1
FROM SWAMP TO CITY:
THE STORY OF JALAN BESAR
The Jalan Besar Heritage Trail is a tale of two former swamps. First, we trace
the urban development of a floodplain that once existed on the north bank
of the Rochor River. Next, we chart the stories of the communities and
cultures that sprung up around the muddy basin of Singapore’s longest
waterway, the Kallang River.
The remnant swampland around Jalan Besar and the tidal flats of the
Kallang Basin have long been reclaimed. Shophouses, temples and churches
now occupy land once overgrown by mangrove trees and nipah palms.
Farmland has given way to schools, hospitals and a stadium. And once
bustling villages sustained by coastal trade have vanished as industries,
housing developments and parkland emerged to add a new dimension to
life on the eastern reaches of the Lion City.
Gone too, but certainly not forgotten, are New World and its gaudy host
of performers who sang, danced and performed for citizens in an era when
live entertainment was the only form of recreation in town. In between sets,
the audience probably sipped soft drinks brewed and bottled by beverage
factories located in the neighbourhood, which are, similarly, a mere memory
today. Little missed, however, are the less pleasant elements of the area:
the cattle and pig slaughterhouses, municipal refuse facilities, sawmills, oil
mills, rubber factories and brick kilns that once polluted the rivers and
almost certainly overpowered the senses of those who wandered too close.
The Jalan Besar Heritage Trail is part of the National Heritage Board’s ongoing
efforts to document and present the history and social memories of places in
Singapore that many may not be aware of. Jointly presented by the National
Heritage Board and Moulmein-Kallang Citizens' Consultative Committee, we
hope this trail will bring back fond memories for those who have worked, lived or
played in the area and serve as a useful source of information for new residents
and visitors.
NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED, STORED IN A RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY
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FOR ALL COPYRIGHT MATTERS, PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD. EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ENSURE THAT THE
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS BROCHURE IS ACCURATE AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION. NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD SHALL NOT BE
HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, LOSS, INJURY OR INCONVENIENCE ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTENTS OF THIS BROCHURE.
PUBLISHED BY NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD IN AUGUST 2012.
www.nhb.gov.sg 1
SOURCE: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
SOURCE: KIM KENG CHYE COLLECTION, COURTESY OF
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
In the early 20th century, tall silk-cotton trees lined parts of Jalan Besar. Nearby, by the banks of the Rochor River, were
villages built by Boyanese settlers, who lived in houses on tall stilts.
THE ‘BIG ROAD’ BECKONS
Today, thankfully, there is no risk of encountering
the foul establishments of a vastly different era.
But a stroll through the Jalan Besar neighbourhood all the way to the Kallang River will still
bring you past many traces – in buildings, streets
and other landmarks – of the pioneers who cut
the roads, cultivated the land and later, built
homes, hotels and factories.
Some buildings, such as the area’s conserved
shophouses and townhouses, have been subject
to few alterations in external form since the day
they were built, although their functions may
have changed. Others, such as the Jalan Besar
Stadium and former Victoria School, have undergone rounds of physical refurbishment and social
evolution to serve the needs of a different time.
Even empty plots and fields have tales to tell, of
merchants who lived in now-demolished mansions as well as massive industrial installations
such as the Kallang Gasworks that once supplied
light and energy to homes and factories.
To a newcomer, Jalan Besar and its surroundings may appear chaotic, with little sense of
architectural unity or ethnic identity. But the present neighbourhood is, in fact, the result of successive waves of settlements that gave rise to
diverse communities over more than 150 years.
First to arrive were the riverine tribes or Orang
Biduanda Kallang who lent their name to the
Kallang River. Then came Bugis traders from
Sulawesi and Boyanese seafarers who dwelled in
attap houses by the riverbanks.
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Immigrants from China and the Indian subcontinent then landed to work in estates owned by
colonial pioneers and Arab businessmen. Rickshaw coolies, vegetable farmers and employees
of the former Kallang Gasworks eked a living for
themselves in the drained swamps. These same
labourers built temples, churches and clan associations that offered social and spiritual support
in a time when life could be nasty, brutal and
short.
A little later, shipbuilders, carpenters, mechanics and godowns set up shop by roads named
after the heroes of the First World War. An industrial air still lingers in some streets dominated by
hardware suppliers and derelict Art Deco warehouses, but this is tempered by a wealth of traditional coffee shops and eateries whose stalls
draw foodies from all over the island.
Jalan Besar’s grand old days may be long over.
But the neighbourhood and its landmarks offer
a rare glimpse into life “on the edge of the old
urban core” and a remarkable diversity of cultures and communities that had carved a space
for themselves on the former wetlands. As architect and historian Woo Pui Leng put it, “It was
arterial streets like Jalan Besar that helped transform Singapore from a rural possession into a
bustling colonial city.” The ‘Big Road’, as the
street was called early in life, may no longer
deserve the name, but Jalan Besar still looms
large in the history of Singapore and the people
who live, work and play in this quiet yet quaint
corner of the city.
SOURCE: ARSHAK C GALSTAUN COLLECTION, COURTESY OF
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
SOURCE: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
Abattoirs, sawmills and other industrial buildings once occupied the Jalan Besar neighbourhood. Over time, these
industrial establishments gave way to shophouses, hotels and other commercial buildings.
“Jalan Besar was where I lived between 1921 and
1924. At that time the area between Syed Alwi Road
and Lavender Street was undeveloped. The ground
where the Beatty School and HDB houses are was a
big expanse of open ground. The place was full of
snipes [a long-billed wading bird] and a favourite
haunt of hunters. The other side of Jalan Besar
between Lavender Street and Syed Alwi was swamp
land. Flying ducks, snipe, fish, mud lobsters and
many-coloured snakes thrived there.”
– s. ramachandra, from singapore landmarks,
12 radio talks (1969).
THE ORIGINS OF JALAN BESAR
Most people are familiar with the founding of
modern Singapore by Sir Stamford Raffles and
William Farquhar in 1819. In this tale of geopolitical intrigue and shared foresight, the two men led
a fleet of ships to the mouth of the Singapore River, where they bartered for trading rights in this
strategic natural harbour. For this privilege, Tengku Long (1776-1835) was installed as Sultan Hussein Mohammed Shah of Singapore, while
Temenggong Abdul Rahman (d. 1825), the real
power behind the throne, sowed the ground for
what would eventually become a new royal
dynasty seated in Johor.
Back then, the lower reaches of the Rochor and
Kallang Rivers, beyond the swamps that would
eventually give rise to Jalan Besar, were already
inhabited by native fisher folk who owed allegiance to the Temenggong. This is the story of
what took place since then, both in space and
time. This is a story of how a road grew, in length
as well as in richness, until it connected the city
to its eastern outskirts and witnessed the taming
of two rivers whose banks now brim with parkways and public housing.
FROM FRUIT TREES TO
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
As late as the 1840s, the area between Serangoon Road and the Rochor River was dominated
in part by a swampland of low fields, mangroves
and waterways. The place must have resembled
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Pasir Ris Park,
where some of the island’s surviving mangrove
habitats can be seen today.
Some of the Europeans who settled in Singapore in the first half of the 19th century took to
agriculture in the belief that the hot, humid climate would promote the growth of cash crops.
Joseph Balestier, the first American consul to Singapore, ran a sugar cane estate by the road that
now bears his name. Other entrepreneurs planted nutmeg in the suburbs off Orchard Road. Both
ventures were destined to fail, however, the first
due to tariff barriers and the second to disease.
A rather more successful attempt at agriculture arose when two brothers, Richard Owen
Norris (d. 1905) and George Norris, bought three
hectares of land from the East India Company in
the 1830s. Located north of the Rochor River and
costing 113 rupees, the land was turned into an
estate for betel nut, nipah palm and fruit trees
such as mangosteen. A road was carved through
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SOURCE: THE STRAITS TIMES © SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.
road that has grown with the city and still gives
off a sense of nostalgia in its busy five-foot ways
and quiet little lanes.
Clockwise from top left: a soccer match at the Jalan Besar Stadium; the former Kallang Gasworks; kiddy rides at New
World; shanty houses in Kampong Bugis.
the estate, forming a raised bund over the
swampy ground.
Originally, the road led to nowhere, ending in a
sea of mangroves that reached Rochor Road to
the north. Beyond this marshy flank were some
of the earliest brick kilns in Singapore, which are
believed to have been set up by Naraina Pillai, a
trader of south Indian origin from Penang who
arrived with Raffles in 1819. In the 1830s, there
were also paddy fields and vegetable gardens run
by Chinese farmers, who fertilised their crops
using human waste. This foul-smelling practice
led to the cynical renaming of Rochor Road as
Lavender Street in 1858.
As the town expanded and traffic between its
centre and the peripheries grew in the 1880s, the
former dirt track was raised and extended until it
joined Lavender Street and was given the name
Jalan Besar, or ‘Big Road’. Even then, swampland
still covered much of the area south of Jalan
Besar and penetrated a good part north of it until
the 1930s. The transition from wetland to dry
plots was a lengthy process that involved the
dumping of municipal refuse over decades to
form solid ground on which new side streets
were laid out and shophouses were built.
Towards the end of the 19th century, sawmills,
oil mills and rice mills began to appear along Syed
Alwi Road by the Rochor River. Abattoirs also
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sprang up amid this landscape of industrial edifices with tall, obelisk-like chimneys. The slaughterhouses were impressive buildings, with a tripartite (three-part) design featuring a church-like
central aisle, prominent side wings and high
clerestories (ventilation windows). Engineering
workshops, contractors and factories, along with
hotels, lodging houses, churches and temples,
emerged in the first half of the 20th century.
Complementing these scenes of industry and
devotion were leisure facilities in the form of New
World and the Jalan Besar Stadium.
The brick kilns vanished by the 1920s, as their
source of raw materials and fuel, the mangrove
swamps, dwindled to tiny pockets. It was during
this time, too, that many shophouses and other
landmarks were constructed on the former
swampland. Some, such as New World, Guan
Guan Hotel and the Framroz Aerated Water Factory, have not survived the changing tides of
taste and fortune that swept through the area in
the second half of the 20th century. But much of
the diverse histories of Jalan Besar, as seen in the
built heritage of the neighbourhood, remain evident to visitors, thanks to the granting of conservation status to selected buildings by the Urban
Redevelopment Authority since 1991. To date,
540 buildings in the area have been conserved,
preserving the character and charm of a big, bold
THE NORRIS BROTHERS
Richard Owen Norris and George Norris were the
sons of an East India Company army officer.
George Norris joined the government service and
became an Assistant Treasurer in Penang. Richard Owen Norris remained in Singapore where he
lived in a bungalow with his 10 children on the
family estate. Norris Road, which was built in
front of the brothers’ estate in the 1890s, was
named after the family at their request.
More than four generations later, the Norris
family is still active in Singapore. The Norris Block
at the Singapore General Hospital commemorates Dr. Victor Norris (d. 1942), grandson of
Richard, who was killed by bombs dropped on
Kandang Kerbau Hospital during the Second
World War. Dr. Norris’ daughter, Noel Evelyn
Norris (b. 1918), was principal of Raffles Girls’
School from 1961 to 1977.
THE NIPAH AND BETEL PALMS
Native to Southeast Asia, the nipah (Nypa
fruticans) is a species of palm that grows in
sheltered tidal swamps alongside mangroves.
Unlike other palm trees, the nipah's main trunk
runs horizontally under the mud and sends out
shoots that bear long leaves. Nipah leaves are
used to thatch the roofs of attap huts. The
immature seed is the source of attap-chee, a jellylike component of popular local desserts such as
ice kachang. Sap from the flowers is extracted to
produce toddy, a strong alcoholic beverage.
The seeds of the areca or betel palm (Areca
catechu) have been used for centuries throughout
South and East Asia as a spice and stimulant.
Thinly sliced and wrapped in daun sireh (betel
leaves, which are obtained from a vine known
scientifically as Piper betle) with a dash of lime
(chalk, not the fruit), betel is chewed to produce
a soothing, slightly narcotic sensation. Spices
such as cloves, cardamom, turmeric, dry coconut,
saffron and sugar are sometimes added for
flavour. The habit also causes the saliva and
gums to turn red. In India, paan, which combines
ground areca nuts and spices, is chewed as a
post-meal digestive. Betel palm fibres were once
made into beige sheets called opeh, which people
used as food wrappers in the days before
styrofoam and plastic containers.
KAMPONG KAPOR
Kampong Kapor was a village off Jalan Besar, formerly located around the present day Desker and
Veerasamy Roads, named after the lime or kapor
that accompanied betel consumption. The Tamil
name of the area was Sunnambu Kampam or
‘Lime Village’. Lime was also an important component of Madras Chunam, a durable building
plaster that originated from India and was manufactured in nearby kilns. Made from lime, egg
white, sand, shell and sugar, Madras Chunam
was used to create the glossy white exterior of
buildings such as St Andrew’s Cathedral.
