We ♥ Chinatown

Our Neighbourhoods

Urban Sketchers Singapore

ISBN: 978-981-077824-8
First Edition, October 2020
© 2020 Epigram Books

Cover design by Caslyn Ong
Front cover illustration by Lim Han Seng
Back cover illustration by Eve Tan
Map by Benedict Tay
Edited by Dan Koh and Lee Li Ying
Sketchwalk organised by Urban Sketchers Singapore

Published in Singapore by Epigram
www.epigrambooks.sg

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Table of Contents

Singapore’s Early Chinatowns

Map

Credit : Sketch by TEOH YI CHIE

Credit : Sketch by DON LOW

Singapore’s Early Chinatowns

In Singapore, the term “Chinatown” is used to describe a designated tourism district, but that term is a misnomer. Notwithstanding the large ethnic overseas Chinese population from the island’s census, there were two historic “Chinese areas” rather than just one ethnic enclave. The first is known as “Dua Po” or “Tai Por”, loosely translated as “Big Town”. This is the area to the west of the Singapore River, and was occupied in the 19th century by the Cantonese and Hakkas, Hokkiens and Teochews, living in defined districts within the “enclave”. The other, “Swey Po” or “Siew Por” (“Small Town”), was east of the colonial cantonment area between Purvis Road and the Rochor River system. The residents here were later settlers, including the Hainanese, Hakkas, Foochows, Henghuas, Kwongsais and other smaller southern Chinese groups.

If this is not complex enough, consider that there were even smaller settlements within these southern Chinese enclaves. The samsui women arrived from a district in Canton province, but lived only in the small area bound by Cross Street, Eu Tong Sen Street and Hokkien Street, which was inside the Cantonese area. Such differentiations and details are often overlooked, and the erstwhile Cantonese area (or Kreta Ayer area) only is now erroneously demarcated as “Chinatown”. This, then, is the challenge of reading its spaces and sketching the shophouses, office tower blocks, multi-religious buildings and other sites in the area, and I believe Urban Sketchers Singapore has done a tremendous job in capturing these complex diversities and aspects in its sketches.

Lai Chee Kien
Architect and urban historian

Completed in 1973, People’s Park Complex was Singapore’s first multipurpose building with residential, retail and commercial facilities within a single structure. At 31 storeys and occupying one hectare, it was also the largest shopping complex of its time in Singapore. Credit : Sketch by RAUL SARIA

Singaporeans and tourists soak in the festive atmosphere as they stroll through the stalls, admire Lunar New Year decorations and sample local and international snacks at a carnival outside People’s Park Complex. Credit : Sketch by APRIL YIP

The best time to absorb the vibrant atmosphere that Chinatown has to offer is during Chinese New Year. In 2012, Chinatown installed a massive water dragon structure between Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road to usher in the Year of the Dragon. Credit : Sketch by TIA BOON SIM

After his wife was refused entry into another opera house, tin-and-rubber magnate Eu Tong Sen built the Tin Yin Dance Stage in 1927. Majestic Theatre only acquired its current namesake after WWII, when Dahua Film Company took over. The glorious building now hosts non-profit organisation Chinatown Social Enterprise and Singapore Turf Club and Cash Converters outlets. Credit : Sketch by RAUL SARIA

Credit : Sketch by CHRIS NG

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