Bukit Kalang
6th Highest Hill in Singapore (Could also be the 5th highest). This is the highest hill in the Central Catchment Area of Singapore. It is more famous for being one of the two hills, between which the 'Tree Top Walk' bridge is slung.
Height: 100 m [Trigonometric height according to the map: Singapore 1:50,000 Series SMU 075, Edition 3 (Mapping Unit, Ministry of Defense, Singapore, 1983)]
Location: 1°21'41.2"N 103°48'33.8"E
View of Bukit Kalang from the North. Photo taken from Upper Peirce Reservoir Park. (2020-08-30).
Route to Summit: The easiest access is to take the tree top walk (currently under maintenance till May 2021). Take the Peirce track to the start of the tree top walk. After the walk across the suspension bridge, there will be a stairs leading up to the summit of Bukit Kalang, at Tempines Hut. So in fact, thousands of people who have taken the tree top walk would have already summited Bukit Kalang without knowing it (me included).
Other Names: Bukit Kallang
History:
Bukit Kalang is one of the earliest named hills in Singapore. It first appeared on maps on a hydrographic chart "...Survey Of The Straits Of Singapore..." published in 1846, made by Samuel Congalton, the Commander of the Steamer, Diana, and J. T. Thomson, Government Surveyor.
The original source of Kallang River is from this area, hence Kallang river and Bukit Kalang share the same name (minus name variation/corruption over the years). I am guessing that the Hill is named after the river. If so, then seemingly paradoxically, Kallang River has its source from Bukit Kalang literally, while Bukit Kalang has its literal source from Kallang River.
Bukit Kalang is situated in the headwater area of both the Kallang River and Seletar River systems. In the past, the Orang Laut tribes (suku), Orang Biduanda Kallang and Orang Seletar, respectively, living at the mouths and along these river systems, would probably have used these marshy river systems as a 'highway' through the interior of Singapore island, connecting the island's south coast to the island's north coast, and beyond to the Malay peninsula hinterland [1]. As the highest hill in the upriver area of both these two rivers, Bukit Kalang may well have been quite an important landmark then, historically.
References:
[1] Imran Tajudeen, "Singapore Historiography and its Place Names in Malay Sources before and after 1819", in Beyond Bicentennial: Perspectives on Malays. (World Scientific, Singapore, 2020) pg.115-137.
Other Information: Non Currently
Photo Gallery:
View of Bukit Kalang (right) and Peirce Hill (left). They look lower than they really are, as the water level is already at ~40 m above sea level. Picture taken from Upper Peirce Reservoir Park. If you strain your eyes you may be able to see the 'Tree Top Walk' bridge slung between the two hills. (2020-08-30)
Updated: 4th February 2021