Tag Archives: Tiong Bahru

Past and Present Cemeteries of Singapore (Part 1) – Old Chinese Graveyards

The Chinese Tomb Sweeping Festival, or Qing Ming, is here once again. It is a period when tens of thousands of local Chinese make their way to the major cemeteries and columbaria to pay their respects to the deceased. Today, … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural, Historic, Religious | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Nostalgic Coloured Photos of Former Seng Poh Road Market

In the late 1940s, Tiong Bahru was recovering from the horrors of the Second World War. Jobs were scarce, so many turned to street hawking. A new market emerged at Tiong Bahru, converted from two old shophouses in the vicinity. … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural, Nostalgic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Singapore Trivia – The Firsts and Lasts (in Everyday Life)

A brief record of Singapore’s firsts and lasts of common things that are associated with our everyday life. 1821 – First General Hospital The history of Singapore’s first general hospital was almost as old as the country’s colonial history. The … Continue reading

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

From Villages to Flats (Part 2) – Public Housing in Singapore

The history of the public housing in Singapore is largely divided into two sections: The Singapore Improvement Trust’s (SIT) period and the Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) era. Two minor players that had also contributed in the building of public … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural, Historic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 94 Comments

A Walk Through The Old Neighbourhood – Tiong Bahru

Tiong Bahru is the first public housing estate to be built in Singapore (Queenstown is the first satellite new town). It was a project undertaken by Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) in the thirties, where SIT was a government body set … Continue reading

Posted in Nostalgic | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

Old, Common Names of Places in Singapore, and their Origins

Singapore was once known as 石叻坡, where 石叻 is “Selat” (Malay term for straits) and 坡 is an old Chinese way of addressing a place. Within the country, many places in Singapore have colourful histories and some are better known … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 56 Comments