Tag Archives: Singapore 1960s

Those Years When We Brushed Our Teeth Together

Dental education and oral hygiene for the young in Singapore have come a long way. In 1969, the Ministry of Health (MOH) launched dental education for all the primary schools in Singapore, with the aim to raise dental health standard … Continue reading

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Stirling Road and Singapore’s Oldest HDB Flats

For the longtime residents at Stirling Road, more than six decades have passed in a blink of eye. Prior to the fifties, this area was made up of swampland, plantations and burial ground. Then came development when the Singapore Improvement … Continue reading

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Tong Nam Tobacco and the Rise and Fall of Local Cigarette Producers

Along MacPherson Road, at its junction with Harvey Road, is a white double-storey shophouse that was once one of Singapore’s major cigarette manufacturers. This was the former factory of Tong Nam Tobacco Company (东南烟草公司). Tong Nam Tobacco Tobacco companies existed … Continue reading

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Reminiscing the Rustic Charm of Ulu Sembawang

Ulu Sembawang in the eighties remained a rustic, countryside-like place, seemingly isolated from the rest of Singapore that had seen rapid urbanisation over the years. Jalan Ulu Sembawang, the main route in the area, wound through a large part of … Continue reading

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Our Favourite Soft Drinks of Yesteryears

We used to call our favourite soft drinks bok zwee or hor lan zwee (“bottled water” or “Holland water” in Hokkien), or ang sai that refers to Fraser & Neave (F&N) orange juice (“red lion” in Hokkien; referring to the F&N … Continue reading

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Sago Lane’s Grim History of “Death Houses”

According to a 1840s map, Sago Street appeared earlier than Sago Lane. Sago Street was located at the westernmost boundary of the Chinatown area, a Chinese precinct created as part of the British’s town planning and ethnic segregation in the … Continue reading

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The “Black Bridge” of Orh Kio Tau

In the past, the area along Havelock Road, between Zion Road and Delta Road, was colloquially known as orh kio tau (乌桥头) by the local Chinese. The name, literally “black bridge head” in Hokkien and Teochew, means “starting from the … Continue reading

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An Old Riverine Temple at Sungei Kallang

Chwee Kang Beo (水江庙) was a rare Chinese riverine temple in Singapore in the past, when it stood in the waters of the Kallang River. Throughout its rich history of more than seven decades, it has witnessed the vast transformation … Continue reading

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A Forgotten Past – The Noah’s Ark of Pasir Panjang

Once located at Pasir Panjang Road 7¼ milestone (formal address was 189 West Coast Road), the zoo, dubbed as the Noah’s Ark of Pasir Panjang, was opened during the Chinese New Year period in 1957 by Tong Seng Mun (born … Continue reading

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Searching for the Remaining Old Flood Gauges in Singapore

Located at the junction of Cambridge Road and Carlisle Road, this old one-metre flood gauge serves as a reminder of the frequent floods that occurred in this vicinity especially in the seventies. Such flood gauges were installed at many low-lying … Continue reading

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