There is an overlap between the areas of Kreta Ayer (Hokkien) Area and China Square https://www.marcs.studio/post/singapore-chinatown-china-square.
Hong Lim Park
September 2017
September 2017
Hokien Street
Built in the 1820s, Hokien Street is one of the oldest roads in Singapore. The road appears in the 1828 Jackson Plan (or Raffles Town Plan) of Singapore as “Hokien Street”. As its name implies, Hokien Street was a main settlement area for early Hokkien immigrants from China. The Hokkien community was the largest dialect group to have emigrated from China to Singapore. They dominated commerce in early Singapore and many were noted philanthropists. Hence, many streets in Singapore have been named after prominent personalities from the Hokkien community.
Source: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_295_2004-12-15.html
Upper Hokien Street
The Chinese also referred to Upper Hokien Street as tiang thye kai after the clan association, Tiang Thye Hui Guan. Built in 1849 by Cheang Sam Teow, a Chinese immigrant from the Tiang Thye county of China’s Fujian province, it became dilapidated after some years. In 1887, 38 years later, it was rebuilt as Tiang Thye Temple by Cheang Hong Lim, the son of Cheang Sam Teow. The temple was later demolished to make way for the construction of Hong Lim complex in the 1980s.
Source: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_295_2004-12-15.html
November 2016
Upper Cross Street
Upper Cross Street is an extension of Cross Street which is located in the sub-district of Telok Ayer (https://www.marcs.studio/post/singapore-chinatown-telok-ayer).
January 2020
Indian hawkers selling goat's mile used to crowd the pavements of Cross Street and Upper Cross Street. Alongside the goat's mile stalls were cooked food stalls, spice shops, butcher stalls as well as the ubiquitous "marmak" shops. Selling all types of sundries, a "marmak" shop - which still exists today - is the one goes to buy everyday provisions. The prevalent Indian milk stalls lent Cross Street and Upper Cross Street their identity. These streets were collectively known in Malays as Kampong Susu, or "milk village", and in Tamil as Palkadai Saddaku, or "milk shop street".
The Chinese named Upper Cross Street after its ethnic concentration, calling it Kiat Leng Kia Koi, or Kling Street, after the southern Indian kingdom or Kalinga where many of these Indian immigrants came from. While the Indian traders carried on their businesses, the Chinese were also making their presence felt in another way. Upper Cross Street housed the headquarters of one of the largest and most powerful triads in Singapore and Malaya at the time - Hai San Kong Si. Masquerading as a job agency for Chinese coolies, it exercised fearsome control over the opium, prostitution and slave trade.
Source: Trade Development Board
Upper Cross Street was also known as “Hai San Street”, which was derived from the Chinese secret society of the same name that had created much trouble in the area. Hai San was the group that was involved in violent conflict with another Chinese secret society, Ghee Hin, in Perak and Penang in the 1860s and early 1870s.
A sundry shop along South Bridge Road, July 2022
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