A TREE-LINED AVENUE
An avenue of kapok trees (Ceiba pentandra) once
lined the northern outskirts of Jalan Besar. These
trees have tiny flowers but can reach a height of
60 metres with a trunk girth of 10 metres. They
are also called silk-cotton trees as the fruit consists of a water-resistant fibre that can be used
to stuff pillows, mattresses and life-jackets. The
trees were chopped down in the 1920s, but surviving examples of this majestic tree can be seen
in the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
THIEVES MARKET
Don’t miss the Sungei Road Market located in the
lanes between Weld Road and Sim Lim Tower at
the lower end of Jalan Besar. Popularly known as
the Thieves’ Market or Robinson Petang (‘Evening Robinson’ after a major department store),
this street bazaar began in the late 19th century
as a marketplace for mobile hawkers. The common nickname stems from the perception that
many of the goods on sale were acquired through
illegitimate means. The present market, though
a far cry from its heydays in size and splendour, is
still a place to go for steals such as vintage cameras, old photographs, books and trinkets.
›› did you know?
Paying little heed to official nomenclature, the Chinese who lived or worked in the area during the late 19th century
had their own names for Jalan Besar, calling it 'Kam-kong ka-poh thai-tu long' in Hokkien and 'Kam-pong ka-pok
thong-chu
fong'
Cantonese.
Boththrough
phrases meant
the same
thing: ‘The
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in Kampong
We suggest
youinbegin
your walk
the Balestier
Heritage
Trailslaughter-pig
at the Goh Chor
Pek KongKapor’,
Temple
referring
prominent
abattoirs between
DeskerRoads.
and Rowell Roads (the site of the present Rowell Court).
near the to
junction
of Moulmein
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05
Syed Alwi Road
We begin the trail here, at a road that still ran by a remnant
swampland as recently as 1924. Built in the 1850s and originally
named Jalan Bahru, the street was later renamed Syed Alwi
(Alwee) Road.
There has been some uncertainty over the origins
of the road's name, as it is unclear whether it was
named after Syed Alwi (Alwee) bin Ali Aljunied
(1845-1926) or his father Syed Ali (Allie) bin
Mohammed Aljunied (1814-1858). But the son is
the likelier candidate as Syed Ali had a road
named after him in 1852 that was renamed Newton Road in 1914 to avoid confusion with Syed
Alwi Road.
The Aljunieds, who originated from Yemen
and are descendents of the Prophet Mohammed,
have been a prominent part of Singapore’s civic
and community life for more than 190 years.
Syed Sharif Omar Aljunied (1792-1852) and his
uncle Syed Mohammed bin Harun Aljunied (d.
1824) came to Singapore from Palembang,
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Sumatra, soon after Raffles founded the trading
settlement in 1819. They soon established themselves as major traders and landowners who
shared their wealth with the community. The
family contributed to the building of the Masjid
Omar Kampong Melaka off Havelock Road (Singapore’s oldest mosque) as well as gave land for
St Andrew’s Cathedral and Tan Tock Seng’s Pauper’s Hospital.
Syed Ali, who bought 70 acres of swampy land
in Kampong Kapor and established a family
house in Balestier Road, was noted for his valued
construction of wells at Selegie Road, Kampong
Malacca, Telok Ayer and Kampong Pungulu
Kisang (near Mohamed Ali Lane) to provide
fresh water to the public. Syed Alwi, his son, was
a Justice of the Peace who filled in the swampland purchased by his father to form Weld Road.
He also paid for the construction of bridges
across Arab Street, Jalan Sultan and Bencoolen
Street. Aljunied Road was named in 1926 following calls by Dr H.S. Moonshi (1895-1965), a
Municipal Commissioner, for a major road to be
named after the Aljunieds to honour their contributions to Singapore. (Formed in 1856, the
Municipal Commission was a body of esteemed
residents who oversaw the running of municipal
services, including the naming of roads).
toirs’. For similar reasons, the Cantonese called
it Thong-chu-fong pin sai a-lui kai. Older residents
of the area would remember an abattoir located
at the site of Blk 811 French Road near the eastern end of Syed Alwi Road as well as another near
the site of the present Jalan Berseh Hawker Centre. One resident even recalled seeing sheep,
cows and pigs on the streets leading to the
slaughterhouses, which closed only in 1969 after
new facilities were completed in Jurong.
Other industries in the area included a pineapple factory and the Sin Siong Lim Sawmill, the latter of which was established in 1912 by Dr. Yin
›› did you know?
Suat Chuan, medical partner and brother-in-law
Syed Alwi was also the first known developer of
of Dr. Lim Boon Keng. The sawmill, which was
shophouses along Jalan Besar. He submitted plans for
active until the 1960s, was used as an internment
13 buildings at the corner of Weld Road in 1886. The
camp and screening centre during the Japanese
buildings no longer exist.
Occupation. Song Lin Building (1 Syed Alwi Road)
now stands on the site of the former sawmill.
SLAUGHTERHOUSES AND SAWMILLS
Teck Heng Long Industrial Building (11 Syed Alwi
In the early 20th century, Syed Alwi Road was Road) is a surviving three-storey commercial
known as Sai-ek a-lui koi thai tu-long pi in Hokkien, development built in 1950 in a utilitarian, modwhich meant ‘Syed Alwi street beside the abat- ernist style.
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Jalan Berseh, which runs parallel to Syed Alwi
Road, was originally a private road. It was named
Lorong Lalat or ‘Lane of Flies’ in 1920 due to the
proximity of a municipal refuse depot and incinerator, which attracted vermin as well as the disgust of nearby residents. Today, refuse generated
by households and industries is collected daily
and incinerated; the resulting ash is sent to
Semakau Landfill, an island near Pulau Bukom.
›› did you know?
Beyond the sawmills and rubber godowns, the banks
of the Rochor River between Syed Alwi Road and Jalan
Besar were once occupied by a village of 'pondoks'
(communal houses on stilts) called Kampong Boyan.
The Boyanese or Baweanese originate from Bawean, a
small island between Borneo and Java. Many Boyanese
who migrated to Singapore in the 19 th century settled
at Kampong Boyan and worked as gardeners, gharry
drivers or horse-trainers.
surround the oval windows, while the side pilasters (projecting wall columns) are richly decorated with flowery capitals and colourful tiles. The
plasterwork is robust yet delicate and Malay
woodcarvings adorn the doorways on the ground
floor. Until 1977, these shophouses were the site
of the Song Lim Market, which housed stalls that
sold provisions, groceries and poultry.
In the past, Syed Alwi Road was a busy market
street with various businesses and eateries that
catered to people who worked in the area. Today,
there are still many popular eateries: Gar Lok Eating House at 217 Syed Alwi Road is well-known
for Hakka beef noodles and yong tau foo (stuffed
bean curd), while a coffeeshop at 27 Maude
Road dishes out char kway teow (stir-fried flat
noodles with cockles) and yong tau foo.
“Syed Alwi Road used to be like
Chinatown in the 1980s. There were
stalls on the roadside selling fish,
vegetables, meat plus sundry shops.”
UNIQUE SHOPHOUSES
Today, Syed Alwi Road is still a busy avenue of
shophouses built from the late 1800s to the
– Mr Chow Chee Wing, 63, a teacher at Christ
1960s in a range of architectural styles. Some
Church Secondary School (now the People’s
Association headquarters).
units from the late 1920s are almost completely
bedecked with colourful ceramic wall tiles (see
“At Verdun Road and Maude Road,
214 Syed Alwi Road), while others have arched
windows with ventilation screens featuring elabthere was a kway teow shop and also
orate Malay tracery patterns. There are also richkang-chia mee for rickshaw pullers.”
ly ornamented shophouses with window tracery
in green and pink (the favoured colours of the
– Mr Phang Tai Heng, a long-time resident of
Jalan Besar.
Peranakans), ornate festoons or garlands and pillars bearing neoclassical Corinthian capitals in
contrasting colours, unit 216-2 being just one SWEE CHOON DIM SUM
191 Jalan Besar
example.
Another notable sight is a unique row of nine A landmark of Jalan Besar for nearly 50 years,
shophouses (61-69 Syed Alwi Road) next to New this restaurant is well-known for its wide assortWorld Centre. Built in an elegant, fanciful style ment of fresh and hand-made bao (Chinese buns
called Rococo, they are distinguished by a pair of stuffed with various ingredients) as well as dim
enormous œil de bœuf (ox-eye) window openings sum. This Cantonese term refers to a light meal
between a flat arched window on each second consisting of a choice of sweet and savoury finstorey. Pale green bas-relief festoon mouldings ger foods served in a small basket or saucer.
08
From the junction of Syed Alwi Road and Jalan Besar, make a right turn and walk against the traffic flow past
Maude and Kitchener Roads, until you reach Plumer Road, which faces the next featured site, New World.
Jalan Besar, facing Plumer Road
SOURCE: K F WONG COLLECTION, COURTESY OF NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
10
After the turmoil and trauma of the First World War (1914-1918),
and emboldened by the wealth of a post-war economic boom,
the 1920s became known as the Jazz Age or Roaring Twenties.
Reflecting this mood, New World opened in August 1923 to launch
an era of entertainment and show business that many older
Singaporeans still recall with fondness.
New World occupied an area bounded by
Jalan Besar, Kitchener Road, Serangoon Road and
Petain Road. From the start, the park was a magnet for people from all walks of life, from labourers to European merchants and even Malayan
royalty, who flocked to sample its range of spectacles, songs and more sensuous attractions.
There were boxing and wrestling matches, variety shows, lucky draws and cabaret acts. Teochew and Hokkien troupes, along with Malay
bangsawan groups, performed operas to thronging audiences. For the young-at-heart, there
was a Ferris wheel, merry-go-rounds and film
screenings, while income could also be disposed
of at stalls hawking trinkets, fashion and food.
Two brothers, Ong Boon Tat and Ong Peng
Hock, were the original owners of New World.
Despite their professed lack of experience in
show business, the park prospered (and drew
the competition of rivals Gay World and Great
World) in a time when there were few leisure
activities available after work. Shaw Organisation became involved in New World in the 1930s
when it acquired a share in the park, which had
three cinemas: the Pacific, State and Grand.
Perhaps the most popular attraction was the
cabaret hall, which could hold as many as 500
couples. Costing 50 cents to a dollar for entry
(then a hefty sum), guests could dance the waltz,
tango, rhumba or foxtrot to the sound of a live big
band. In the evening, young men and towkay alike
could pay for the chance to sashay with cheongsam-clad beauties, who were popularly known
as taxi-girls, as a coupon had to be purchased at
the door before one could dance with them.
Three dances cost a dollar, and the girls got a cut
of just 8 cents per dance.
During the Second World War, the park was
kept open by the Japanese who made it a gambling den. After the war, New World gained a
new lease in life as the masses, including allied
soldiers stationed in Singapore, returned in
droves. The cabaret, damaged by bombs, was
rebuilt and reopened in December 1947 to a
“As a student, we used to operate in two
teams to see sword-fighting shows like the
One-armed Swordsman at New World.
One team would rush to queue up to buy
front stall tickets, costing 50 cents
each, while the other team would rush to
order Mee Pok Dry at the corner coffee
shop. Those amongst us who were more
daring and friendly with the ushers would
sneak to the back stall rows once the show
started. There was also a shop making very
good Malay satay just outside the bus stop.”
– Mr Lim How Teck, who studied at Victoria School
from 1964-1969.
SOURCE: THE STRAITS TIMES © SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS
LIMITED. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.
New World
›› did you know?
›9le^XKXeafe^eXd\[X]k\iX]iX^iXekYcfjjfd was a New World dance hall famous in the
(0,'jXdfe^]Xejf]af^\k#XDXcXpjfZ`Xc
dance. Clad in their best, men young and old
would dance with hostesses in sarong kebaya
to live music, which evolved from ronggeng
and cha-cha in the 1950s to rock-and-roll in
the 1960s. Playwright A. Samad Said (b. 1935)
nXj`ejg`i\[Yp9le^XKXeafe^kfg\eCXekX`K%
Pinkie' (T. Pinkie’s Floor), a play about a cabaret
girl in post-war Malaya.
11
SOURCE: WONG KWAN COLLECTION, COURTESY OF NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE.
“After the war, my father made me go to
a Chinese school called Pei Min Xue Xiao,
which was inside New World. The opera
house and theatres were used as classrooms
in the morning. I was there for one-anda-half years. That's why I speak Mandarin
quite well!"
– Mr Kesavan Soon, 73, former national sprinter
who represented Singapore in the 1956 Olympics in
Melbourne.
“I grew up near Jalan Besar in the
1970s and remember there were coffee
shops near New World with bars in the
basements. I think you can still find one
or two such bars along Kitchener Road."
– Mr Ho Chee Hoong, 42, a former resident.
crowd of thousands. The park also added salacious elements such as performances by Rose
Chan (1925-1987), the ‘Queen of Striptease’.
Other celebrated acts were the stunt-wrestler
King Kong alias Emile Czaya (1909-1970),
strongman Ali Ahmad or Mat Tarzan (b. 1937)
and boxer Felix Boy alias S. Sinniah (b. 1936).
