Joo Chiat Road is a road in Katong and a residential conservation area located in the east coast of Singapore. It has won several architectural and heritage awards including the United Nations' UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation at 125 Joo Chiat Road.[1] It has overtaken Holland Village in terms of most diverse eateries. Currently, Joo Chiat has become one of the hippiest and coolest towns in Singapore,[2] with both rich and young professionals flocking to its numerous Michelin awarded restaurants.[3] Joo Chiat Road carries a rich historical Peranakan architecture and is infused with rich Peranakan culture, as it has the most historical Peranakan buildings in the Katong district. Joo Chiat was named after a businessman by the name of Chew Joo Chiat after he donated the land to the Municipality of Singapore.
Before 1917, Joo Chiat Road was known as the Confederate Estate Road. At that time, most of the land in the area belonged to the Little family. The road name changed after Chew Joo Chiat (Chinese:周如切; pinyin:Zhōu Rúqiè; Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Chiu Jû-chhiat), a famous prominent ethnic Chinese businessman of Peranakan descent who became the owner of most of the land in the area around Joo Chiat Road. Chew bought land from the Alsagoff family as well as the Little family to plant spices, such as nutmeg, gambier and pepper which were in great demand by Europeans.
In 1903, Chew added more land to his plantation by purchasing more than an acre of land for $35,000/- from Henry William Crane. Later, he turned all his land into coconut plantations when copra became a cash crop. His foresight and business acumen made him a wealthy land owner. In 1913, he bought at auction 5 freehold building allotments fronting the Confederate Estate Road to further increase his land holding. In early 1917 Joo Chiat Road was still a cart track going through Chew's plantation, and as such it was a private road maintained by him. Transportation of local produce was by bullock carts. Joo Chiat area was then under the jurisdiction of the Rural Board.
When the Municipal Limit extended into Joo Chiat Road, the Municipality wanted to construct a road for motor vehicles from Geylang Serai to the beach and offered to buy the stretch of Chew's land (the Confederate Estate Road) to construct a road for motor vehicles. Chew saw the benefit of a transport infrastructure going through his land, and bequeathed the road to the authority without compensation. For his generosity, the road was named after him: Joo Chiat Road. As more people moved into area around Joo Chiat Road, especially along East Coast Road, there was a big demand for housing. Chew divided his land into building lots and sold them to developers to build houses. Subsequent establishment of some of Singapore's earliest season houses and holiday bungalows[4] resulted in Joo Chiat becoming a wealthy and upper middle class suburb with a relaxing and scenic locale.
Today, Joo Chiat Road is best known for its colourful rows of traditional Peranakanshophouses, dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, that line the narrow street. Joo Chiat's development began with attendant amenities and an electric tramway was built between the Joo Chiat-Changi Market and Tanjong Pagar.
Chew Joo Chiat was known as King of Katong after his death on 5 February 1926. Madam Chew Quee Neo, who was the daughter of Chew Joo Chiat donated a piece of land to build a TheravadaBuddhist temple known as "Mangala Vihara" in 1959 which is cater for the Peranakan Buddhist community.[5]
Post-war to 1966
Joo Chiat was never a standalone location, it was always part of an area or a road in Katong area and thus many buildings such Katong Presbyterian Church was name after Katong since 1957. After world war 2, it became an active retail and entertainment hub in the 1950s and 1960s, with popular supermarket Tay Buan Guan, Red House Katong Bakery and food specialties such as Katong Laksa. Changi Market (now Joo Chiat Complex) at Joo Chiat Road became an important trading centre for Malays from Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. They traded in food, flowers and spices, which remain a major part of the area's economy today. The development of Geylang Serai in the 60s also prompted the government to build mosques and theatres in Joo Chiat. There were other amenities for the community living there including a police station, schools and health centre.
1967- 1975
As Singapore's population grew and people started to move out from the city centre, Joo Chiat's community increased. 4 more schools were built along with a community centre. Joo Chiat continued to be the entertainment hub with Galaxy theatre and the addition of 2 more shopping centres.
1976 – 1984
East Coast reclamation started in 1966 and lasted for two decades until 1985. Its reclamation changed the physical landscape of the area with the modification of the coastline, landscape and even the removal of Katong jetty. Coupled with new high rise housing estate in East Coast, Joo Chiat slowly lost its distinct identity amid this de-territorialisation process.[6]
The late 70s and early 80s also saw more road changes where adjacent streets were linked up to ease commute. Taj Cinema, adjacent to the markets, was also renamed by Shaw to Singapura theatre. However, Singapura theatre lost its attractiveness with the rise of cinematography and eventually shut down in 1985.
1985 - 1995
As the Kampongs in Geylang made way for HDBs, a museum to showcase the life of Malays was proposed in the 70s. This museum, Geylang Serai Malay Village, was completed in 1989 and located at the start of Joo Chiat Road. The period also saw many more buildings for retail purposes such as Galaxy Complex, Katong Mall, Roxy Square and Paramount Shopping Centre.
