Toa Payoh and Bishan are two stops apart on the North-South Line, which lets one morning hold a market breakfast, a monastery founded in 1898, a restored river and a second monastery. We'd be at the market by 7am, when breakfast is at its best.
The catch is the heat. The river walk lands in mid-morning, so carry water and let the shrine halls at the end be your shade. Toa Payoh Town Park, the pond park from 1970s wedding photos, is closed for redevelopment until 2030, and NParks points visitors to the river at Bishan in the meantime.
Each half of the route has a story of its own: the monasteries story for the temples, and the Lorong 6 dragon story for the town around them.
Where to start
Braddell MRT (NS18), Exit C
When to go
Morning, start by 7am
Stop by stop
We'd do these in order, and each linked stop has its price and directions.
7:00 AM
Breakfast at Toa Payoh Lorong 8
Come up at Braddell MRT Exit C, the closest of its three exits, and it's under a kilometre to Toa Payoh Lorong 8 at Blk 210. This hawker centre, a hall of small cooked-food stalls, has about 80 of them beside a wet market where fresh produce is sold. Each stall keeps its own days, so go where the residents are queuing. Give it an hour.
8:30 AM
Lian Shan Shuang Lin
From the market's own stop, bus 238 runs round to the Blk 27 stop, about 300 metres from Lian Shan Shuang Lin. Founded in 1898, it is the oldest Buddhist monastery in Singapore and opens daily from 8am to 5pm. It's a working monastery, so dress modestly. Bus 238 or 235 from the same stop returns to Toa Payoh interchange for the train to Bishan.
10:00 AM
The river at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
Two stops up the North-South Line is Bishan MRT, a nearby station for Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Here the Kallang River, once a concrete canal, winds between wildflower banks. Climb Recycle Hill for a view of the whole park, step into the butterfly habitat, then follow the water towards Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1. The park is open 24 hours and wheelchair accessible.
11:45 AM
Kong Meng San Phor Kark See
Leave by the entrance along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, five minutes from Bright Hill MRT. The monastery's own directions then say to take Exit 2 and walk six minutes along Sin Ming Avenue to Kong Meng San, founded in 1921 on grounds the size of almost 11 football fields. The shrine halls open 8am to 4pm daily, and the Zen Cafe opens at 10am.
Save for another day
- The dragon playground on Lorong 6, which needs a slow morning of its own
- Harmony Centre in Bishan, an interfaith gallery that opens on weekdays only
Before you go
Book ahead where you need to, and turn up for the rest.
Toa Payoh Lorong 8 MarketToa Payoh · FreeGo
Lian Shan Shuang Lin MonasteryToa Payoh · FreeGo
Bishan-Ang Mo Kio ParkBishan · FreeGoKong Meng San Phor Kark SeeBishan · FreeGoToa Payoh to Bishan questions
Can I visit both monasteries on the Toa Payoh to Bishan route?
Yes, if you start by 7am. They are about 4km apart in a straight line, Shuang Lin opens from 8am to 5pm and the shrine halls at Kong Meng San from 8am to 4pm, and the river walk in between keeps the pace gentle. For longer at each, give them a morning apiece.
How do I get from Toa Payoh to Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park?
Ride the North-South Line two stops from Toa Payoh, through Braddell, to Bishan, which NParks lists as a nearby station for the park. The other way in is the entrance along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, five minutes from Bright Hill MRT. We'd come in at Bishan and leave at Bright Hill, which also puts you near Kong Meng San.
Is there a cafe at Kong Meng San?
Yes, the Zen Cafe is on level 1 of the Venerable Hong Choon Memorial Hall. It opens at 10am and closes at 7pm from Monday to Friday, or at 5pm on weekends and public holidays. The shrine halls open at 8am, so coffee after the halls suits a late-morning visit like this one.
Does the Toa Payoh to Bishan route work on a Monday?
Yes, both monasteries and the park are open on Mondays. Shuang Lin and Kong Meng San open every day, Kong Meng San on public holidays too, and Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park is open 24 hours. Only the stalls at Lorong 8 vary, since each keeps its own days, so choose one with a queue.
Stories from along the way
Longer reads on the places you'll pass through.