Sakura Teng (b. 1948), a songbird popular in the 1970s,
launched her career at New World, aged 17.
The ‘Worlds’ declined in the 1970s when television and, later, home video became popular.
The crowds vanished and New World was at one
time occupied by a furniture showroom and a
church. The longest surviving amusement park,
New World finally closed in 1987 when the land
was bought for development into a condominium.
All that remained was an iron arch flanked by two
pillars at the Jalan Besar entrance facing Plumer
Road. In December 2010, this gateway was relocated to City Green, an urban park at the junction
of Serangoon and Kitchener Roads.
ONG SAM LEONG AND HIS SONS
The father of the brothers who started New
World, Ong Sam Leong (1857-1918) was a Peranakan entrepreneur with interests in rubber,
timber and real estate, including properties along
Tyrwhitt, Petain and Verdun Roads. He also
owned Batam Brickworks and was the sole general contractor to the Christmas Island Phosphate Co., Ltd. Ong lived in a house at Bukit
Timah called Bukit Rose and was a President of
the Ban Chye Ho Club, said to be the oldest Chinese Club in Singapore. A hardworking man till
the end of his life, Ong was fond of motoring and
sea trips during his spare time. He was buried in
the largest tomb (spanning three basketball
courts) in Seh Ong Cemetery, which is today part
of Bukit Brown. Sam Leong Road off Jalan Besar,
“In Cantonese, it was known as
San Sai Kai ✣ĝ㾓. I vaguely
remember that we had a granduncle who worked as a gate-keeper
at New World. So occasionally
when he was on duty, he’d let us in
without buying an entrance ticket.
Like Great World, New World had
the usual attractions like cinemas,
ghost train, merry-go-rounds,
shooting galleries, bumper cars,
restaurants and food and clothing
stalls. The ghost train would be
moving in the dark, and then come
to a sudden stop and a ghoulish
demon would light up in front of
you, accompanied by evil laughter. I
recall that the ‘demons’ were really
quite amateurishly made. I could
clearly see the coconut and husk
used for its head. It wasn’t scary at
all but still the girls screamed.
– Mr Lam Chun See, 59, a business
consultant.
formerly Paya Road, was renamed after him in
1928.
Ong Boon Tat (1888-1941) served on the
Municipal Commission and was a Justice of
the Peace. He died following an accident at his
house at Pulau Damar Laut (now part of
Jurong Island). Boon Tat Street (formerly
Japan Street) was named after him in 1946.
Ong Peng Hock (d. 1968) continued to run
New World with his partner Runme Shaw
(1901-1985) after the war. In 1946, he moved
from a residence at Tyrwhitt Road (which was
converted into the Eastern Hotel and later the
Foochow Building) to a house at East Coast
Road named Christmas Island Villa. Both
brothers were buried in tombs beside their
father’s at Bukit Brown.
From the former gateway to New World, continue up Jalan Besar until you reach the junction of Jalan Besar
and Petain Road. Turn left into Petain Road to visit the next featured site.
13
10-42 Petain Road
Petain Road Terrace
Houses
Shophouses and their residential
counterpart, the terrace house,
have been a quintessential
part of the Singapore urban
landscape ever since their
basic design was laid down in
Raffles’ Town Plan of 1822. In
essence, these buildings, which
range from two to five storeys,
form a continuous row of units
separated by common party
walls and linked in front by a
sheltered verandah popularly
known as a five-foot way.
designed by J.M. Jackson, these were the first
three-storey buildings along the road. The shophouses have many then-contemporary features
such as partial flat roofs and street-facing terraces on the top floor. Staircases leading to the fivefoot way separated the public ‘shop’ and private
‘house’ portions.
Most of the shophouses along Jalan Besar
were built between 1900 and 1939 and span
architectural styles from traditional to late and
Art Deco. Units built in the 1920s were highly
ornamented and expressed an urban grandeur
that reflected the wealth gained during a Malayan rubber and tin boom. One unmatched example is a row of 18 two-storey terrace houses along
Petain Road. Built in 1930 for Mohamed bin Haji
Omar, the houses reflect a contemporary obsession with glazed ceramic tiles, which cover the
ground facades and even the upper storey columns in lavish numbers. The architect, E.V. Miller, was actually a Modernist in the Bauhaus
The ground floor of a shophouse usually served school which favours rounded lines and streamas a business premise, while the upper storeys lined functionality over ornamentation and symwere occupied by the owner or rented out to oth- metry. Were it not for the dictates of his brief, the
er tenants. At last count, there were 235 shop- buildings might have turned out very differently.
houses lining Jalan Besar proper, a tangible
The townhouses, which were in danger of
record of architectural tastes from the 1880s to demolition in 1979, were built in a style often
the 1960s. The very first shophouses in the area known as ‘Chinese Baroque’, which blended neowere simple affairs: two-storey back-to-back classical features such as Greco-Roman columns
structures with a narrow frontage and a rear with elaborate capitals bearing Chinese motifs.
court. Three of the earliest surviving examples These units also incorporated colours favoured
are at 61-65 Jalan Besar; these were built in 1888 by the Peranakans. Complimenting the floral
by a man named Ismail Sah, probably as dwelling ceramic tiles are colourful plaster reliefs of birds,
places, as windows and doors formerly aligned trees and blossoms over terracotta finishes.
the five-foot way. There is little decoration, apart Many of the tiles along the five-foot way were
from a terrace over each rear court.
lost over time and had to be replaced by similar
Some decades later, in 1925, a landowner pieces made in Vietnam during their restoration.
named Mohamad bin Haji Omar built a row of Much of the original terra cotta flooring has
five shophouses with visible concern for visual been preserved to retain the vintage look of the
impact. Located at 235-243 Jalan Besar and walkway.
SOURCE: THE STRAITS TIMES © SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.
14
After exploring Petain Road, return to Jalan Besar, cross the street, make a right turn and walk until you
reach the junction of Allenby Road and Jalan Besar.
15
ROADS WITH A WORLD WAR I THEME.
In October 1928, the streets on this side of Jalan Besar were given Great War-related names by the
Municipal Commission to honour leading commanders and battles of the First World War.
KITCHENER ROAD
» after Field Marshall
Horatio Herbert Kitchener.
BEATTY ROAD
» after Admiral David Beatty.
VERDUN ROAD
» after the Battle of Verdun in
northern France in 1916.
PETAIN ROAD
» after Marshall Philippe
Petain, French Commander
of the Battle of Verdun.
SOMME ROAD
» after the Battle of the
Somme in France in 1916.
MARNE ROAD
¾X]k\iXdXafiYXkkc\j`k\Yp
the Marne River in France.
FLANDERS SQUARE
» after Flanders, a region at
the borders of France and
9\c^`ldk_XknXjXdXafi
battlefield.
MONS ROAD
» after the Battle of Mons in
Belgium in 1914.
FALKLAND ROAD
» after the Battle of the
Falklands in December 1914.
STURDEE ROAD
» after Sir Frederick
Charles Doveton Sturdee,
Commander-in-Chief of the
South Atlantic and South
Pacific.
JUTLAND ROAD
» This road became part of
Beatty Road in 1957. The
name commemorates the
pivotal Battle of Jutland off
Denmark between British
and German battleships
in 1916.
›› did you know?
›N_`c\dfjkle`kj`ek_`jifnn\i\
residences, one unit near the centre
formerly housed a Hockchew temple
called Tian Shu Tang. It was easy
to recognise as the windows and
doors were painted in red. Songbird
enthusiasts also used to gather at
a nearby corner to display their
singing pets in cages.
›K_\G\kX`eIfX[Xi\XnXjfeZ\
known as 'Keen Chio Kar', or ‘the
foot of the banana tree’ in Hokkien.
Chinese vegetable farms were based
here before the shophouses were
built. Before the Second World
War, the neighbourhood was a
red-light district. Even today, parts
of Flanders Square and Marne Road
have an unsavoury reputation.
›K_\Zfcflijf]Xj_fg_flj\ZXe^`m\
you a clue about who its owners
were. Those with pastel shades
and an unrestrained use of colours
were probably owned by Malay or
Peranakan families.
17
(290 Jalan Besar)
(298 Jalan Besar)
International Hotel Allenby House
This pair of buildings at the
junction of Allenby Road and Jalan
Besar present an unmissable
gateway to the Jalan Besar
Stadium, with curving profiles
that frame the approach to
Tyrwhitt Road.
FUTSING BUILDING
2 Allenby Road
Built in 1988, the Futsing Building belongs to the
Singapore Futsing Association, which represents
people of Hockchia descent. The Hockchias originate from Fuqing, a city in Fujian, China and
speak their own dialect. The Futsing Association
was founded in 1910 to serve the Hockchia community, who were mostly trishaw or rickshaw
pullers and later, employees or owners of bus
Allenby House was built in 1928 and designed by companies. Today, there are 20,000-30,000 SinWesterhout and Osman for an owner named gaporeans of Hockchia descent.
Poi Ching Primary School, which is now based
Chittiar. The building was originally planned as a
three-storey shophouse with a stately neoclassi- at Tampines, was established by the associacal façade. A fourth floor was later added and the tion in 1919 at Victoria Street. In 2000, the
façade modified into a Georgian design that Futsing Association organised an international
exudes a sense of graceful monumentality. Inside, beauty pageant for Hockchia girls, which was
there is a central court surrounded on the upper said to be the first such event held by a clan body
floor by an open corridor lined with eight cubicles. in Singapore. The winner, a local beauty queen,
Within the court was a core of toilets, bathrooms was chosen from 31 contestants and bagged a
and kitchens. Allenby House was the first four- bungalow in Fuqing. Hockchia delicacies include
storey building along Jalan Besar as well as the deep fried oyster cakes and guang bing, a dry biscuit with a hole in the centre for stringing. This
first dedicated lodging house by the road.
Across the road lies the former International made it easy for soldiers to carry the biscuits
Hotel, which was built in 1937 for owner Chia Nai around their necks.
Cheong by the architectural firm of Ho Kwong
Yew. The hotel represented a second wave of
“Back in our kampong days, the
lodging houses and residential hotels that
traditional (Chinese) wedding banquet
emerged along Jalan Besar to cater to travellers
and businessmen. Inside, there were six cubicles
was made up of two separate sessions: one
and a service core laid out around a rear court.
in the afternoon for women folk, and the
The curved exterior features continuous projectother at night for the men. Later on, as
ing balconies made from reinforced concrete,
we moved into the seventies, this practice
which buffer the rooms from the environment.
The building now houses a coffee shop called Earwas gradually replaced by a single
nest Restaurant, which is well-known for stalls
wedding dinner, usually held at popular
selling prawn noodles and yong tau foo.
restaurants. I remember three such
Other notable hotels that used to operate
restaurants in particular. One was the
along Jalan Besar include the Kam Leng Hotel
Lai Wah Restaurant located at the top
(which opened in 1927 and was restored in 2012),
the five-storey Art Deco White House Hotel at
floor of a building along Jalan Besar,
1-3 and 5 Jalan Besar, and the Ngung Hin Hotel at
near to the junction with Lavender
the corner of Jalan Besar and Syed Alwi Road
Street, opposite the present Eminent
(now the site of New World Centre). Two shopPlaza. I think the building is still there
houses at 345 and 351 Jalan Besar, built in 1948
as part of a 1930 town plan for the district, were
today. Lai Wah was well known for its
also originally lodging houses. Though designed
Cantonese cuisine and its celebrity chef
by different architects, both units are similar, with
by the name of Tham Yui Kai.”
a central service core linked several cubicles. The
facades are articulated at the corners and mirror
– Lam Chun See, 59, on Lai Wah Restaurant (now
each other in a way, providing a balanced pasat Bendemeer Road), which opened in 1963 at
Kam Leng Hotel, 383 Jalan Besar.
sage into Sturdee Road.
18
19
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
CLAN ASSOCIATIONS
FRAMROZ AERATED
AROUND JALAN BESAR
WATER COMPANY
Clan associations arose in early Singapore as Framroz is a brand familiar to Singaporeans who
migrants formed self-help and mutual support grew up in the 1950s and 1960s. It was also the
groups based on their places of origin, surname name of a soft drinks company with a three-stoor dialect. A number of clan associations have rey factory at the site of the present Futsing
their headquarters in the Jalan Besar area. Some, Association. The firm was started in 1904 by Philike the Futsing Association and Foochow Asso- rozshaw Manekji Framroz (1877-1960), a Parsi
ciation (21 Tyrwhitt Road), have their own multi- born in Bombay, India, who arrived in Singapore
storey buildings, while others conduct their activ- in 1903. The business, which moved from Cecil
ities from shophouses. The Singapore Kiangsi Street to Allenby Road in 1952, was one of the
Association at 277 Jalan Besar, for instance, has first local manufacturers to make carbonated
its origins in 1935 when locals of Kiangsi (Jiangxi) beverages using fruit imported from California.
origin, numbering about 300, established a group By the late 1960s, the company was producing
to provide social and recreational amenities. more than 25 varieties of soft drinks, cordials and
Today, the association is part of the Sam Kiang squashes. The company was acquired by Ben
Huay Kwan, which embraces clan bodies from Foods, a local food company, in 1972, and wound
the provinces of Jiangxi, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. up a couple of years later.
