Detail form the doors of the Thian Hock Keng Temple
The other day I had a short wander around Chinatown. Not the usual streets around Chinatown MRT, like Pagoda, Mosque and Smith Street, but along Maxwell Road, Cecil Street and Telok Ayer Street. I love this part of Chinatown. There are loads of typical shophouses all well maintained, with small offices inside, a splattering of restaurants and eatng houses, some interesting shops, and some very historic temples, Mosques, and Chinese Clan houses.
Before land reclamation, Telok Ayer Street was actually the coastal road along the bay. Boats used to moor in Telok Ayer Bay waiting to get fresh water, carried by bullock carts, from a well at Ann Siang Hill, where you can still walk today.
It was the primary area set aside by Sir Stamford Raffles for the Chinese community and the main landing site for Chinese Immigrants. In this way it became one of the first streets in Chinatown and formed the backbone of development of the Chinese immigrant community in early Singapore.
3 comments
You should visit Thian Hock Keng Temple when it's holding festive celebrations. Very colourful, very interesting. :)
That would be wonderful to see. Thanks for your comment ECL :)
nice photos
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