JAMAE MOSQUE (NATIONAL MONUMENT)

Located at 218 South Bridge Road, the mosque is an Indian Muslim mosque.
When was it built and by whom?

Since Jamae Mosque is just right next to the Sri Mariamman Temple (just cross a small road), many tourists flocked to the South Bridge Road region to catch a glimpse of these two special place of worship dedicated to two different religion group in Singapore. Many tourists were interested in the history of these places of worship and many were caught reading the information board which could be found near the entrances. Having a mosque in the same region as the temple revealed a very important facet of the Singapore society, where different religions can co-exist together peacefully.

Yay, we found the information board giving us a background on the Jamae Mosque :)

some snapshots of Jamae Mosque 

trying to peep inside Jamae Mosque

happy us posting in front of the Mosque! credits to Pei Wen for being the photographer

The mosque was built by the Chulia Community who came from the Coromandal Coast of Southern India. The mosque in its present form only completed its construction building work between 1830 and 1835. However, as early as 1827, a mosque was built on the site where Jamae Mosque now stands. It was built by South Indian Tamil Muslims migrants led by Anser Saib. Prior to the 1830s finishing work, the site already had a makam (malay for grave, tomb or shrine) of a local religious leader, Muhammad Salih Valiullah.

TELOK AYER

What’s the meaning of “Telok Ayer”?
What was Telok Ayer famous for?

Meaning ‘water bay’ in Malay, Telok Ayer was a coastal road until land reclamation efforts took place in the late 19th century which enabled the establishment of Collyer Quay and Shenton Way. This area is important as the Chinese junks carrying Singapore’s first immigrants would land here, becoming the first settlement for many Chinese. Ethnic enclaves developed here particularly as Indian Muslims also had significant influence in shaping this area. Looking around, it was difficult to imagine that Telok Ayer was once a bay!



Beginning in the 19th century, development progressed at a rapid pace, and continues to do so today causing juxtaposition between original sites and shop houses and new, modern buildings. The area seems to retain some of the earlier architecture with buildings embracing colour and classic Colonial styles to stand out from the mainstream architecture of most Singaporean streets. I particularly enjoyed the contrast between the historically rich sites such as the Thian Hock Temple (the oldest Hokkien temple in Singapore) and the urban business centres across the street! Other notable spots in this area include Al-Abrar Mosque (built in the 1850s) and the Nagore Durgha Shrine, a mosque built between 1828 and 1830 by Chulia Muslims from south India.

From exploring this area, I felt that while it has continued to grow, many of the original influences on Telok Ayer and Singapore more widely, could still be felt here. The religious institutions appear to have retained their original appearance, and colonial architecture and influence could be seen in several backstreets and alleyways. While this area is slightly off the typical tourist route in Chinatown, it shouldn’t be forgotten as I feel that it retains the ‘original’ Singapore and offers a different perspective than other areas such as Marina Bay.

HENG FATT YONG KEE PAWNSHOP, 255 SOUTH BRIDGE ROAD

When was the pawnshop open? Can you find out more about its history? 

During our heritage trail, one of the places to visit was the Heng Fatt Yong Kee Pawnshop located at 255 South Bridge Road. It was easily located due to it’s eye-catching traditional signboard. However, sadly we did not manage to get much information about the pawnshop. There were not much available readings on the history of this place either. But we did manage to find out that this Pawnshop existed since the pre 1940s, even before the Second World War. The current location of the pawnshop was where it was first established in the pre 1940s.

EU YAN SENG

Go to 267, 269, 271 South Bridge Road to Eu Yan Sang Chinese Medicine Shop. When was it built?
Who was the founder of Eu Yan Sang? Any other interesting information related to Eu Yan Sang?

The founder of Eu Yan Sang is Eu Kong Pai. He left the village of Foshan in Guangdong and opened his first Chinese medicine shop in 1879 in Gopeng, Malaysia. The name of the company that Eu Kong started is made up of the words "Yan" and "Sang". The former means benevolent, kind or humane in Chinese while the latter represents birth, life or livelihood. "Yan Sang" literally means caring for mankind.

The Eu Yan Sang Pharmacy, a classical 3-storey building built in 1910, famous for Chinese Herbal Medication from China, were in olden times also well-known for the transmission of funds to families in China.

ANN SIANG HILL

What was on Ann Siang Hill in the early days?
What was the first name of the hill?
Who is Ann Siang Hill named after?
What kinds of businesses were traditionally located here?



