Street Names and their Meanings





Street Names and their Meanings

 
A Street Sign in Chinatown 

During our heritage trail around Chinatown, we realised that there were many streets with notable street names and history. Also of note were the alternative names given by the various communities living in the area as this indicates their different experiences of this common space. We did a quick background research of the street names (that are circled on the map below) and found these info:

Ann Siang Hill[1] 
(see detailed report of Ann Siang Hill)

  • Originally known as Scott’s Hill after Charles Scott, who owned the area around the hill. He sold it to John Gemmill who christened it as Gemmill’s Hill. The hill became known as Ann Siang Hill after it came to be owned by Chia Ann Sian.
  • It was known as “Chui-lan teng” (Chui-lan pavilion) to the Hokkien, because a club named “Chui-lan” was located here.

Smith Street[2]

  •  Named after Cecil Clementi Smith, the Governor of Straits Settlement from 1887 to 1893
  • It was also known as hei yuen kai (theatre street) by the Cantonese. The theatre refers to the theatre ‘Lai Chun Yuen’ that used to be located along this street.
  • This street was notorious for prostitution, with more than 25 brothels operating along the street in 1901. This continued until the government began to strictly regulate prostitution in 1930.

Temple Street[3]

  • Formerly known as Almeida Street. It was named after Joaqium d'Almeida, son of José d'Almeida, the owner of the land around the junction of present-day Temple Street and Trengganu Street
  • The Municipal Council renamed the road to its present name in 1908 to avoid confusion with other streets named after d'Almeida.
  • Named after Sri Mariamman Temple
  •  Known as hei yuen hau hai (Theatre back street) by the Cantonese (the theatre was in Smith Street)


Pagoda Street[4]
  • Named after Sri Mariamman Temple, which had a gopuram (an ornate monumental tower that is placed entrance of Indian temples)[5] that resembled Buddhist pagoda 
  • Similarly, James Mosque (which was also located in Pagoda Street) has minarets that resembled Buddhist pagodas à a sign that religious divides in the past were not as entrenched as we commonly assume?
  • The Cantonese know the street as ‘Kwong Hup Yuen kai’ (Street of Kwong Hup Yuen), referring to Kwong Hup Yuen, a famous coolie trading firm
  • The Hokkiens refer to the street as “Kit-ling-a le-pai au” (“behind the kling place of worship”). The word “kilng” refers to South Indians while the temple refers to the Sri Mariamman Temple.
New Bridge Road [6]
  • Named after Coleman Bridge that was built in 1840
  • Also known as “Sin pa-sat ma-ta chhucheng” in Hokkien and “Sin pa-sat ma-ta liuchhin” in Cantonese, both meaning “in front of the new market police station”

South Bridge Road[7]
  •  One of the earliest road in Singapore
  • It refers to the road south of Singapore river (extention of North Bridge Road) and bridge refers to Thomson Bridge (present-day Elgin Bridge)

References

Nasir, Heirwin Mohd . 2005. Smith Street. January 25. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_681_2005-01-25.html.
Savage, V.R., and B. Yeoh. Singapore Street Names: A Study of Toponymics. Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 2013.
Thulaja, Naidu Ratnala . 2005. Ann Siang Road. January 20. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_329_2005-01-20.html.
Thulaja, Naidu Ratnala. 2004. New Bridge Road. December 17. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_310_2004-12-17.html.





[1] (Thulaja, Ann Siang Road 2005)
[2] (Nasir 2005)
[3] V.R. Savage and B. Yeoh, Singapore Street Names: A Study of Toponymics (Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 2013).
[4] Ibid.
[5] American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. S.v. "gopuram." Retrieved October 5 2017 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/gopuram
[6] (Thulaja, New Bridge Road 2004)
[7] Savage and Yeoh, Singapore Street Names: A Study of Toponymics.

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