Origin of Chinatown Singapore

Journey Back In Time Wit A Piece Of Chinatown Singapore
Rich in heritage and flushed with culture, Chinatown Singapore saw over a century of transfrmation from the arrival of Chinese immigrants, to their intriguing mix of livelihoods, to now a historical attraction for future generations.

Before the arrival of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1819, a small population of Chinese immigrants had already settled in Singapore, cultivating gambier and pepper.

Seeing that the Chinese would form the largest ethnic group, Raffles designated Southwest of Singapore River along Boat Quay as the Chinese Kampung for the early Chinese immigrants.

As the only source of fresh water came from the many wells in Ann Siang Hill and at Spring Street, the Chinese had to collect fresh water via a unique method – bullock-drawn carts. This then became the name of Chinatown’s mandarin name – Niu Che Shui, which means bullock cart water.

The Origins Of Chinese
Roots mattered when it came to employment. Chinese omployers will look out for individuals from the same dialect group or village as them. Thus, trades were inevitably specialized by different dialect groups:

Hokkien
Dominated trade and agriculture, namely rubber trading and banking

Teochew
Controlled the gambier and pepper plantations till the 1950s.

Cantonese
Known for carpentry, brickmaking, boat building, barbering, shoemaking, and baking.

Hakka
Adopted many of the skills of the Cantonese but were also known to be locksmiths and goldsmiths.

Hainanese
Specialised in the coffee shop business, providing catering and personal services in europen establishments.

Foochow
Also known for catering and coffee shop businesses.

Henghua & Hockchia
Saw their talents in rickshaw and bicycle trading.

Sanjiang
Displayed their skills in furnishing, tailoring, and traded in antiques and sundries.

Story of Majie
Traditionally seen in long hair with black and white samfoos, “Majies” arrived on Singapore shores from Kwantung, China. Dediating their lives to servanthood, they looked after families by performing all household duties. Trusted to run the house at their employer’s back and call, they lived a hard life of unwavering loyalty.

Story of Towkay
“Towkay” was the traditional name for the first generation of Chinese business owners to arrive in Singapore. As natural born merchants, they demonstrated their talents in different businesses through the trading of goods with the Indians and British. Over time, they founded the various industries that built the pillars of Singapore ecomomy.

Story of Kopi Uncle

Coffee Uncle Chinatown Singapore

Early Singapore found its mornings greeted by “Kopi Uncles”. Highly skilled in roasting coffee, these old school baristas would pour pipping hot cuppas that would kick start the days of many Singaporeans. That said, every beverage served was not without a hearty traditional breakfast of kaya toasts and half-boiled eggs to move everyone off onto their day.

Story of Samsui Women

Samsui Women Chinatown Singapore

Arriving from the Sam Sui district of Sanshui, China, “Samsui Women” were construction workers who fetched materials for  construction sites from dusk till dawn. Dressed in dark blue samfoos paired with a distinct red headgear, they toiled with a vow to live a life without marriage. However, it is say that they did adopt baby girls for company and support at old age.

Story of Letter Writer
Most early Chinese immigrants were often illiterate, and to send word home they sought the help of letter writers. Found in corners of Chinatown with a simple wooden table and stool, these writers make a living by translating life stories onto paper. Whether its success or plight, they lived to write just about every tale one can possily hear.

Story of Fortune Teller
It is only human nature to question life and its purpose. After all, life was hard for the Chinese that first arrived in Singapore. Hence, most sought their foutunes with fortune tellers for much-needed advice on averting misfortunes and more importantly, steps on inviting prosperity into their lives.

Story of Night Soil Collector
The lack of proper sanitation systems brought about the need for sanitation workers, otherwise known as Night soil Collectors. The name accurately describes their duties as they collected excrement and urine using buckets in the middle of the night. Naturally, they were not well looked upon but none can deny that they were true servants of the people.

Story of Chinese Puppeteer

Chinese Puppeteer Chinatown Singapore

Chinese puppetry has a history dating back to Shang Dinasty in 11th Century BC. Its long-lived popularity brought it to the shores of Singapore and onto Chinatown. Where puppetteers made a simple living by playing out old Chinese folklores with a collection of intricately made puppets. Just to send a smile across every face.