We finally made our way to Ann Siang Hill while devouring on the Melon Crisp pastry we bought earlier from the Tong Heng’s pastry shop. The streets along Ann Siang Hill were pretty steep. Unlike other parts of Chinatown, the shophouses on Ann Siang Hill did not seem to have a definite layout, but instead they follow the rising contours of the ground. We observed that the steps are an important feature along the walkways. They appear to be steeper and narrower than those found elsewhere! One can imagine us struggling to get our way uphill under the scorching sun.

We got more information about Ann Siang Hill from the boards mounted onto the walls. Ann Siang Hill was originally known as Scott’s Hill after its owner, Charles Scott. He cultivated cloves and nutmegs! However it was not a successful business as the required resources were not sufficient to sustain the plantation. Hence when Charles Scott died, his family sold off the land to Chia Ann Siang, a well – to – do Malacca – born landowner.

The street was later named after him. (More information found, see below)

64 CLUB STREET

This building was once used as a lodging house for new immigrants from a particular area. Can you find out which one?

      What was the former name of this building? 

When we were at 64 club street, we only managed to see a newly furnished place named Chateau, which is a modern restaurant and wine bar.

Before it became a modern restaurant as of today, it used to be a lodging house for the immigrants from the Gelam province of Bawean Island, Indonesia. They were regarded as the Baweanese or the Boyanese whom traveled to Singapore during the 1930s for occupation purposes. This building was formerly known as ‘Pondok Peranakan Gelam Club’, which was constructed in 1932. ‘Pondok’ means ‘hut’ in Malay and it takes on the meaning of a communal home. During the 1960s, the pondok ceased to serve as a communal home due to the relocation of its residents to apartments built by the public housing authority, the Housing Development Board (HDB), and became more of a community club that organised educational, social and recreational activities for members and non-members. In 1969, membership was extended beyond the Baweanese community to all Singapore residents. The club moved to Telok Ayer Hong Lim Green Community Centre and still serves its purposes.

76 CLUB STREET

The former occupant of this building gave Club Street its name. Can you find out more about the occupant (hint: it’s not a person) and some personalities associated with it? 


Tucked away right at the end of Club Street was the 18th stop on our trail: no 76, the Chinese Weekly Entertainment Club. I’m not sure if you caught the connection there, but Club Street was in fact named after this building which catered to a very exclusive clientele. It is believed to have been founded in 1891 by a Peranakan billionaire, who restricted access to only allow the rich men in the Chinese community to become members. This meant that only English speaking Straits Chinese were privileged enough to join and attend the grand social events. It retains it exclusivity, evident from the street with the numerous luxury cars parked in the driveway.

 

 This is a photo of the club, taken in 1983. Source Link

 

Arguably the most famous member is Sir Song Ong Siang, the first Chinese person to receive a knighthood. A young achiever, he won the Guthrie scholarship at the age of 12, a record held for five years until he was disqualified for being underage. He continued to achieve academically throughout his life, and became a well-respected scholar, being the only Chinese Queen’s scholar to read law in England. Sir Ong-Siang was also highly involved in community activities, including the Anglo-Chinese boarding school as well his position as the Chairman of the Chinese Christian association. An advocate of women’s education, Sir Ong-Siang also helped to found the Singapore Chinese Girl’s School in 1899 although his most significant contribution is considered to be his book One Hundred Years History of the Chinese in Singapore. For his work within the colony, Sir Ong-Siang was awarded the OBE in 1927.

NAGORE DURGHA SHRINE (NATIONAL MONUMENT), 140 TELOK AYER STREET

In whose memory was this shrine built?

What is the other name of the shrine?

Which community uses this shrine as a meeting place and cultural centre?

This monument was in the news recently. Could you find out more about it?

Nagore Durgha Shrine is located at 140 Telok Ayer Street, in the historic Chinatown area. It was built between 1828 and 1830 and was originally known as Shahui Hamid Durgha. It is a shrine dedicated to Shahui Hamid, a South Indian Holy man. It was a designated national monument in 1974 and is now the Nagore Durgah Heritage Centre showcasing Indian Muslim culture and heritage. It has a small gallery and even a guided tour for those who are interested in the Indian Muslim Culture and heritage.

THIAN HOCK KENG TEMPLE (NATIONAL MONUMENT)

Located at 158 Telok Ayer Street, this is the oldest Chinese temple in Singapore belonging to which dialect group?
Which deity is it dedicated to?
When was it first built and what does the name mean? 
Enter the temple and observe the religious elements incorporated within as well as the ornamental decorations. What interesting facts can you learn about the temple?

