Central Area - History

History

Much of the central area bounded by Telok Ayer Road, which has a high concentration of skyscrapers is built on reclaimed land. Therefore the Thian Hock Keng Temple built in 1839 along Telok Ayer Road used to face the sea and it was visited by Chinese immigrants giving thanks to Ma Zu (Goddess of the Sea) for their safe voyage. Prior to 1839, the temple served as a joss-house for the Hokkien immigrants. This temple, which is also the first Hokkien temple to be built by the Hokkien clan under the leadership of Tan Tock Seng and Si Hoo Keh, is in the architectural style of southern China, using only materials imported from China and supported with no nails. The clan’s office was housed there and this temple was also used as a meeting venue. The construction of the temple was completed in 1842 and details of this temple’s history are recorded in granite tablets found on the wall inside the Entrance Hall.A plaque inscribed with the words Bo Jing Nan Ming (Gentle Waves over the South Seas) which was presented by the Guangxu Emperor in 1907, is found in this temple providing evidence of the temple’s stature. The temple comprises an architectural masterpiece of stone, tiles and wood, dragons and phoenixes, amazing cravings, sculptures and imposing columns. The Thian Hock Keng temple has been gazetted as a national monument in 1973.

The adjacent placement of places of worship of various religions (such as the Thian Hock Keng Temple, the Nagore Durgha Shrine, the Central Christian Church and Al Abrar Mosque) and demonstrate the peaceful coexistence of the early multi-ethnic and multi-cultural communities in Singapore.

Also, over at Church Street, there is the Yueh Hai Ching Temple. The Temple is one of the oldest Taoist temple and it was built in 1826. This temple was established by a group of Teochew settlers from Guangzhou in China when they dedicated a shrine to Tian Hou. This temple faced the sea and was therefore a place where newly-arrived Chinese immigrants (sailors and travelers included) came to offer their thanks to the Goddess for their safe voyage across the seas. The renovation to the temple was undertaken by the Ngee Ann Kongsi, which was formed by a group of immigrants from the Teochew community.This temple served as a meeting place for the people of the Teochew community in the late 19th century when the Teochews became the second largest Chinese Dialect group in Singapore.The temple was honoured with a bian e, an imperial signboard from Emperor Guang Xu of the Qing Dynasty in 1907. In 1996 it was gazetted as a national monument and it underwent repairs and restoration works. This temple is a silent testimony to the faith and gratitude of many people in Singapore. The background contrast between the old temples and the new modern buildings indicate that new and old can surely bond and blend in one common space.The temple has a cover structure which are models depicting the lives of Chinese villagers. The emperor of China at that point in time also presented the temple with a signboard that is still displayed in the temple till today. The temple is separated into two sections; each section caters for the different people coming from the different parts of China.

The Armenian Church is located at Hill Street, it is the oldest church in Singapore. The funding for the building of the church came from contributions of the Armenian community. It was built in the 1830s by George Coleman, the architect of many buildings in Singapore. The Armenian Church is the church for the Armenian community, a small community in Singapore once. The Church was credited as a national monument.

CHIJMES, located at Victoria Street, is currently converted into a modern dining area with restaurants. It was originally a Catholic Convent which was convented. The original structure was well preserved and the chapel is still present till today. The restaurants resides in the old structures of the convent.

The closeness of the locations of various religions worship indicated the peaceful coexistence of the early multi-ethnic and multi-cultural communities in Singapore. The streets in the CBD area have a long history which showed a very different CBD as compared to the present. History past, Ang Siang Hill was the site of remittance houses where the Chinese immigrants go to when they wanted to remit money back home. Sago Lane (Street of the Dead) was formerly used as a place for people to die with the funeral parlor on the ground floor and living areas on the second floor. This area was infamous because of the large number of deaths found there. Although the Sago Street is referred to as the Street of the Dead, the funeral parlor was actually located in the Sago Lane. Sago Lane runs parallel to the Sago Street.