The religion of the Parsis, or Zoroastrianism, is
Another prominent clan association headquarters is the four-storey Lee Clan General Associa- one of the ten religions represented in Singation building at 363A Jalan Besar. The Nanyang pore’s Inter-Religious Organisation and enjoys
Sim Clan Association is another clan association, the same status as other faiths. Zoroastrianism
based at the Wu De Building at 6A Beatty Road. was founded in Persia by the Prophet Zoroaster
3,000 years before the common era. Believers
who moved in India were called Parsis as they
originated from the Parsa province in Persia. The
first Parsi in Singapore was a man named
Muncherjee, who arrived in the 1820s. More Parsis came in the mid 19th century and established
themselves as merchants and professionals. Mr
Framroz was the first president of the Parsi Association of Singapore in 1954.
FORMER ENG WAH BUILDING
A stately Art Deco mansion built in 1932 once
stood opposite the Futsing Association at 3
Allenby Road. Reportedly a dwelling for Ong
Boon Tat, co-owner of New World, the building
was the headquarters of a Japanese battalion
during the war. Later, it was used to house the
movie archives of the Eng Wah Organisation. The
three-storey building was demolished in 2006 as
a fire had made it unsuitable for conservation.
“During our time, soft drinks were
not something most folks could afford
to consume everyday. Chinese New Year
was one of the few occasions when we had
practically free flow of soft drinks to the
delight of the kids. My favourites were
Sarsi and Ice Cream Soda. The famous
brand then was Framroz, and hence there
was no Pepsi for Chinese New Year.”
– Lam Chun See, 59, a business consultant.
At the end of Allenby Road, turn left and you will find yourself at Tyrwhitt Road, home of the Jalan Besar Stadium.
20
21
100 Tyrwhitt Road
For many decades, this was the scene of pulsating soccer matches
as well as stirring parades and festivals. Considered the birthplace
of Singapore football, Jalan Besar Stadium opened in December
1929 as a replacement for an older playing field at Anson Road. The
very first game before a crowd of 7,000 took place on Boxing Day
1929, between the Malayan Chinese and Malayan Asiatics teams,
with the former winning 3-2.
From 1932 to 1966, these grounds hosted
Malaya Cup matches, and later, the Malaysia
Cup tournament from 1967 until 1973, when the
National Stadium was built at Kallang. Apart
from soccer, hockey and rugby were also played
here. The stadium also serves as the headquarters of the Football Association of Singapore.
The original stadium was built on the site of
a swamp filled with municipal refuse from the
Jalan Besar incinerator and turfed with Serangoon grass, a local species of grass. The original
22
playing field, measuring 110 x 73 metres and surrounded by a cinder running track, had to be
raised by nine inches over a bed of ashes, earth
and sand to keep it from flooding during heavy
rains. There were three levels of concrete terraces for spectators with a seating capacity of 2,500
and standing space for 7,500 more.
During the Japanese Occupation, the stadium
was a major Sook Ching screening site. It was also
used as a language centre to teach the Japanese
language to civilians. After the war, the stadium
SOURCE: DAVID NG COLLECTION, COURTESY OF NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
SOURCE: THE STRAITS TIMES © SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.
Jalan Besar Stadium
regained its status as a hub for community and
national events; it was the venue for the first Singapore Youth Festival in 1955; the first Singapore
Armed Forces Day on 1 July 1969 and the National Day Parade in 1984.
The stadium was closed in December 1999 for
a major rebuilding programme. The original playing pitch was retained and the new facility reopened as part of the Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre in June 2003 with a seating
capacity of 6,000. An adjacent hawker centre
and carpark made way for a public swimming
complex, and the most striking new feature is a
slightly arched steel roof resembling a suspension bridge over the southwest grandstand. In
2008, a further upgrade converted the pitch into
artificial turf to meet international guidelines.
“The stadium was the best in
British Malaya before Merdeka
Stadium was built in Kuala
Lumpur. In the 1960s, as a
kid, I watched my dream team
England play 'live' before my
eyes at Jalan Besar Stadium and
how they effortlessly trounced
Singapore 9-0; I had never
before seen Uncle Choo [Seng
Quee] so quiet throughout a
match. There were also dairy
goats and cows grazing in the
fields outside the stadium,
where the present swimming
complex is now. They were owned
by Indian milkmen who would
deliver fresh, warm milk to
the doorsteps of neighbourhood
households.”
– Mr Lim Eng Chong, an old boy of
Victoria School, recollecting scenes in
the area in the 1960s and early 1970s.
OPERATION SOOK CHING
Meaning ‘purification through elimination’ in
Chinese, Sook Ching was an attempt by the
Japanese army to ferret out and destroy suspected anti-Japanese elements among the Chinese
population. Three days after the British surrendered on 15 February 1942, the Kempetai or Japanese Military Police ordered all Chinese men to
assemble at designated mass-screening centres
for a dai kensho or ‘great inspection’. At Jalan
Besar Stadium, even women and children were
required to register themselves. New World was
also another Sook Ching site. More than 240 men
who gathered at the Jalan Besar checkpoints
ended up dead in massacres at Tanah Merah and
Changi Beach. As many as 50,000 are thought
to have perished in the islandwide Sook Ching.
The next featured site is located right beside the stadium, and bounded by Tyrwhitt and Kitchener Roads.
23
9 St George’s Avenue
People’s Association Headquarters
(Former Victoria School)
Since 2009, this has been the headquarters of the People’s
Association. From 1985 to 2001, this was the site of Christ Church
Secondary School. But many Singaporeans also have fond memories
of this place as the site of Victoria School from 1933 to 1984. (Please
note that there is no public access to the premises).
Victoria School has its origins in 1876, when school. Bomford's successor, Michael Campbell
Kampong Glam Malay Branch School was found- (principal from 1954-1957), was instrumental in
ed under headmaster Y.A. Yzelman to teach Eng- leading the school to new heights, with several
lish to Malay pupils in Kampong Glam. In 1897, Queen's Scholars, Queen's Scouts and national
this school was amalgamated with Kampong sportsmen. Another fondly remembered princiGlam Malay School (established in 1884 under pal, A. Kannayson (principal from 1966-1971), did
headmaster Abdul Wahab and later, M. Hellier), much to boost morale and oversaw the building
and renamed Victoria Bridge School, with J.H.H. of a new classroom block, canteen, school hall
Jarett as principal. It was located at the junction and science laboratories. The school moved to
of Syed Alwi Road and Victoria Street near the Geylang Bahru in 1984 before shifting to its preVictoria Bridge. Secondary classes began in 1931. sent location at Siglap Link in 2003.
On 18 September 1933, the school moved to
Victoria School is well known for its strong
new premises at Tyrwhitt Road and was renamed academic record and has nurtured many leaders
Victoria School. The school motto Nil Sine Labore in public service as well as the education, legal,
(‘Nothing Without Labour’) was introduced in medical and corporate sectors. Distinguished
1940, followed by the formation of the Old Vic- alumni include former Cabinet member S.
torians' Association a year later. During the Jap- Dhanabalan (b. 1937); Emeritus Professor Edwin
anese Occupation, the school was renamed Jalan Thumboo (b. 1933), Singapore's unofficial poet
Besar Boys’ School. After the war, the school laureate; Professor Ahmad Ibrahim (1916-1999),
premises were briefly used as a hospital. In 1950, Singapore's first non-British Attorney-General;
Victoria School became the first school in Singa- and Dr. Arumugam Vijiaratnam (b. 1921), first
pore to have a dedicated Science block, which Pro-Chancellor of the Nanyang Technological
was planned by headmaster Raymond F. Bom- University and a former national player in hockey,
ford. After his death in 1953, the Bomford Memo- soccer, rugby and cricket. The school also enjoys
rial Fund for outstanding students was estab- a proud sporting tradition. In 1956, sprinter Kesalished to commemorate his contributions to the van Soon, aged 17, represented Singapore at the
Melbourne Olympic Games and was voted the
most popular sportsman in the peninsula that
year. Other notable Victorian sportsmen include
“They always said that Victoria School had
Charlie Chan, who played in the Malaya Cup as
the best football field in Singapore. When
a 16-year old student in 1952, and national soccer
it rained, the field would be drained within
coach Choo Seng Quee (1914-1983).
half an hour. Nearby, there were a lot of
The site was occupied by Christ Church Secshops selling ropes, canvas and hardware.
ondary School from 1985 to 2001. Founded in
1952 as Christ Church School, a private school
These old shops along St George’s Avenue
under the Christ Church Parish at Dorset Road,
have been there since the blocks were built.”
the school came under the aegis of the Anglican
Diocese of Singapore in 1973 and was renamed
– Mr Chow Chee Wing, 63.
Christ Church Secondary School. The school
moved to Woodlands in 2001.
In December 2004, the People’s Association
(PA) announced that it would move into the for›› did you know?
mer Victoria School premises from the former
Three Presidents of Singapore were old boys of
Kallang Airport Building, which it had occupied
Victoria School. They are Mr Yusof bin Ishak (1910since 1960. After restoration and refurbishment,
1970), Mr C.V. Devan Nair (1923-2005) and Mr S.R.
the new headquarters of the PA opened on 29
Nathan (b. 1924).
24
25
“The old building's principal was
my father. I recall spending long
afternoons, sometimes nights, in
Christ Church, waiting for him to
finish sending faxes and shouting at
students. To occupy my time, I used
to dare myself to visit the back end
toilets, which I swear were haunted.
I also remember other times, when
my father would deposit me at Jalan
Besar Stadium. I would watch S.
League games until even being the
only one cheering ironically got
boring.”
– Mr Dan Koh, 24, editor.
“Most of the people in Victoria School
were sportsmen. In those days, the
teachers were very interested in sports.
We had a British lady who was an
Olympic swimmer; that's why we had a
very strong swimming team. The whole
school would be at every single football
game. The esprit de corps was very good.
The school also had very good support
from mechanics in the area, because most
of the children were from the area. So
everytime we had a football match, we had
to close the gates; otherwise, they'd come
in and wallop the opponent team.”
– Mr Kesavan Soon, 73, Victoria School student
from 1953-1958.
FOOCHOW BUILDING
21 Tyrwhitt Road
Foochow (Fuzhou) is the capital of China's Fujian province. Migrants from Foochow, who
speak a dialect called Hockchew, arrived in Singapore in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Today, there are about 120,000 people of Foochow descent in Singapore. Early Foochow
migrants worked in coffee shops or as tailors or
barbers. The Foochow Association was founded in 1910 at Club Street. The six-storey Foochow Association building at Tyrwhitt Road was
built in 1974 and jointly developed with the Foochow Coffee Restaurant and Bar Merchants
Association.
SOURCE: VICTORIA SCHOOL
January 2010. Founded on 1 July 1960 after Singapore attained internal self-government on 3
December 1959, the PA’s mission was to foster
racial harmony and social cohesion in a new
nation through islandwide community centres
that provide common social and recreational
spaces for Singaporeans of all races and religions.
The PA is also the organiser of the annual Chingay
street parade, which came under its purview in
1973. Chingay processions organised by Chinese
clans and temples began in Singapore in the 19th
century. The first modern Chingay parade, coorganised by the PA and National Pugilistic Federation, took place on 4 February 1973 and
involved 2,000 participants who marched from
Victoria School to Outram Park. Since then, Chingay has grown from a largely Chinese procession
featuring lion dancers and martial artists into a
multi-ethnic showcase of performing groups.
If you find the premises similar to the civic
buildings around the Padang, it is because they
were both designed by Frank Dorrington Ward (b.
1885), then Chief Architect of the Public Works
Department. The original main school building,
hailing from 1933, is a neoclassical edifice with a
long frontage and upper-storey corridor. This
block, along with a hall-cum-canteen added in
1967 and the school field, has been conserved and
restored as part of the PA’s headquarters.
HINGHWA METHODIST CHURCH
93 Kitchener Road
This church was founded in 1911 by Reverend Dr.
W.N. Brewster, a missionary who worked in
Fujian province and later came to Singapore. In
1933, the church, which began with a congregation of 21 Hinghwa speakers, acquired a shophouse at Sam Leong Road which was converted
into a place of worship. The current site was
obtained in 1941 with financial aid from the
Methodist Church in America. An earlier twostorey building was replaced by the present
four-storey facility in November 1986. Today,
the church holds services in English, Hinghwa
and Mandarin.
Next, walk up Tyrwhitt Road until you reach the junction of Horne Road, then turn right. The next featured
site, Holy Trinity Church, is located at the junction of Horne and Hamilton Roads.