Thian Hock Keng Temple, which means Temple of Heavenly Happiness, is the oldest and most important temple of the Hokkien community in Singapore. The main temple is dedicated to Mazu, the Taoist goddess of the sea and protector of all seamen, while a second temple at the back is a Buddhist one dedicated to Kuan Yin, the bodhisattva of mercy. Designed and built by skilled craftsmen from China according to Chinese temple architectural traditions, it was completed in 1842.

 

There is a plaque inscribed with the words Bo Jing Nan Ming (Gentle Waves over the South Seas) presented by Qing Dynasty Emperor Guang Xu in 1907, evidence of the temple's stature.

 
Thian Hock Keng Temple in 1915
 The photo is retrived from http://www.chinatownology.com/thian_hock_keng.html 

 

Thian Hock Keng Temple in 2014

The temple was built in traditional southern Chinese architectural style. The entire structure was assembled without nails. It is an architectural masterpiece of stone, tiles and wood, dragons and phoenixes, amazing carvings, intricate sculptures and imposing columns.

Thian Hock Keng was gazette as a national monument in July 1973. Over the years, Thian Hock Keng has been restored several times. The most comprehensive one commenced in 1998 and was completed in December 2000. This restoration project won 4 architectural awards, including the most prestigious award from UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage 2001 Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation Building.

AL-ABRAR MOSQUE (NATIONAL MONUMENT)

Located at 192 Telok Ayer Street, the mosque is also known by what name(s)?

When was it built and by which community?

What is unique about this building? 

The Al – Abrar Mosque, which is located at Telok Ayer Street, is one of our national monuments, which was built around 1827. It was a thatched hut in the beginning. The Indian Muslim congregation gave the mosque another name – “Kuchu Palli”. The Indian translation of its name is ‘small mosque’.

The worshippers from this mosque were mostly from the Coromandal Coast of Southern India, known as Chulias. From 1850 to 1855, the mosque underwent major renovations. These alterations increased the capacity of the mosque.

The features of the Al – Abrar Mosque

The brick building is much simpler in its architectural form than the earlier mosques built in Singapore. It consists of two minaret – style towers which stands at the narrow entrance, which are topped by a crescent moon and star. There are two smaller minarets with decorated domes on the top of each tower, which are placed in between. In 1998, the mosque converted a neighboring shophouse into a place for the Muslims to pray.

SIAN CHOR KANG TEMPLE, 66 AMOY STREET

When was this temple built and by which communities? Who is the main deity being worshipped here?

 

This temple is located right next to Ann Siang Hill, with the hill backing it. This temple used to front the sea. It is because of these factors which made up the good feng shui of this place that allowed the temple to be constructed here.

This Hokkien-style temple was first established in 1867 by the Abbot Da Ming and was completed in 1869, however there were some sources that state its completion was in year 1889. Little is known about Abbot Da Ming and his background. However, since this temple is built in the Hokkien-style, one can conclude that it is most likely built by the Hokkien community.

The main deity worshipped here is the Tua Pek Kong, who is the hokkien deity of prosperity. The banner which reads ‘大伯公’ (Tua Pek Kong) can be seen hanging infront of the temple.  

 

KRETA AYER COMPLEX AND THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION

It is often said that the Japanese occupation was a watershed moment for many Singaporeans, who were united in suffering in some ways. However, not all Singaporeans suffered equally as the Chinese community was suspected of harbouring anti-Japanese sentiments and received more harsh treatment than many others. Soon after the occupation began, the Japanese ordered an immediate operation to root out any resistance which became ‘Operation Clean Up’. The Kempeitai, a military police force, carried out this operation, identifying supposed anti-Japanese through informers. While many were taken away to be executed, others became prisoners who were interrogated and tortured. Some of these prisoners were kept at the Kreta Ayer complex, and suffered greatly during their time there. The rooms were crowded with both male and female prisoners who had to crawl out of their cells before being led away for interrogation (which was essentially torture).

Today, the Kreta Ayer complex is a wet market, housing numerous stalls selling fresh goods and produce. This complex also has a great hawker centre with renowned local favourites such as Lian He Ben Ji Claypot rice, Niu Che Shui famous glutinous rice and Xiu Ji Ikan Bulis Yong Tau Fu. While the hustle and bustle can be a little intimidating to a foreigner, like myself, it’s definitely still worth peeking inside to have a look.

70 AMOY ST: THE FORMER ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOL

While Singapore continued to grow economically under Colonial rule, education and other facilities failed to keep pace with this progress. Prior to the twentieth century, Singaporean authorities refused to consider the provision of education as a government responsibility and didn’t provide infrastructure or funding towards this goal. While they did assist with some funding to English private schools, the Chinese were left to educate their own community, while the Malay’s prior efforts at schooling had been considered a failure, causing their access to educational institutions to restrict even further. The opportunities for education were severely limited in early Singaporean society, as the community seemed to be left to its own devices for the most part, particularly concerning schooling.

