The Interesting Sign - 精武体育会超场 near Chinatown [Singapore]

Even as a proud Singaporean, I can't claim to have explored every nook and cranny of this little red dot. Things I chance upon sometimes still surprised me and one such incident happened near the original outlet of Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant.

精武体育会超场 - I do recognize the seven, red Chinese characters from across the road; it loosely translates into a training ground of a martial arts association.

The design reminded me of some of the Hong Kong movies set in the post world war two period, for example, the Ip Man film series. My curiosity was definitely piqued. 

Remember, this is land scarce Singapore and given the prime location, I doubt I would miss a training ground that's built for Chinese martial arts, including for lion and dragon dance practices.

And the above photograph, showing the scene right behind the sign, generated more question marks as it's more a pathway surrounded by flora and foliage. Hardly sufficient space for people to train for martial arts. 

I climbed down for a better look; there's an underground passage that connected to the path where I queued for more than two hours before stepping into Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant. 

Given the eye-catching sign that looked like it was maintained regularly, I was expecting some sort of information panel or plaque to explain the history behind it. Maybe I just wasn't sharp tough; I did notice the sign that this entire stretch is known as the Duxton Plain Park. 

Know what this is? It's a sundial and god knows why it's here. Maybe it's there to spruce up the park as it was indeed quite plain. Nevertheless, it is still a very much needed green and peaceful oasis amidst the towering buildings and historical structures. And there were quite a number of chickens roaming around! 

Anyway, I did find out that the area was indeed a training ground for the Chin Woo Athletic Association which was formed in 1922. Read here for more information! 

Should I explore Pinnacle@Duxton the next time? Two interesting facts about it when it was first built; it was the "largest public housing development in the world and has the world’s longest skygarden"!