27
1 Hamilton Road
Holy Trinity Church
Anglican Chinese services in Singapore could possibly trace their
origin to 1856, when a stirring Whitsunday sermon by Revd William
Humphrey of St Andrew’s Church (now St Andrew’s Cathedral)
aroused interest in setting up local congregations. St Andrew’s
Church Mission was later established and grew in strength following
the arrival of Revd William Henry Gomes (1827-1902), a missionary
who had served in Sarawak and who spoke Tamil, Malay and Dyak, in
1872. Revd Gomes later learnt Hokkien in Singapore.
Foochow-speaking mission work began in 1902 tus in 1958. The Foochow Parish and the Hokkien
under the leadership of Revd R. Richards. In 1910, Parish eventually formed the Holy Trinity Parish
Revd Dong Bing Seng (1871-1961) was engaged in 1984.
from Foochow, China, to work with the Foochow
Built with Chinese-style green tiled roofs and
congregation in Singapore. In 1927, Revd Ng Ho decorative elements, the church was designed by
Le arrived from Penang to serve the local Hok- Ho Kwong Yew (d. 1942) in a vernacular Art
kien-speaking community. Services in the Foo- Deco style intended to make it easier for locals to
chow and Hokkien dialects were held at St Peter’s relate to the building. A versatile architect, Ho
Church in the compound of St Andrew’s School was also the designer of the futuristic Art Deco
at Stamford Road.
house of Aw Boon Par at Tiger Balm Gardens
The Stamford Road site was acquired by the (now Haw Par Villa). Unlike most churches, the
government in 1937 for the building of the former altar and nave (where the services are held) were
National Library (which was in turn torn down in located on the second level. The ground floor
2005). The Foochow and Hokkien worshipers housed an assembly area with a stage, which
then moved to Hamilton Road, where the present served as a kindergarten from 1953 until the
building was completed and dedicated on 1970s. A new five-storey Annex Building behind
20 July 1941 by the Venerable Graham White (d. the original hall was completed and dedicated by
1945), Anglican Archdeacon of Singapore. The the Most Rev. Dr. John Chew, Bishop of the AngliFoochow assembly became the first Chinese can Diocese of Singapore, on 24 July 2011 during
congregation in Malaya to be granted parish sta- the Church’s 70th Anniversary Service.
28
29
2 Beatty Lane
Thekchen Choling Temple
Today, this corner of Beatty Lane
and Tyrwhitt Road is occupied
by a Tibetan Buddhist temple
called Thekchen Choling
(meaning 'Great Mahayana
Dharma Temple').
WORLD WAR I NAMES FOR
RECLAIMED STREETS
The new roads created around the Jalan Besar Stadium in
the 1920s were named after leaders of the Great War in
August 1929.
Established in 2001 by Lama Thubten Namdrol
Dorje (born Felix Lee), the temple is open 24
hours a day and has attracted many younger devotees to its prayer sessions as well as Dharma
(the teachings of Buddha) classes held in both
English and Mandarin.
The temple and its followers are also active in
community outreach, providing healing services,
tuition to students in the Jalan Besar area and
distributing food to poorer families during major
festivals.
There is a small statue of Ji Gong (a 12th century Taoist monk revered as a folk deity) in the
temple hall, which is a reminder of its origins as
a shrine called Chee Kong Tong Temple. This
temple was built in 1939 by a migrant from
Shanghai who had originally set up a small altar
near the front gates of New World. There were
many statues of Ji Gong made from wood and
ceramic in the former Chee Kong Tong Temple.
Another temple to Ji Gong, Leng Ern Jee, can be
found at Jalan Rajah off Balestier Road.
ALLENBY ROAD
» after Field Marshall Edmund Allenby
KING GEORGE’S AVENUE
» After King George V of Britain
CAVAN ROAD
¾X]k\i=i\[\i`ZbIl[fc]CXdYXik#('k_<Xic
of Cavan and British Commander-in-Chief
of the Italian Front
FOCH ROAD
» after Marshall Ferdinand Foch, Supreme Commander
of the Allied Forces
FRENCH ROAD
» after Field Marshall Sir John French
HAMILTON ROAD
» after Sir Ian Standish Hamilton, Commander-in-Chief
of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
HORNE ROAD
» after Sir Henry Sinclair Horne, Commander of the
British First Army.
JELLICOE ROAD
» after Admiral John Jellicoe
MAUDE ROAD
» after General Sir Frederick Maude
MILNE ROAD
¾X]k\iCfi[8c]i\[D`ce\i#D`e`jk\if]NXi
PLUMER ROAD
» after Field Marshall Herbert Charles
Onslow Plumer
TOWNSHEND ROAD
¾X]k\iDXafi>\e\iXcJ`i:_Xic\jM\i\=\ii\ij
Townshend of the British Indian Army
TYRWHITT ROAD
(originally Fisher Road, renamed in 1932)
» after Admiral Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt
After exploring Tyrwhitt, Hamilton and Cavan Roads, walk northwards until you reach Lavender Street.
30
HAMILTON ROAD:
A SHORT HISTORY
In 1925, new streets were cut through the former swampland bounded by Lavender Street,
Syed Alwi Road, Rochor River and Jalan Besar
during the planning stages of the Jalan Besar
Stadium. The Municipality later decided to
name these roads after First World War military heroes. Two exceptions were Penhas
Road and Jalan Boyan. Penhas Road was
named after Rahmin Penhas (d. 1946), a
wealthy Jewish merchant who was the first
developer of the area, submitting plans for
three shophouses along Lavender Street in
1928. Jalan Boyan (now expunged) was
named after a former Boyanese village at the
location of the public housing flats on King
George's Avenue.
A man named Seah Koon Teck was the first
owner to develop buildings by Hamilton Road
in 1931. These 14 two-storey shophouses (1541 Hamilton Road) were designed by an Arab
architect, H.D. Ali, in a neoclassical style with
tile roofs, tripartite louvered windows and fanlike ventilation slots. The second group of
32
buildings was a row of six two-storey shophouses (32-42 Hamilton Road) designed by
J.M. Jackson for owner Pana Noor Mohamed
bin Pakir Mohamed. Two of these shophouses
have been converted into the Hotel Hamilton.
Later, Woo Mon Chew (1887-1958), a
prominent granite and carpentry contractor,
developed two facing rows of three-storey
shophouses (3-11 and 8-30 Hamilton Road),
which were among the first reinforced concrete shophouses in Singapore. Designed in
the Art Deco style by architect Chung Hong
Woot (1895-1957), the buildings have thin
projecting concrete overhangs and horizontal
parapets that convey a sense of continuity.
The centre of the larger block has a pediment
(a triangular section) and balconies that span
two units. Stepped pediments topped by flagpoles book-end each block.
During the Second World War, one of the
shops was converted into a civil defence fire
station. Civilians took refuge in the five-foot
way and fled to the safety of the reinforced
concrete building. Mr Woo fed these refugees
and as a result, the road became colloquially
known as ‘Woo Mon Chew Road’. There is a
Woo Mon Chew Road in Siglap, which was
paved by Mr Woo and where he built a house.
After the war, car repair workshops and
mechanics moved into the neighbourhood,
but moved out in the 1970s. Today, hardware
businesses and coffee shops dominate the
five-foot ways of the area, which was conserved in 1991.
Nearby, the former foundry of Kwong Soon
Engineering still remains at 2 Cavan Road.
Founded by Ching Pak Seng in 1933 as a maker of rubber mangles (machines used to create flat sheets), the company entered the
ship-repair sector after the war, becoming the
first Chinese-owned establishment to break
into the hitherto European monopoly.
"In early 1942, my grandfather moved
his family from a home in the outskirts
of Singapore to the shophouses. He had
hoped for the protection of the British
Army stationed in the city. By late
January 1942, Singapore was under
intense air attack. Ironically, the area
around Hamilton Road was heavily
attacked because the Army had stationed
in the Victoria School by the stadium."
– Woo Pui Leng (b. 1953), an architect and
granddaughter of Woo Mon Chew who lived at
Jalan Besar and Hamilton Road from the 1950s
to 1980s. She is also the author of 'The Urban
History of Jalan Besar', a book published by the
URA in 2010.
›› did you know?
Woo Mon Chew was a former chairman of the Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital. He owned a number of granite quarries,
including the former Woo Mon Chew Granite Quarry (now Pekan Quarry) at Pulau Ubin, which is about 10 minutes
nXcb]ifdk_\m`ccX^\a\kkpXe[efnX_fd\kfdXepjg\Z`\jf]Y`i[j%
33
SOURCE: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE.
Lavender Street
Until the mid-20th century, the hinterland beyond Lavender Street
was a vast tidal basin fed by the Kallang River. Originally named
Rochor Road in 1846, this was a dirt track flanked by brick kilns and
vegetable gardens. Urine and night soil (human waste collected
from households in buckets) were used to fertilise the crops, making
the area one of the most foul-smelling on the island.
In 1858, a resident cynically suggested that the
road be renamed Lavender Street (lavender is an
aromatic shrub), which was accepted. The new
name also avoided confusion with Rochor Road
(now Victoria Street). The Hokkiens called the
street Chai Hng Lai, or ‘Within the vegetable gardens’. It was also known as Go Cho Toa Kong Si or
‘Rochor Big Kongsi’ as the main lodge of a kongsi
or secret society was located nearby. The Can34
tonese called it Kwong Fuk Miu Kai or Kwong Fook
Temple Street, after a now-demolished temple
built in 1880. In Tamil, the street was known as
Kosa Theruvu or Potter’s Street.
In the 1880s, fields around the road were used
for cattle grazing, an activity that led to the building of abattoirs further down Jalan Besar. The
vegetable gardens vanished by the 1910s. But
Lavender Street’s foul reputation carried into the
20th century, when swill collectors would collect
leftovers from houses in the area for mixing with
water hyacinths from the nearby Kallang Basin.
The mixture was fed to pigs.
In 1929, Municipal Commissioner John Laycock (1887-1960) suggested to the laughter of
his fellow Commissioners that new roads off Lavender Street (the area around the present day
Kempas Road) be named after aromatic flowers
such as rosemary and thyme. The proposal was
not accepted.
With the building of the Jalan Besar Stadium
and filling in of the swampland between Lavender
Street and Jalan Besar in the late 1920s, new
shophouses began to emerge along the southern
flank of Lavender Street as well as along Hamilton, Tyrwhitt and Cavan Roads. Many of these
developments were in the Art Deco style that
was becoming popular at that time, which fea-
tured clean lines, simple facades with well-proportioned windows, continuous windowsills and
roof pediments topped by flagpoles. The owners
of these shophouses lived in the upper storeys
with their families or rented out the units to
labourers and dancers from New World.
Today, many hardware suppliers can be found
in the small roads between Lavender Street and
Jalan Besar Stadium. These businesses began
moving into the area in the 1970s, taking over car
repair and motor engineering companies which
had to move out under new zoning rules. Other
industries in the area included the Sinwa Rubber
Manufactory and the National Aerated Water
Company, which manufactured a once popular
soft drink brand called Sinalco. The bottler was
based at Hamilton Road from 1929 to 1955.
Today, its disused plant at 1177 Serangoon Road
is a familiar sight to passer-bys.
35
“In the early 1940s, Lavender Street was a
quiet street where you could see workers from
the factories kicking chapteh in the middle of
the street during lunch hour.”
– Mr Phang Tai Heng, long-time resident of Jalan Besar.
LAVENDER FOOD SQUARE
This food centre was formerly known as Bugis
Square. The old name arose as this was where
many hawkers from Bugis Street moved to after
they were relocated in the 1980s. In 1990, the
open-air hawker centre was redeveloped into a
covered food centre with a layered ceiling and
arched entrances that recall the architecture of
Lau Par Sat in Telok Ayer, and renamed to avoid
confusion with the Bugis area. Stalls selling chicken rice, turtle soup and wonton mee (dumpling
noodles) are among the popular eateries here.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
TAI PEI BUDDHIST CENTRE
Located at the corner of Kallang Road and Lavender Street, the Tai Pei Buddhist Centre was founded by Mdm Poon Sin Kiew or the Venerable Sek
Fatt Kuan (1927-2002), whose mother Chow
Siew Keng (d. 1958) arrived in Singapore from
Guangdong in 1936. Mdm Chow established a
temple at Jalan Kemaman in 1938. After her
mother's death, Mdm Poon took over as chief
abbess and rebuilt the temple as Tai Pei Yuen
Temple. As the ministry grew, the Tai Pei Foundation took over the former Kwong Fook School in
1985 before redeveloping the site in 1990. The
building is used to promote Buddhist teachings
and also houses a childcare centre.
LEE RUBBER COMPANY SHOPHOUSES
161 Lavender Street
In the 1930s, the Lee Rubber Company built a
row of eleven shophouses between Foch and Tyrwhitt Roads, which have been conserved and
retain their originate Art Deco facades with pastel tiles. The plaster figures on the roof pediment
facing Foch Road depict soldiers carrying the
Nationalist Flag of the Republic of China, as company owner Lee Kong Chian was an ardent supporter of the Chinese Nationalist Movement of
Dr. Sun Yat Sen.