The Anglo-Chinese school was founded on the 1st March, 1886 when Bishop William F Olkham began teaching classes in English and Chinese to 13 local Chinese boys. As the pupils were sons of wealthy businessmen, the school was morally and financially supported, not only by the parents, but also the wider community. The need for formal education became evident when the number of pupils grew to 104 the following year and following the academic success of its students in the Government examinations, the school became eligible for a regular government grant.  This alone illustrates the exclusive nature of education in early Singapore. Generally, only children of wealthy businessmen were educated, and in order to receive higher levels of funding, had to prove their worth in government examinations. In many cases, education began due to Christian missionaries in Singapore, who believed that universal education would significantly improve the quality of life for the children. Drawing the funding from overseas sponsors as well as local communities meant that the groups taught were quite small which continued to be the case until the government stepped in to increase the number of places available.

TELOK AYER CHINESE METHODIST CHURCH (NATIONAL MONUMENT)

Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church, located at 235 Telok Ayer Street at the junction with Cecil Street, is considered the oldest Chinese-speaking Methodist church in Singapore. It was established in 1889 by Dr Benjamin Franklin West and was mainly for the Hokkien-speaking Chinese. Now the church serves Chinese from various dialect groups and a growing English-speaking community. The Church was first set as missionary practice at a shophouse in Upper Nanking Street to reach out to the immigrant Chinese. During the Second World War, the church became a refuge for at least 300 Chinese. Despite the ban during the Japanese Occupation, they continued giving Sunday services.

Architecturally, it is very different from the usual churches we see around Singapore. The Church faces constraints by the position of the plot of land. As such, the entrance of the church is built facing the west. The sanctuary is built on the second floor unlike the usual country churches where the sanctuary is usually found on the first floor. Also, in a traditional church, it usually display a cruciform plan but in Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church, it is rectangular.The body of the church is demarcated at its four corners by large full height tapered buttress-like forms. These are punctured by rectangular and circular window openings. The windows are large arched and the roof is crowned continuously. The windows are designed in Art Deco style which was popular in the 1920s. The roof of the top storey pavilion is distinctly of Chinese culture as it curves upwards at the corners.

Therefore, Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church has several features that are different from the traditional churches we see in Singapore.

 

MAXWELL ROAD FOOD CENTRE

Maxwell Road Food Centre (originally called Maxwell Market ) located in Tanjong Pagar, is a popular hawker centre within the Central Business District (CBD) area. It is known not only for its cheap dishes but also for the unique Chinese meals seldom found in other hawker centers. Many of the original stall holders had served there for several generations.

The Maxwell Road Food Centre began in the 1950s as a wet market. In the 1980s, the site was changed into a temporary hawker centre to house the hawkers from China Square along China Street. This structure remained for more than a decade. It was designed such that stalls shared a communal washing area which was located in the major thoroughfare where patrons consumed their food at fixed tables.

Some must-try items here at Maxwell Road Hawker Market include the famous Tian Tian Chicken Rice, the traditional congee with pork and century egg from Zhen Zhen Porridge stall and the popular char kway teow from the Marina South Delicious Food stall!

Who was Maxwell Road named after?

Maxwell Road was named after Sir Peter Benson Maxwell. He was originally the Recorder of Singapore, but he goes down in history as Singapore's first Chief Justice, by virtue of the fact that in 1867 the title Recorder was changed to Chief Justice of the Straits Settlements during his tenure.

89 NEIL RD: FORMER ENG AUN TONG

This building was not very easy to find despite it being so outstanding, because it was not in chronological order of the buildings numbered along Neil Road. When we were at between 86 and 90 Neil Road, we were quite surprised as we could not find 89 Neil Road. However, after deciding to walk further down the road, we were elated to finally find this building, the former Eng Aun Tong, standing in front of us with the letters 89 Neil Road boldly written on its walls.

Eng Aun Tong (Hall of Everlasting Peace) was built by Aw Boon Haw in the 1920s as a factory to produce the internationally renowned Tiger Balm. Eng Aun Tong was actually the name of his uncle, who together with his father, founded a medicinal shop named the Hall of Everlasting Peace in 1870 in Yangon, Myanmar. After a unsuccessful opium raid at his house conducted by the British, Aw relocated his head office to Singapore and opened the Eng Aun Tong medicinal hall. Serving both as a medicinal hall and a factory that produced the Tiger Balm.