stan. The cafe is beautiful and cosy. The interiors are beautifully done and the staff is welcoming. Head here for a cup of coffee and spend some quality time with your folks.

On the other side, Just The Place specializes in western cuisines and serves a variety of delectable food items. Located near the sea, the ambience of this place is quite nice and comfortable. They have got an arrangement for both indoor and outdoor seating. The interiors are worthy of being noted as they have an influence on the western culture which brings newness to the whole ambience. 

What about regular yet extraordinary hawker fares? Boon Lay Place Market & Food Centre to the rescue! It is one of the top hawker's centres in Jurong West. This place is filled with good food and a fantastic atmosphere. Boon Lay Place Market & Food Centre has a wide variety of local food and offers famous fried Hokkien prawn mee and nasi lemak. There is a significant and spacious food market with lots of seating. The centre is an expert in providing fish soup and is popular in Power Nasi Lemak, fried Hokkien Mee, Ngoh Chiang Beehoon, and Whampoa Soya Bean.

Another one is Jurong West 505 Market. It is one of the best and cheapest hawker food centres in the neighbourhood. The great selection of breakfast choices are here, do try the chicken porridge or the famous Kok Kee wanton mee. Jurong West 505 hawker centre specializes in fish noodle soup dishes featuring a raw egg, greens, and a choice of chicken or pork mince topped up with fried shallots and anchovies. The stall makes a good and honest bowl of handmade mee hoon kuey. 

Learn - Yunnan

The very good news for families and students is that there are 7 education institutions in Yunnan, including Nanyang Technological University. The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is a national research university based in Singapore. It is the second oldest autonomous university in Singapore and is considered to be one of the top universities in the world. 

NTU is consistently ranked within the top 20 universities in the world according to most rankings and is currently ranked 12th globally in the QS World University Rankings as of June 2021. It has also been ranked 1st amongst young universities by the QS World University Rankings since 2015 as of April 2021. Younger students can take their leap in other schools such as the Juying Primary School, Juying Secondary School, Xingnan Primary School, West Grove Primary School, Pioneer Primary School, and Westwood Primary School.

Move - Yunnan

Feeder services connect the Yunnan neighbourhoods to Boon Lay and Pioneer MRT stations, and several trunk services also run through the area. Pioneer MRT Station (EW28) is an above-ground station along the East-West Line (EWL). It sits within the Jurong West Central planning subzone, adjacent to the Yunnan subzone, and is physically located along Jurong West Street 63, near the junction with Pioneer Road North.

Pioneer station is built in the heart of the Jurong West residential estate, serving nearby HDB residential developments, community amenities, and schools. Bus services connect the station with the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the Jurong Industrial Estate, and other parts of the Jurong West estate. There are 4 main roads in this Yunnan subzone: Jalan Bahar, Jurong West Avenue 4/2, Pioneer Road North, and Upper Jurong Road or Boon Lay Way. These main roads branch out to several streets and avenues in the Yunnan subzone.

Sports Facilities - Yunnan

This part of Jurong West is lucky to house the Jurong West Sports Centre. This sports centre is located in the south portion of Yunnan, along Street 93 and Pioneer Road North. Living in Yunnan means that you will not have to break a sweat to actually break a sweat at the sports centre.

This sports complex is notable because it is one of the largest integrated sports centres in Singapore, and the Jurong West Stadium is the main venue. The Jurong West Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium used mostly for football matches and which also used to be the temporary home stadium of the S. League outfit, Tampines Rovers FC. It is currently the home stadium for the Young Lions FC. The stadium has a seating capacity of 4,200 with the Tampines Rovers FC as its tenant. The stadium is also second-in-line to host international football matches, behind Jalan Besar Stadium and ahead of the Marina Bay Floating Platform.

Besides the stadium, the facilities available here include a gym, swimming complex, tennis centre, and a sports hall. The Jurong West swimming complex has a seating capacity of 465 and is the first swimming complex in Singapore to feature a sheltered Olympic-sized swimming pool, amongst others such as a teaching pool, jacuzzi, kiddy pool, lazy river and a water playground. 

Parks and Gardens - Yunnan

When it comes to greenery, any nearby resident most likely would name Jurong Central Park. But, have you heard of Yunnan Garden at NTU? This new heritage park complete with a Chinese Heritage Centre, a lake, a waterfall, and a playground is well worth the trek out to Western Singapore with the kids.

The Yunnan Garden Park is located at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) campus and although a little far out, the trip is truly worth it. It was built in the 1950s and is the birthplace of NTU, so it has many historical monuments dotting its grounds.  The garden has been recently renovated and is now a 9-hectare heritage precinct. The Yunnan Garden has been seamlessly integrated with the Chinese Heritage Centre and an expanded Nanyang Lake. 1,000 new trees of over 80 different species have been planted, making this garden a nature enthusiast’s wonderland. 

Back to the Jurong Central Park, no wonder that it is very popular among residents and tourists alike. It is the first park in Singapore to have life-sized board game features. Located across the Boon Lay MRT Station, it recreates favourite childhood board games to add a new dimension to the gameplay experience for families. Besides the various play equipment, there are notable sculpted terrains and a dice tower. Nature lovers can also explore and discover the various types of aquatic plants, wildlife species, and dragonflies that thrive in the ponds located in the park. 

There is also the Jurong West Park Connector which extends from Boon Lay Way to Jurong West Street 93. It links nearby residents to Jurong Central Park, Boon Lay Bus Terminal, Boon Lay MRT station and Pioneer MRT station. Running through residential estates, it is great for joggers looking for a short run around the neighbourhood and is ideal for other outdoor activities such as cycling, strolling and dog-walking. The Jurong West Park Connector forms part of the Western Adventure Loop, linking visitors to various park connectors, parks, and nature reserves.

Jurong West Public Library - Yunnan

Residents of the Yunnan neighbourhood can easily access the Jurong West Public Library at 60 Jurong West Central 3. With its relocation to a dedicated community building, the library brings more convenience to its patrons. This library is also the first library to prototype the "integration concept" with the community centre. Whereby, users can move from the Community Club to the library on every level without having to exit at the ground level point.

Integrated services and facilities offer a holistic learning experience that await any user with the library’s conducive environment, learning materials, and exciting programmes. Ranging from audio-visual resources, comic collections, and self-service kiosks, the library also expanded its collection to cater to the information needs of its users. It includes a new Manga collection which was added to the library's extensive collection in 2019.