Lee Kong Chian (1893-1967) was born in Fujian province, China. He moved to Singapore in
1903 and later worked as a teacher and translator. Tan Kah Kee (1874-1961), the ‘Henry Ford of
Malaya’, then recruited Lee, who was fluent in
both English and Chinese, to manage his rubber
business. Lee later became Tan’s son-in-law and
started his own rubber factory in 1927. Thanks to
prudent business practices, Lee amassed the
cash to buy rubber estates during the Great
Depression, becoming Southeast Asia’s ‘Rubber
King’. He also diversified into pineapple canning,
coconut oil, sawmills and biscuits.
In 1952, Lee established the Lee Foundation to
support educational and cultural causes. Beneficiaries of the Lee Foundation include the Chinese
High School, Nanyang University, Amoy University in Fujian, the National Library, Singapore
Management University and most recently, the
Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research at the
National University of Singapore, which has been
renamed the Lee Kong Chian Natural History
Museum.
Next, walk along Lavender Street past the junction with Jalan Besar until you reach the junction of Serangoon
Road. Turn right into Serangoon Road and you will see the next site, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, on the left.
36
37
705 Serangoon Road
Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital
Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital sits on the former site of the Tan Tock
Seng Hospital before the latter moved to its present location off
Moulmein Road in 1909. Both institutions had their origins in a
desire to provide medical care for immigrants to Singapore at a time
when few such facilities existed.
Founded in 1910 by three leaders of the Canton- ran businesses in Johor and lived in a house at
ese community to provide free medical care for Kampong Java Road. The second founder was
clan members from the Guangzhou (Kwong- Leong Man Sau (1866-1916), a Raffles InstituChau), Huizhou (Wai-Chau) and Zhaoqing tion-educated timber merchant who also be(Shiu-Heng) prefectures in Guangdong province, came a municipal commissioner and member of
Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital was at first a Tradition- the Chinese Advisory Board. The third founder
al Chinese Medicine outfit with just one physi- was Yow Ngan Pan (1863-1930), a Cantonese
cian in attendance. The hospital was granted the Baba who founded the Yong Cheng School. The
use of part of the former Tan Tock Seng Hospital fourth founder was Ng Seng Pang (1873-1953),
grounds, which spanned six acres (2.4 hectares) who was a founder of Asia Insurance and Lee
and included three colonial buildings.
Wah Bank.
The hospital added a maternity ward, hostel
and kitchen in 1954, while the front block that DEMOLISHED SHOPHOUSES
greets visitors today was built in 1958. From the Until the 1980s, there was a row of 30 shophousvery beginning, outpatient services were availa- es across the road from the hospital. One unusuble to all, but inpatient facilities were restricted ally long cream-emulsion block with dark green
to people of Cantonese origin until 1974, when Venetian windows featured fine sculpture reliefs
the hospital’s constitution was amended to allow at the gable ends. These units were dominated
people of all origins to be admitted. A Traditional by electrical repair and electroplating workshops.
Chinese Medicine (TCM) centre opened in 2004 Behind the shophouses was a Singapore Improveto provide TCM care such as acupuncture and ment Trust housing estate served by Petaling,
cupping for a token fee. There is also a nursing Idris, Tronoh, Kempas and Rawang Roads (except
home for the elderly requiring long term care.
for Kempas Road, these roads no longer exist).
In October 2011, the hospital announced plans
to build a new 14-storey facility which will
›› did you know?
increase its in-patient capacity from 400 to 600
›K_\_fjg`kXcXi\Xlj\[kfY\ZXcc\[IldX_
beds. Uncertainty about the fate of the hospital
Miskin or ‘Poor Man’s House’ in Malay, as the
grounds after the end of its land lease in 2015
Tan Tock Seng Hospital was well-known as a
was also alleviated by an announcement that the
hospital for paupers. The Hokkiens called it
three colonial buildings and historic front block
'Mangka ka', which could have meant ‘Foot of
will be conserved, although the rest of the site
k_\aXZb]il`kki\\Ëfii\]\ii\[kfjfi\jfek_\
will be taken over and redeveloped.
gXk`\ekjËc\^jk_Xki\j\dYc\[aXZb]il`kjb`e%
In the 1950s, the hospital was surrounded
THE HOSPITAL FOUNDERS
by four schools: Balestier Road Boys School,
Wong Ah Fook (1837-1918) was one of the foundBalestier Road Girls School, Griffiths School
ers of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital. A Justice of the
and McNair School.
Peace who arrived in Singapore aged 16, Wong
From the hospital, continue up Serangoon Road towards the junction of Towner Road, where the Central Sikh
Temple is located.
38
39
2 Towner Road
Central Sikh Temple
The original Wadda Gurdwara (‘Big Temple’) of Singapore’s Sikh
community was a bungalow at 175 Queen Street. Acquired with
the help of a Sindhi merchant named Wassiamull, the house was
turned into a gurdwara in 1912 and became known as the Central
Sikh Temple.
The bungalow was converted into a proper temple in 1921, with a congregation hall on the
ground floor and other rooms, including a kitchen,
on the second storey. The latter is an important
feature, as it is the custom of Sikh temples to provide food and lodging to travellers. An unexpected outcome of this tradition was that foreign hippies took undue advantage of the practice during
the 1960s, forcing the temple to close its doors
to Western tourists. Sikh and other travellers of
Indian origin continued to be welcomed, along
with the old and destitute.
After the Queen Street location was slated for
redevelopment into housing flats in 1979, the
temple moved to a temporary facility at the former Bukit Ho Swee Community Centre at Seng
Poh Road. Funded by donations from the Sikh
community, construction for a new temple on
Towner Road began in 1984. The current Central
Sikh Temple opened in November 1986, on the
518th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the
founder of the Sikh religion.
The Central Sikh Temple is a modern interpretation of a Sikh temple and boasts a skilful blend
of modern and traditional architecture that won
an award from the Singapore Institute of Architects in 1986. The prayer hall on the second storey, which seats 400-500, is a column-free, fully-carpeted space beneath a 13-metre wide
hemispherical dome. The dining hall and kitchen
are located on the first level. The internal wall
abuts an open-air pool. Beside the temple is a
7-storey annexe building housing a dormitory,
guest rooms, staff quarters, classrooms as well
as the offices of the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board
and Singapore Sikh Education Foundation. The
temple was renovated in 2011 at a cost of $4.5
million raised by the Sikh community.
SIKHISM AND SIKHS IN SINGAPORE
‘Sikh’ means disciple. A Sikh is one who follows
the teachings enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib,
the Sikh Holy Book. Additionally, a believer must
undergo Amrit, the Sikh baptism. The religion was
founded by Guru Nanak (1469-1539) near Lahore
in present day Pakistan. Nine other Gurus (or
‘Teachers’) succeeded Guru Nanak and the tenth
and final Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1675-1708),
instituted the Amrit in 1699. Sikhism involves
belief in One Supreme God, rejects castes and
superstitions, and calls for a life of tolerance and
service to humanity.
Sikhs first arrived in Singapore with Raffles as
Sepoys (meaning ‘soldiers’ in Persian) in the service of the British. More arrived in 1881 when 165
Sikhs from Punjab were employed as policemen
in the Straits Settlements Police Force. This contingent worshipped at the Police Barracks on
Pearl’s Hill. After the civilian Sikh population
acquired their temple in Queen Street, the Sikh
police contingent built their own gurdwara at Silat
Road in 1924. The Sikh contingent was disbanded
after World War II. Today, there are more than
12,000 Singaporeans of Sikh origin.
TOWNER ROAD
Walk down Towner Road until you reach the junction of McNair Road and you will find two rows
of double-storey terrace houses built in the
1940s to 1950s by the Singapore Improvement
Trust (the predecessor to today’s Housing &
Development Board). Attributed to architect Rolf
Koren, the houses feature simple yet pleasing
designs, with balconies on the upper floor, low
barrier walls on the ground and stepped beams
at column junctions. Those along McNair Road
have arched doorways that lead to an inner porch.
Next, cross Serangoon Road from the temple, turn left and walk until you reach Entrance B of Boon Keng MRT.
40
41
Boon Keng Estate
SOURCE: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
42
Located on a 162-hectare piece of land, Whampoa’s
house was a plantation villa with Chinese, Malay
and European influences; it had finely fretted timber balusters (short pillars that supported a rail),
moulded brick and stucco pilasters, slender timber and cast iron columns and full length glazed
and louvred windows. There was a dining room
on the ground floor and lounge above, with bedrooms in the wings and bathrooms at the rear.
Visitors were received at a carriage porch covered by an open-air verandah. There were also
separate stables, a kitchen and servants’ quarters.
Around the house, Whampoa cultivated mandarin oranges and other fruit trees, ornamental
plants and kept exotic pets such as cassowaries
and an orang-utan who preferred brandy to
water. The garden had artificial ponds, rockeries
and topiaries maintained by gardeners from
Guangdong, China. During his lifetime, Whampoa’s Gardens (known as Nam Sang Fa Un in Can-
tonese) was the scene of regular parties and was
open to the public during the Lunar New Year.
After Whampoa’s death, the villa was acquired
by Seah Liang Seah, a millionaire who renamed it
Bendemeer House and continued the tradition of
hosting lavish gatherings for the colonial elite.
The name is believed to have been suggested by
Sir Charles Mitchell, then Governor of the Straits
Settlements, and may be a reference to a river in
Persia mentioned in Lalla-Rookh, a 1817 poem by
Thomas Moore.
The road on the other side of the estate was
later named Bendemeer Road to honour Seah’s
contributions to the community. After the Second
World War, the house was used as a military billet. This probably contributed to its deterioration,
and in 1964, the house and surrounding estate
were acquired by the government and demolished to make way for the Boon Keng Housing
Estate.
HOO AH KAY
ALIAS WHAMPOA
Eccentric yet
engaging, Hoo Ah
Kay (1816-1880),
better known as
Whampoa after his
birthplace in
Guangdong, China,
was a prominent
Cantonese
merchant. Whampoa arrived in Singapore in
1830 and helped his father run a provision
shop at Boat Quay. After his father’s death,
Hoo continued to manage Whampoa & Co.
as a ship chandler supplying provisions and
equipment to the British navy. The firm later
diversified into the bakery and property
sectors. Whampoa also imported ice from
America and built an ice house at River
Valley Road (which survived until 1981).
SEAH LIANG SEAH
Seah Liang Seah (18501925) was a wealthy
Teochew businessman
whose father, Seah Eu
Chin (1805-1883),
made his fortune
through pepper and
gambier estates and
founded the Ngee Ann
Kongsi. After learning
English at St. Joseph’s Institution, the younger
Seah worked for his father and later expanded
the family business into canned pineapples. He
also succeeded Whampoa on the Legislative
Council in 1883 after the latter’s death in 1880.
Seah served on the Legislative Council from
1883-1890 and 1894-1895. He was also a
Municipal Commissioner and sat on the first
Chinese Advisory Board in 1890. Liang Seah
Street was named after him in 1927.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
SOURCE: THE STRAITS TIMES © SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
Today, this is a modern Housing and Development Board (HDB)
estate served by an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
station. But in 1840, this area on the upper reaches of Serangoon
Road was still regarded as the outskirts of the city, even though it
was only about four kilometres from the Singapore River. But that
changed when Hoo Ah Kay alias Whampoa built a villa here in 1855.
43
Boon Keng Road
This road was named in 1929 after Dr Lim Boon Keng (1869-1957),
a prominent doctor and philanthropist of Hokkien Peranakan
origin. In the 1960s, the swampland between Bendemeer Road and
the Kallang River was reclaimed for new housing and industrial
developments. Boon Keng Road was then extended across the river
to join a new road called Upper Boon Keng Road.
Doctor, scholar, educator, social reformer and
nationalist: Lim was all these and more. A third
generation Baba (Peranakan Chinese man) born
in Singapore, Lim lost his mother when he was 8.
When he was 12, his father died, leaving him in
the care of his grandparents. Lim was deeply
affected by these tragedies and decided to
become a doctor to learn how to heal the sick. He
continued his studies at Raffles Institution, where
he became the first Chinese student to win the
Queen’s Scholarship in 1887.
Lim went to Edinburgh University in Scotland
to study medicine, graduating in 1892. He
returned to Singapore in the following year and
set up a clinic at Telok Ayer Street. His reputation
grew and in 1897, Dr Lim joined The Dispensary,
a respected practice run by Dr Thomas Murray
Robertson, a Scottish doctor. He left the partnership in 1906. From 1907 to 1910, Dr Lim taught at
a medical school founded by philanthropist Tan
Jiak Kim (1859-1917).
Dr Lim’s entry into public service came when
he was just 26, after he was nominated to replace
Seah Liang Seah, who was retiring from the Legislative Council. He served five terms on the Legislative Council between 1895 and 1921. Dr Lim
was also appointed to the Municipal Commission from 1905-1906 and served on the Chinese
Advisory Board from 1897-1989 and 1913-1922.
These posts gave him opportunities to seek
improvements to the lives of the Chinese community while exercising his loyalty to the British
through acts such as serving in the Singapore
Volunteer Corps. Dr Lim was also a founder of the
Straits Chinese British Association (the predecessor of today’s Peranakan Association) in 1900
and co-founded the Singapore Chinese Girls’
School with fellow Baba Song Ong Siang (19711941) in 1899.
