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Changi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Changi highlighted in red |
|
| English | Changi |
| Chinese | 樟宜 |
| (Pinyin | Zhāngyí) |
| Malay | Changi |
| Tamil | சாங்கி |
Changi is an area to the east of Singapore. It is now the site of Changi International Airport, and is also home to the Changi Prison, site of the former Japanese Prisoner of War Camp during World War II that housed Allied prisoners captured in Singapore and Malaysia after Singapore's fall in February 1942.
Being in close to the sea, Changi also has a ferry terminal, Changi Point Ferry Terminal. James Clavell based his novel King Rat on his experiences as a prisoner of war in Changi.
The early Malay place name to Changi was Tanjong Rusa which is found in the 1604 E.G. de Eredia's map of Singapore.
The native place name Changi is found very early in Singapore's history. In the 1828 map by Franklin and Jackson, the extreme southeastern tip of the island is referred to as Tanjong Changi. The local name Changi must have been a significant point for the Malays, especially in the days of the sixteenth century Johor kingdom located on the Johor River. Vessels using the Johor Straits would have to pass by Changi.
There are many versions for the etymological roots of the name Changi. One source says that it comes from a climbing shrub, the changi ular (Apama corymbosa), which grew in the area. Another claims that it gets its name from a tall tree, the chengai (Balanscarpus heimii), which abounded in the area in the early nineteenth century. Changi could also be a variation of the local timber named chengai. This heavy local timber is commonly used for buildings and furniture, and is valued for its strength and renowned for its deep rich colour.
During the early surveys in the 1820s to 1830s of Singapore island, Changi was also named Franklin Point after Captain Franklin who was involved as one of the early surveyors of Singapore island. It would seem that the colonial authorities had decided to latch on their own place name to the existing Malay name for Changi.
Around the 1900s, Changi was the favourite haunt for tigers. The female tigers were said to swim from Johore to Pulau Ubin to rest, before completing their journey to Singapore. The tigers would land at Fairy Point and give birth in this neighbourhood, and so the tigers on the island were generally young.
- Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern Universities Press, ISBN 981-210-205-1
