Welcome to an Adventure Lab that will take you down Telok Ayer Street, one of the oldest streets in the modern Singapore, and the cradle of the “Chinatown” you see around you today. The road is notable for its historic buildings, many of which have histories that date back to the founding of Singapore. Telok Ayer means “Water Bay” in Malay, named for the street’s original function, which was a place where ships could stock up on fresh water from the wells at the foot of nearby Ann Siang Hill. The shape of the street, which forms a wide arc in the otherwise grid layout of the city, is the only surviving vestige of its coastal past. Stamford Raffles designated the south bank of the Singapore River as the enclave for the immigrants. Hence, in the years after 1819, Telok Ayer, being a natural harbour, was where many of our forefathers first set foot on Singapore after their long journeys. Religious buildings and clan associations sprung up along the street, and will be the subjects of this AL.
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