During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore,
Dr Lim was detained at the age of 73. He reluc-
SOURCE: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE
44
“Across the road, there used to be a
two-storey food centre with a market
on the ground floor, which was
demolished in 1987 or 1988. There
were also four blocks of 4-storey flats
and four or five 6-storey flats. Along
Serangoon Road there were shophouses
selling motors and workshops, which
were torn down in 1981. There’s a
Hokkien mee stall in a corner kopitiam
near Lavender Street that I like.
They have been there for 50-60 years
and are now run by the 2nd or 3rd
generation.”
– Mr K.T. Tan, 55, who runs System & Control
Engineering Co. at Blk 22 Boon Keng Road with
his older brother. The shop opened in 1982 and
originally dealt in air-conditioning equipment,
but in 2001, the brothers switched to aquarium
supplies, turning a hobby into a long-standing
business. Today, they are well-known among
local hobbyists for fish tanks, lighting
equipment and aquatic plants.
tantly headed the Overseas Chinese Association
in exchange for the release of his wife. The association was meant to help protect the Chinese
community, but it turned out to be a tool to
extract 50 million Straits dollars worth of financial ‘gifts’ from the Chinese for the Japanese war
effort. To avoid playing a further role in the association, Dr Lim feigned drunkenness until the war
ended. When Dr Lim died in 1957, he was known
as the ‘Sage of Singapore’ for his decades of public service and role in bridging the Chinese and
British worlds. The ‘Grand Old Man of Singapore’
was buried at Bidadari Cemetery off Serangoon
Road.
To reach the featured sites by the Kallang River, head back to Lavender Street, turn left and walk until you reach
the junction of Kallang Road.
45
The longest river in Singapore, the Kallang River and its tributaries
drain about one-sixth of the island’s total land area. Beginning from
Lower Peirce Reservoir, the river runs a south-eastern course, during
which it is joined by the Whampoa River, Pelton Canal, Rochor River
and Geylang River.
At its lower reaches, the river once meandered to tury when Raffles arrived, but they were later
form a vast basin of mudflats, sand bars and resettled by the Temenggong at the Pulai River in
mangrove swamps whose waters swelled with Johor. Unlike other Orang Laut groups, however,
the incoming tide to flood the surrounding plains. these people avoided the open sea, staying near
The swamp went as far as Aljunied Road in the the river mouth where they fished or gathered
east, where it formed a patchwork of lakes and forest produce, and heading upstream at dusk.
vegetable gardens in the late 1930s.
The population was almost wiped up by a smallThe Kallang River was once the “immemorial pox outbreak in 1847.
haunt” of the Orang Biduanda Kallang, a commuA few descendants of the Orang Kallang or othnity of Orang Laut or Sea Nomads who lived on er Orang Laut, however, are said to have remained
boats in the swamps of the Kallang Basin and in Singapore, dispersing to the southern islands
owed allegiance to Temenggong Abdul Rahman or the Geylang area. Others may have settled in
of the Johor-Riau Sultanate. There were about Kampong Rokok, a village of stilt houses on an
500 Orang Biduanda Kallang in the early 19th cen- intertidal sand flat by the former mouth of the
46
SOURCE: THE STRAITS TIMES © SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.
SOURCE: THE STRAITS TIMES © SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.
Kallang Basin
river, just south of Kallang Road. The villagers
fished in the mangroves or gathered nipah fronds
for processing into cigarette (‘rokok’ in Malay)
wrappers. For short trips, they used small boats;
a larger vessel called the nadih was used for voyages across open water to places as far as Riau
and Bangka. Kampong Rokok, along with the
nearby Kampong Batin, Kampong Kallang and
Kampong Laut, vanished when the area was
dredged and reclaimed for the Kallang Airport in
the 1930s. The villagers were resettled at Kampong Melayu in Jalan Eunos.
Between Kampong Rokok and Kallang Road
there used to be a Muslim cemetery, and until
2010, a shrine named Keramat Siti Maryam was
located on this side of the Kallang River. Siti Maryam al-Aydarus (d. 1854) was a 19th century Sufi
traveller from the Middle East who became
known for her healing and other miraculous powers.
By the early 20th century, the lower reaches of
the Kallang River had become a bustling scene of
›› did you know?
›;i\[^\jf]k_\BXccXe^<jklXip`ek_\(0-'j
and 1970s recovered underglazed blue
porcelain shards of Chinese origin, suggesting
k_Xkk_\Xi\XXifle[KXeafe^I_ldXp
have been an important harbour in the 17th
century and lending credence to reports of a
'Shahbandar' (Harbourmaster) office in the
area then.
›Fe\jl^^\jk\[fi`^`ef]k_\nfi[ÊBXccXe^Ë`j
the Malay term ‘Kalang’, which means a roller
or skid for launching vessels. The Tamil name
for Kallang Road in the late 19th century was
'Kalang Villakukhudu', meaning ‘Kalang light
cage’, a reference to the gasworks. In the early
20th century, the Hokkiens called Kallang Road
'Ka-lang kio' or 'Ka-lang lut', ‘kio’ meaning
bridge and ‘lut’ road. The Hokkien term
'Heu-sia' (‘Fire stronghold) and Cantonese
name 'Mui-hai kuk' (‘Coal vapour office’) both
referred to the imposing gasworks.
47
“Kallang Road contained a lot
of squatter houses constructed of
zinc boards. There were rows of
very old and dilapidated rundown
houses. Many residents had to
insert and install wooden rods
and beams to support the house
structures. Many people liked
to swim in the river despite its
dirtiness.”
– Mr Phang Tai Heng, long-time resident
of Jalan Besar.
riverine settlements and tongkangs (a small car- with a 10-year clean-up of the Kallang and Singago barge) that ferried timber, rubber, charcoal pore Rivers. This project was led by the then Minand sago to factories and sawmills located by the istry of the Environment with the aim of making
banks. Boatyards where vessels were built and the waterways a clean and pleasant environment.
repaired also populated the area. Unprocessed At the Kallang River, waste from more than a
logs from tongkangs would be unloaded into the thousand pig and duck farms upstream still empsea and towed into the basin, where they were tied into the basin in 1977, while street hawkers,
left in the water until required by the sawmills. backyard industries, squatter colonies and
On the fringes of the swamp off the northern rim wholesale markets contributed to the pollution
of Kallang Road were villages such as Kampong by dumping rubbish and excreta into drains and
Soo Poo, Kampong Kuchai and Padang Jeringau canals. The accumulated debris and flotsam,
('Jeringau' or Acorus calamus is a medicinal along with carcasses and other organic matter,
produced a constant stench and made the water
aquatic herb).
The present landscape of the Kallang Basin is unsuitable for both humans and aquatic life. At
the result of a massive reclamation project the river mouth, industrial activities such as boatannounced in 1960. Led by the recently formed yards and barging added to the pollution through
HDB, the swampland and mudflats were filled in discharges of oil, sullage water and solid waste.
The clean-up exercise involved the resettleusing earth from the levelled hills of Toa Payoh.
First to be reclaimed were the swamps behind ment of about 26,000 farming and riverine famBendemeer Road. By the end of the decade, most ilies, who were moved into HDB flats. Pig and
of the basin had been converted into a modern duck farms were also phased out by 1982, while
industrial area with new roads and multi-storey cottage industries were relocated to new industrial estates. The few remaining shipyards and
flatted factories.
A second phase of development began in 1977 boatbuilders were shifted to Tuas and Jurong.
48
Cleared of their former squalor, the river was
dredged and its banks were stabilised, turfed and
landscaped to form pedestrian walkways, while
clean sandy beaches for recreational use were
formed along parts of the Kallang River.
Today, the Kallang Riverside Park offers facilities for water sports such as canoeing and dragon-boating, as well as jogging and cycling tracks
by the water. Many species of fish have also
returned and provide prey for both anglers as
well as birds such as herons and kingfishers. On
the park’s northern end, near the Kallang MRT
station, the public can continue up the Kallang
Park Connector, which runs along the Kallang
River and takes users along a scenic walking
route all the way to Bishan Park through Kolam
Ayer, Serangoon, Potong Pasir and Toa Payoh.
To reach the following two sites, walk up Kallang
Road and turn right at Kampong Bugis.
“Kallang River was a very dirty
river with lots of twakows (flatbottomed boats used for carrying
cargo) on it. The boats were also
repaired in the river which further
polluted it. Some of the boats
were run by fishermen and people
would go these fishermen to buy
their seafood. Timber logs were
also transported by towing the
logs across the river in the water
directly. Some of the heavier logs
would often sink into the river and
divers were required to dive into
the water and push them to shore.
But these were skin divers who do
not require the use of any oxygen
tank or mask and they were paid
handsomely for the job.”
– Mr Lim Kuang Chong, long-time resident
of Jalan Besar.
49
Former Kallang Gasworks
The streets of Singapore were first lit in 1824 the provision of gas a public utility. The following
using lamps fuelled by coconut or animal oil. year, the plant began supplying piped gas to 502
Later, gas became the fuel of choice and the households of the colonial elite and wealthy
Singapore Gas Company was formed in 1861 to locals who could afford this luxury.
provide gas for the city’s street lights. The plant
In May 1963, the gasworks came under the
was completed in 1862 and the first streetside control of the Public Utilities Board (PUB). The
gas lamps were switched on in 24 May 1864. By plant was then solely dedicated to providing
1894, a thousand gas lamps kept Singapore’s piped gas to homes and industries, as street
streets bright at night and were credited with lighting had switched to using electricity, which
helping to reduce the rate of robberies.
was cheaper and cleaner, from 1955. For many
The gasworks’ location by the Kallang Basin families and coffee shops, this was a time when
made it easy for the plant to receive coal supplies they stopped cooking with firewood, kerosene or
from barges. Most of the coal used to manufac- charcoal and turned to the convenience and safeture gas was imported from Australia. To ensure ty of piped gas.
the security of the premises, armed guards
‘FIRE CITY’
patrolled the facility round the clock.
The Municipal Commission took over the gas- In its early days, Kallang Gasworks was nickworks in 1901 and expanded its capacity to make named Huay Sia or ‘Fire City’ by locals who were
50
SOURCE: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE.
For 137 years, Singaporeans owed the convenience of street lighting
and, later, piped gas for home cooking and heating to a massive
facility located by a bend of the Rochor River between Crawford
Road and Kampong Bugis.
amazed at the heat produced and were worried
that the place might blow up. Inside, a veritable
army of labourers crushed coal and fed the fuel
into furnaces that burned as hot as 1,300 degrees
Celsius. Automation later reduced the number of
men needed and made the work safer, but it was
still not a pleasant job.
Kallang Gasworks switched from coal to fuel
oil in 1958, which made it the most modern gasworks in the region at that time. It was a timely
move, as the HDB was about to embark on a
building boom that would lead to a corresponding rise in demand for piped gas. In 1966, the
plant switched fuel again, to naphtha, a petrochemical that is cleaner than fuel oil and much
less pollutive. The plant had a maximum daily
capacity of 1.6 million cubic metres of gas.
In October 1995, PUB transferred control of
Kallang Gasworks to a new entity, Singapore
Power, which operated the plant through a subsidiary, PowerGas Ltd. By then, however, the surrounding neighbourhood had become a bustling
extension of the city and it made more sense to
transfer gas production to the outskirts of the
island. In 1997, the Senoko Gasworks, a $240 million facility near Woodlands, began operations
and Kallang Gasworks finally shut down on 23
March 1998. Before the gasworks was dismantled, the public was invited to tour the compound
and bid for parts of the plant.
A LANDMARK LOST
A 25-storey gas holding tank was an unmissable
landmark of the area for more than a century.
This blue cylinder was later flanked by two
65-metre high chimneys that rose from a maze
of pipes and machinery on the ground.
What remains of the plant today can be seen
at the nearby Kallang Riverside Park, where ‘The
Spirit of Kallang’, a piece of art created by local
sculptor Lim Leong Seng, is displayed. The park
grounds also house the supporting pillars and
girders of the plant’s Gas Holder No. 3, which was
built in 1901. The Gas Holder was a steel cylindrical tank for storing gas measuring 19 metres in
diameter.
51
226 Kallang Road
Sri Manmatha Karuneshvarar
Temple
This Hindu temple was founded in January 1888 by workers from
the nearby Kallang Gasworks, who had quarters nearby and set up a
small shrine to the Lord Siva, to whom they prayed for protection.
In 1909, the temple leaders obtained a new lease
from the Governor of the Straits Settlements and
A.V. Irullappa Pillay, chief foreman of the gasworks, took over the affairs of the temple when
the last signatory of the lease died in 1931. A.V.
Pillay managed to build a concrete mandapam or
ritual hall but lacked the funds to further develop
the temple.
A lifeline came in 1934, when two brothers, V.
