Hougang is one of the sub urban towns of Singapore located in the north-eastern region of the country. To the north of Hougang are the town of Sengkang and Serangoon towards the south. The majority of the town is a residential area that lies within the housing estate of the Hougang New Town. Hougang derives its name from a word of the Hokkien and Teochew dialect, Au-Kang that refers to a “river en
d”. The town is based on the upstream course of a river or can be said as behind the Sungei Serangoon. The region was initially inhabited by the Chinese only, however later people from different parts of the world settled here as well. A fishing port existed and most of the people reared pigs. Presently the region has more than forty thousand housing units and is home for many. The development process of the city began way back in 1977 and was finally completed in the year 2000 with nine neighborhoods. Hougang consists of five political divisions that have been classified in three different constituencies. Hougang is considered the central land of Singapore with the majority of the commercial activity revolving around the elegant shopping malls. There are a number of shopping malls like Kang Kar Mall, Hougang Mall and many more. The region has all the modern ameni5ties for its residents. Several facilities are there which consists of a sports stadium, a sports complex for indoor games, an aquatics centre, and numerous parks like the Punggol Park, hawker centres and wet markets. Health care facilities are also available for the residents of Hougang. The Buangkok Green Medical Park is present that houses numerous modern medical facilities and encompasses the Singapore Leprosy Relief Association (SILRA) and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). The region offers the services of a couple of MRT stations- Kovan MRT Station and Hougang MRT Station. The city also has the opportunity to enjoy benefits of the Buangkok MRT Station. There are numerous bus services that connect Hougang with the rest of the island. The Hougang Central Bus Interchange provides bus services for the Hougang Town. It is situated at the Hougang Central close to the Hougang Mall and provides an underground link with the Hougang MRT Station.The city is provided with a feeder service as well that allow residents to move into the different locations in and around the city. The most unique feature of Hougang is in the public housing flats developed by the Housing Development Board. All the flats have a semi-circular balcony that is not only large but gives an authentic look as well. The region is still inhabited by many people of the Chinese origin who communicate in the Teochew dialect and hail from Kampong Ponggol which is a predominant region of the Teochew community. Hougang is also known to have numerous primary and secondary schools, junior colleges and other educational institutions that have earned world recognition. Some of them are the Serangoon Junior College, Bowen Secondary School, etc.
