Tiong Bahru has attracted the attention of up and coming businesses, artists, and professionals in recent years. The once quiet, old-fashioned kampong-style neighbourhood is now home
to a number of new coffee shops, bakeries, casual and fine dining
establishments and upscale one-of-a-kind boutiques. These new businesses
co-exist with family run provision shops, eating stalls and long-time
residents. The sights, smells, sounds and tastes of both the old and the new in
Tiong Bahru were the focus of the CAS October Out & About.
Our tour began
with Lynda taking us through the colorful and often surprising history of Tiong
Bahru. The name translates as "new tomb": Tiong from the Hokkien for
tomb, Bahru from the Malay for new. The once hilly area with mangrove swamps,
pig farms, and a sago factory, also once housed a cemetery
that no longer exists except for two tombs. Those former residents were moved
to the location of the November’s tour, Bukit Brown cemetery, when the area was
developed. Needing more space for the housing needs of Singaporeans, the Singapore Improvement Trust undertook the task clearing the
land and preparing it for development. In 1936 they began building the first
"new town" or suburb to the city. The unique blend of shophouse and
Art Deco architectural features such as rounded balconies, flat roofs,
exterior spiral staircases and air wells are unique in Singapore, and priced
the flats out of the reach of most average Singaporeans. Building continued in the area after the end
of WWII, including the building of housing more
affordable to the average person. Over
time as more and newer HDB flats were built in newer estates, the area began to
decline and "grey" as the average age of the residents increased. In 1993 twenty blocks of the pre-war flats
were gazetted for conservation and will remain preserved
despite the modernization taking place in the area.
Our first stop in the area was Yong Siak
Street. The 40 Hands coffee shop, which many believe was the catalyst for the
rejuvenation of the area, opened here in 2010. In
addition to the coffee shop, an independent bookstore and several F & B establishments and boutiques have relocated/opened on this street. As
we neared the end of the street we turned down a back alley and found ourselves
in the secluded back parking area, which lead to the area being
known as the “den of beauties”. Wealthy businessmen were said to house their
mistresses in the flats because of the privacy of the back entrances and
courtyards afforded them. We were also able to take a look at the entrance to what is believed to be the last public air raid shelter on the island and was in use when the
Japanese bombed Singapore between
December 1941 and January 1942.
We then headed toward Qi Tian Gong Temple
taking time to admire the beautiful architecture
and foliage and also take note of the many renovations in progress. Lianne told
us of the temple’s origin, dating back over ninety years and that it is
considered to be the first temple in Singapore dedicated to the Monkey God.
From the corner temple we made our way up Eng Hoon Street,
passing yet more eateries and coffee shops, to the Tiong Bahru Wet Market for a
cold drink and a sampling of hawker stall goodies. The market on the main
floor, considered to be one of Singapore's finest, sells everything from fruits and vegetables to extremely fresh fish and meat, to
household wares, clothing and even paper effigies and locally roasted coffee
beans.
Our last stop before lunch at a local
Thai restaurant was at the home of Chinese-Canadian
artist Billy Ma. Billy generously welcomed our group into his gazetted flat, where we were fortunate to
view not only the relatively unchanged style of it, but also some of his work
and hear from the artist himself about the inspiration and the stories behind
the prints. His company, Booda Brand, sells a
line of conversation and thought provoking
limited edition prints. (www.billyma.com/billyma.com/Booda_Brand)
Tiong Bahru, with it's wonderful blend of
old and new, beautiful architecture, funky shops and delicious
food is definitely worth a visit!
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