Pakirisamy Pillai (1894-1983) and V. Narayanasamy Pillai (1897-1937) rebuilt the entire temple
(apart from the mandapam) to honour the memory of their late father Koona Vayloo Pillai (18561931). The present temple was completed and
consecrated on 19 August 1937. V. Pakirisamy Pillai, who became chairman of the temple committee and its chief trustee in 1939, led further restorations in 1951 and 1974. The most recent
rounds of refurbishment took place in 1997 and
2008 under managing trustee P. Sivaraman.
To its devotees, the sanctuary is also known as
the Kallang Gasworks Sivan Temple, as the presiding deity is Sri Manmatha Karuneshvarar
Sivan, the Lord Siva who is also called The
Destroyer. In the Hindu worldview, the destruction caused by Lord Siva is a positive force that
does away with evil and paves the way for a new
cycle of creation. Parvati, the consort of Lord Siva,
is also revered here as an almighty mother figure
who grants her worshippers happiness and
health. Also enshrined in the temple is Sri Vighnesvara, the eldest son of Lord Siva who is the
elephant-headed God of Wisdom and Remover
of Obstacles. Other deities include Lord Murugan, Sri Bairavar and Nandikesvara, the Bull who
is the Vehicle of Lord Siva.
AN INDIAN PIONEER
AND COMMUNITY LEADER
V. Pakirisamy Pillai (1894-1983) was a wealthy
land-owner who was active in civic life, both during colonial times and in the newly independent
nation. Descended from masons and dairy farmers who migrated to Singapore in the mid-19th
century, VP Pillai was educated at the Anglo-Chinese School and began work as a clerk in Allen &
Gledhill, a legal firm. He later joined the Progressive Party and was elected to the Municipal Commission in 1949. Before that, he had served as
President of the Singapore Indian Association
from 1939-1941.
After the war, VP Pillai was a founding member
of the Inter-Religious Organisation in 1949. In the
same year, he became a Vice President of The
China Society, an organisation led by Dr Lim Boon
Keng to promote the study of the Chinese language and literature.
VP Pillai was also an ardent supporter of many
Hindu temples and served in the management
committees of four temples administered by the
Hindu Endowments Board (HEB). Apart from the
Sri Manmatha Karuneshvara Temple, he was
from 1935 the Chief Trustee of the Sri Krishnan
Temple at Waterloo Street, which he rebuilt in
1958 in memory of his late mother Alamelu
Ammal. He was also responsible for additions to
the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in 1966 as well
as repairs to the Sri Sivan Temple (now in Geylang East) when this temple was located at
Orchard Road in 1943 and 1962.
›› did you know?
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restored Manmatha and blessed the couple. According to temple trustee P. Sivaraman, the temple is thus called Sri
DXedXk_XBXile\j_mXiXiXjXj`^ef]Cfi[J`mXËjZfdgXjj`fekf_`j[\mfk\\j%
52
53
KAMPONG BUGIS
Now a quiet lane that leads to Kallang Riverside
Park, Kampong Bugis was once a village that
thrived on the northern banks of the Rochor River. For centuries, Bugis traders had plied the maritime routes between the Malay Peninsula and
their homeland in Macassar, Sulawesi, in schooners known as Pallari. In 1822, a group of 500 Bugis
led by their chieftain Arong Bilawa, who had fled
Riau for Singapore, were allocated land between
Kampong Glam and the Rochor River. The villagers became known as skilful carpenters who
made benches and stools from the waste timber
of nearby sawmills. By the mid-20th century,
however, the area had become dominated by Chinese settlers who worked in nearby factories and
workshops. A disastrous fire broke out here in
August 1951, razing hundreds of buildings and
rendering 3,000 homeless.
In recent years, an 8-storey block at the bend
of Kampong Bugis, originally built in 1973 as the
Sam Tat Building, has been restored and given a
new lease of life. Now known as TURE or the
Kallang Rivergreen Building (66 Kampong Bugis),
this former warehouse now houses an eclectic
blend of tenants, including Loysel’s Toy (a specialty coffee café), Kilo Kitchen (a fusion restaurant), a ukulele school and rock-climbing centre.
HOUSE OF GOH SIN KOH
There used to be two small roads east of Sri Manmatha Karuneshvarar Temple along Kallang
Road: Nam Lock Street and Sin Koh Street, both
named in 1906. The latter was where Goh Sin
Koh, a Hokkien timber merchant, built a courtyard house in 1896. The house also served as an
ancestral temple for Goh’s clan and is believed to
have been the Go Cho Toa Kong Si or ‘Rochor Big
Kongsi’ that was to the Hokkiens synonymous
with Lavender Street. In design, it was similar to
the house of Tan Yeok Nee at Penang Road but
the house was built in the Hokkien style with
exposed red bricks. It was later abandoned and
finally demolished in the 1980s.
“TURE at Kampong Bugis is a very
unique place and surreal as it is close to
the central zone of Singapore yet it is
barely known to many Singaporeans. I
was involved in the whole building façade
and wanted to give a touch of art to it.
Working from found images, I placed a
lady with a certain glare to draw public
attention from any building across the
river and so bring them to the place.”
– Wong Lip Chin, 24, artist. From the riverside,
look upwards towards the building's topmost
floors and you can see his artwork (a lady with a
Salvador Dali moustache) peering back at you.
“What attracted me to this building? It’s
a beautiful, strong structure, whereas
everything else you see today is glass and
steel. But the first thing that attracted
me was the huge fig tree across the road,
then the proximity to the park and
knowing that you have this little cove to
yourself."
– Javier Perez, co-owner of Kilo Kitchen at Kallang
Rivergreen Building (TURE), Kampong Bugis.
To reach Chwee Kang Beo Temple from Kampong Bugis, walk down Kallang Road towards Kallang MRT. After
crossing the river, turn left and walk up the Kallang Park Connector until you reach the riverside temple.
54
55
801 Upper Boon Keng Road
Chwee Kang Beo Temple
(Shui Jiang Miao)
SOURCE: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE.
Located near the confluence of the Whampoa and Kallang
rivers, this small temple is perhaps the last physical trace of
the communities who once dwelled in shanty towns and attap
shacks by the Kallang Basin.
There has been a temple at the present location
since the late 1940s. The original structure was a
wooden shed that floated by the riverbank. The
temple was founded by four men, Wang Shi Tong,
Li Zai Sheng, Zhang Zi Kai and Sun Pi Shun, who
originated from China and lived in a nearby village called Kampong Pulau Minyak. It is said that
Mr Zhang’s wife once fell very ill. Doctors were
of no help so her husband visited a temple in
Changi to pray for help. As he entered the building, Mr Zhang found himself possessed by the
temple deity, Da Bo Gong, who later told him in
a dream to build a temple named Chwee Kang
Beo, which means ‘Water River Temple’ in Hok56
kien. Mr Zhang shared his experience with
Messrs Wang, Li and Sun, and the four men
decided to build the temple.
The original structure on stilts survived until
1979, when the temple was rebuilt on solid
ground. In the early 1990s, the temple was reconstructed after the trustees managed to secure
ownership of the site with the help of two Malay
Members of Parliament. Devotees raised $3 million to rebuild the temple, which is today nestled
between the river and the HDB flats of Boon Keng
Ville.
The open area in front of the temple houses a
colourful receptacle for burning joss paper offer-
ings in the form of a small pagoda. Hokkien opera originally a water-spirit.
troupes also built makeshift wooden stages to
Zhang Fu Ren is a deity unique to the temple.
perform here during major festivals. Inside, the She is said to have been betrothed to Zhang Zi
temple is dedicated to four main deities: San Kai when he was in China. But Mr Zhang ended
Jiang Da Por Gong, Seng Ong Gong, Da Bo Gong, up in Singapore where he married another lady.
and Shi Shi Qi Wang Ye. One account of the ori- Zhang Fu Ren killed herself in grief and her spirit
gin of San Jiang Da Por Gong states that he was later possessed Mr Zhang, who set up a shrine
an upright official who was betrayed and killed by to her in a side hall of the temple.
two corrupt officials who pushed him off a boat
The temple courtyard also houses shrines to
into a river. Nearby villagers then built a temple Ma Jiang Jun (the Horse General) and the Tiger
to commemorate him as a water deity.
Also known as the Cheng Huang or the City
God, Seng Ong Gong was instated in the temple
“Back then, the whole area was a
in 1965, when a devotee visited Quanzhou in Fujipiece of swamp land and whenever it
an, China and returned with a stone lion known
as the Cheng Huang statue. He brought it to the
rained, dead poultry would float to the
temple to be consecrated, but the deity, through
surface, causing bad smells.”
the temple medium, told him to leave the statue
at Chwee Kang Beo. It was a rather fitting gesture
– Mr Kevin Lee, 28, a member of the temple’s
for the riverside temple, as Cheng Huang was
association.
57
God. Beside the Tiger God’s altar is a small boat decided to merely dwell in the man’s body and
unique to this temple. Made of teak and an not take over his personality. Later, when the man
exact replica of a Ming-era junk complete with a had become an imperial official, the Emperor
keel, canvas sails, rigging and even miniature invited him to tea. However, instead of drinking
holds and ladders, the vessel was built by a wor- his tea, the man took his cup and splashed the
shiper who once constructed boats in the area. contents behind a doorway. He explained to the
Since 2007, the rear hall of the temple houses a furious Emperor that the water-spirit that lived in
shrine to Tai Sui Yeh (Grand Duke of Jupiter), him had no clothes and therefore dared not face
a deity who determines the fortunes of each the ruler. The Emperor then removed his own
zodiac year.
cloak and gave it to the water-spirit, who henceA pair of giant clam shells can be found in one forth became known as the City God who wears
corner of the temple grounds. This huge mollusc, the Emperor’s yellow robe.
known scientifically as Tridacna gigas, is said to
have been found by the temple elders during a KAMPUNG PULAU MINYAK
sailing trip many decades ago and contained 18 This was a colony of stilt houses linked by rickety
pearls. Giant clams live in coral reefs in the Indo- planks off Lorong 3 Geylang that existed as early
Pacific region. Smaller species can still be found as 1911. Tongkang workers and other labourers
around Singapore’s southern islands such as were the main residents, but the village was also
Pulau Semakau and Pulau Hantu.
notorious for activities such as gangsterism and
A former neighbour of the temple was Jin Mu illegal samsu distilleries. Samsu, a potent spirit
Chang Boat Factory. Whenever the factory distilled from rice mash, was popular among the
launched a new boat, the temple would hold a poor segments of the population and was often
ceremony to bless the vessel. This practice was produced by moonshiners, who would bury large
last held in 1970. In the past, the temple would drums filled with fermenting mash in river mud
be flooded when high spring tides caused the riv- to hide them from the authorities.
er waters to rise. Today, the Marina Barrage acts
The name of the village, which means ‘Oil
as a barrier to the sea and the river is no longer Island’ in Malay, arose as there were two oil storsubject to tidal influences.
age facilities in the vicinity. The village of about
200 huts suffered a huge fire in November 1964,
THE LEGEND OF THE CITY GOD
which killed one resident and rendered homeless
There was once a water-spirit who sought to more than 1,600 others. The victims were resetoccupy a living body so that he could be reincar- tled and the government later acquired the land
nated. He found a promising candidate, but dis- to build housing flats and industrial facilities as
covered that the young man was destined to part of the ongoing Kallang River reclamation
become an upright, uncorrupted official. So he project.
58
59
CREDITS
Ms Aw Mui Huay
Mr Chin Kin Keong
Mr Chow Chee Wing
Mr Richard Chua
Mr Eng Soon Thiam
Ms Cindy Ho
Mr Ho Chee Hoong
Mr Khoo Kay Yong
Mr Koh Boon Long
Mr Dan Koh
Mr Lam Chun See
Mr Kevin Lee
Mr Lee Yan Chang
Mr Lim Eng Chong
Mr Lim How Teck
Ms Wendy Lin
Mr T.T. Pang
Mr Javier Perez
Ms Kelly Quek
Mr Alwi Saadullah
Ms Maeva Sauve
Mr Karpal Singh
Mr P. Sivaraman
Mr Kesavan Soon
Mr Huzir Sulaiman
Mr Surinam Sumsudin
Mr David Tan
Mr K.T. Tan
Mr Tan Jee Ming
Professor Edwin Thumboo
Dr. Arumugam Vijiaratnam
Ms Agnes Won So Hyun
Mr Mark Wong
Mr Wong Ching Hwa
Mr Wong Hung Khim
Mr Wong Lip Chin
Professor Woo Pui Leng
Mr Victor Yue
Ms Danette Zhuang
Central Sikh Temple/Central Sikh
Gurdwara Board
Chwee Kang Beo Temple
City Square Mall
Holy Trinity Church
Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital
Land Transport Authority
Singapore Land Authority
Sri Manmatha Karuneshvarar Temple
Old Victorians' Association
People's Association
RSVP Singapore – The Organisation of
Senior Volunteers
Urban Redevelopment Authority
Victoria School
›editor1K_Xe^XddXBXik_`^\jl›project manager: Tay May Ling
›writer/researcher1DXiZljE^›photography: Alex Heng, Marcus Ng, Ruey Loon
›design: Ridzwan Ali
A Community Bonding Project by
1