Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Chinatown, Singapore

View from Ann Siang Hill Park, Chinatown, Singapore Photo by Dietmar Rabich Wikimedia

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Chinatown, Singapore.

Chinatown is Singapore’s largest Historic District. China town is a subzone and ethnic enclave located within the Outram district in the central area of Singapore.  With different features of Chinese cultural elements, china’s town has historically concentrated on the ethnic Chinese Population.

Singapore the new land of opportunity had attracted many immigrants from china who expanded the original boundaries of this economically and culturally vibrant, self-contained town. Today, Chinatown, Singapore is the largest historical district, and an important and unique ethnic quarter Singaporeans fondly call “our Chinatown”.

1. How the Name was Derived.

In Singapore, Chinatown is commonly known in Mandarin as Niu Che Shui, Gu Chia Chui in Hokkien, and Ngow Chay Shui in Cantonese which both mean bullock water cart or “bullock-drawn water carriage” are the two names given to Chinatown. This is because Chinatown’s water supply was transported by animal-driven carts in the 19th century. They refer to one of its sub-districts, Kreta Ayer.

2. The History of Chinatown, Singapore.

Pagoda Street, Chinatown, Singapore Photo by Dietmar Rabich Wikimedia

 Years before the arrivals of raffles some immigrants of the Chinese population had settled in Singapore, cultivating Gambier and pepper. Immediately after Singapore’s free port was established many Chinese and other immigrants inhabited the place.

In 1822, Stamford Raffles, master town plan allocated the whole area west of the Singapore River for settlements known as the Chinese kompang envisaging that the Chinese would form the bulk of future town dwellers. For ease of administration, the Raffles grouped the immigrant communities into ethnic quarters.

The self-contained Kompang settlement became the home of many Chinese immigrants and the transit point of unskilled labour going to Malaya. By 1824, the population had grown to 3,317 settlers, almost one-third of the total population at that time. The Chinese and kompang have grown since then and have become Chinatown.

3. Its Growth and Development over Many Centuries.

Chinatown development was initiated in the year 1843 when more lands more land leases and grants for homes and trade were awarded around pagoda street, Almeida Street, Smith Street, Sago Street, Trengganu Street, and Sago Lane.

In 1846, John Turnbull Thomas’s map shows that the ethnic expanded to the area of Telok Ayer Street and demarcated the Singapore River, New Bridge Road, and Pagoda Street. As the Chinese population grew rapidly in the 19th and 20th centuries, overcrowding became the biggest problem.

Due to this, people lived in sub-divided rooms called cubicles which created more living space, but they were crammed, unhealthy, and unsafe. More slums developed. In August 1918, a survey by the government housing commission reported a case of overcrowding and congestion in Chinatown.

In the 1960s, urban renewal schemes started, and residents were housed in resettlement areas. As years went by an upgrade of shophouses and new developments took place at the end of 1983, after the street hawkers were housed in Kreta Ayer Complex.

However, Chinatown was not exclusively Chinese, there were small communities of Indian traders around the junction of South Bridge Road and upper cross street, Indian temples, and Muslim mosques found In that area.

4. Geography Facts of Chinatown, Singapore.

Chinatown, Singapore Photo by Live Wikimedia

Chinatown consists of four distinctive sub- areas and they were all developed at different times. These sub-districts consist of Bukit Pasoh which was developed in the early 1900s, Krater Ayer developed in the 1830s, Telok Ayer developed in the 1820s and Tanjong Pagar developed in the 1920s.

A complex of Chinatown is located along smith street which was known colloquially as hei Yuan Kai  In Cantonese as a result of its famous Cantonese Opera theatre. Lai Chum Yuen, which was run to cater to the Cantonese community drew large crowds during the 1910s and 1920s.

5. Economic Activities in Chinatown, Singapore.

The earliest immigrants who settled in Singapore were cultivating Gambier and pepper. Later the original kampong was divided into zones, and sectors for each Chinese community of the same provincial origin and dialect group.

Traders were confined to specific areas, there were businesses man, traders, craftsmen, hawkers, and peddlers who were there to provide for all needs of the people. Hawker’s stalls jamming the streets with every item made the town complete.

Today many economic activities have grown and made the town develop in various ways such as developing mode of transport, better health centers and it also attracts tourists becoming a source of revenue.

6. Cultural Activities in Chinatown, Singapore.

Many activities have changed but fortunately, remnants of its colorful past are still present and old traditions have endured. During Festivals such as the lunar New Year and mid-autumn festivals, there are celebrations and festive shopping. 

People are always dressed for the occasion. Some of the cultural activities that you are likely to enjoy while in Chinatown, Singapore is Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Sri Marri Amman Temple, NUS Baba House, Singapore City Gallery, Red Dot Museum, and many others. It is one of the best places to visit.

7. Mode of Transport Used.

The most constantly used form of transport in Chinatown, Singapore is the MRT. Unlike other parts of the country, China has the best extensive Public transportation system. It is much possible to travel to Singapore without stepping foot in a vehicle for your entire trip.

MRT and LRT are extensive throughout the city. Mass Rapid Transit serves the area at Chinatown MRT station on the North East and Downtown Lines, middle of paediatrician- only pagoda streets, and serves the vicinity, as well as several public bus routes which integrate it into Singapore’s transportation system.

8. Political System in Chinatown, Singapore.

Shophouses in Chinatown, Singapore Photo by Kueline Seria Wikimedia

Chinatown is divided into two parliaments Group Representative Constituencies (GRCs), Tanjong Pagar and Jalan Besar. Lee Kuan Yew was the first Singapore prime minister and was a member o parliament representing Tanjong Pagar GRC before his death in March 2015.

After his death, a general election was held in September 2015, Indranee Rajah won and represents Tanjong Pagar group representative constituencies. The other group of parliament Jalan Besar is represented by Josephine Teo since 2020 after Lily Neo retired after serving for 23 years in politics.

9. Legacy of the Chinatown, Singapore

One of the legacy Chinatown holds to date is cultural diversity. In the past few years, there used to exist some Hokkien merchants. The ubiquitous Cantonese is scattered around the south bridge lodge, upper Cross Street, new bridge road, and Bukit Pasoh Road just like others.

Nowadays, the former Hokkien and Teochew residents have largely scattered to other parts of the island leaving Cantonese as the dominant dialect group in Chinatown. There are also prominent century-old temples like Hokkien Thian Hock Keng Temple and many others.

Guilds, Clans, trade unions, and associations were referred to as Kongsi and are present within Chinatown to assist the need of each Chinese dialect group. Other than Chinese residents, other races such as Indians also inhabited the place during the British Raj live in Chinatown. As a result, there is a temple for the Tamils and mosques. These places of worship have been established to bring peace to all people living in Chinatown.

10. Sago Street as the Home to Many ‘Death Houses’ at Chinatown, Singapore.

Some years back, Sago Street used to be lined with sago factories. However, behold these factories laid a pretty morbid underbelly of brothels and ‘death houses’. Death houses used to be mortuaries but people visited them to prepare for their funerals.

When people because too ill they used to visit these houses to await their death. This is because there was a Chinese superstition in which they believed that deaths were not allowed to occur in the house.