1996 - 2007
Brothels in central region were removed by the government from 1959 onwards and these brothels have shifted to Geylang. The spread of sex industry from Geylang to the surrounding area created a profound effect on the type of business in Joo Chiat Rd in the 90s and early 2000s. The residents complained to the member of parliament and the police relentlessly raided all the hotels and KTVS and instituted neighborhood watch and whistle blowing systems with countless CCTV along the roads to monitor and arrest any future offenders. As a result, Joo Chiat Rd after 2008 rose up to become one of the safest road in Singapore, completely free of vice activities, and it has transformed to one of the hippiest and coolest towns in Singapore, with both rich and young professionals flocking to its savory cafes and restaurants. After 2008, it later became a popular tourist attraction and many tour groups from all over the world travel there to have their memorable photo shoot with the Peranakan conserved houses. It carries a rich historical Peranakan colonial architecture and is infused with rich Peranakan culture, as it has the most historical Peranakan buildings in the Katong district.
Present
In 2011, the vicinity surrounding Joo Chiat Road was declared Singapore's first Heritage Town. It is chosen, in part, because of strong efforts to promote its Peranakan culture. Currently, Joo Chiat has become one of the hippiest and coolest towns in Singapore, with both rich and young professionals flocking to its savory cafes and restaurants. Joo Chiat is also one of the Singapore food streets with UNESCO Status.
In 2014, Lucky Shophouse, formerly Lucky Bookstore, located at 125 Joo Chiat Road was awarded the Jury Commendation for Innovation at the 2014 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards[7]
There are famous eateries which contribute to Joo Chiat's popularity as a dining spot. Since 2014, Joo Chiat begins to experience a significant shift in culture and immigration. Today, western cafe and high-class dinning are sprouting over Joo Chiat Road because a lot of Caucasians shifted in after discovering Joo Chiat has better historical culture than Holland Village, and it is very close to the seaside, and would fit in to their lifestyle preference. Thus, a lot of Chinese, Malaysians, and Vietnamese restaurants changed to western restaurants or cafe. Joo Chiat now becomes a multicultural food enclave, not just a Peranakan enclave. The restaurants and various eateries along the street are of varied cuisines from all over the world.
Katong is a residential neighbourhood in the eastern portion of the Central Region of Singapore, within the Marine Parade planning area. Katong district stretches from Ford Road area to Joo Chiat area. It used to be located by the sea, before land reclamation towards the south to East Coast Park was created for housing and recreational purposes beginning in the 1960s to 1970s.
Geylang is a planning area and township located on the eastern fringe of the Central Region of Singapore, bordering Hougang and Toa Payoh in the north, Marine Parade in the south, Bedok in the east, and Kallang in the west.
Marine Parade is a planning area and residential estate located in the Central Region of Singapore. Straddling the tip of the southeastern coast of Pulau Ujong, Marine Parade serves as a buffer between the Central and East regions of the city-state. Bordering it are the planning areas of Geylang to the north, Kallang to the northwest, Bedok to the northeast, Marina East to the southwest and the Singapore Straits to the south.
Tanjong Pagar is a historic district located within the Central Business District of Singapore, straddling the Outram Planning Area and the Downtown Core under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's urban planning zones. The district has a rich history and is known for its cultural and architectural landmarks, making it a popular tourist destination.
Kampong Glam is a neighbourhood and ethnic enclave in Singapore. It is located north of the Singapore River, in the planning area of Rochor, known as the Malay-Muslim quarter.
The Bedok Police Division is one of the seven land division of the Singapore Police Force. Bedok Division covers approximately 114 square kilometres of the eastern sector of Singapore. The building became operational on 1 August 1987 when the former Joo Chiat Police Station at East Coast Road was closed down.
Geylang Road is a major trunk road linking Singapore's eastern suburban areas with the country's central business district. Deriving its name from the area of Geylang where the road cuts through, it is fronted on both sides by low-rise shophouses protected statutorily from urban redevelopment in keeping with its history and urban heritage.
The Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) located in the central, eastern and north-eastern areas of Singapore. The constituency consists of a section of Bedok, Chai Chee, Geylang, Kaki Bukit, Kallang, Kembangan, Marine Parade, Mountbatten, Ubi, Serangoon and Hougang. There are a total of 5 divisions in this GRC: Marine Parade, Geylang Serai, Braddell Heights, Joo Chiat and Kembangan-Chai Chee. The current MPs are Seah Kian Peng, Mohd Fahmi Aliman, Edwin Tong, Tan Chuan-Jin and Tan See Leng from the People's Action Party (PAP).
Jumbo Seafood is a Singaporean restaurant chain specialising in the seafood aspects of Singaporean cuisine and dishes, such as Chili crab. First opened in 1987 with an outlet at the East Coast Seafood Centre modeling and taking design elements similar to the non affiliated JUMBO Floating Restaurant Hong Kong, Jumbo Kingdom. It became a hit, it then opened an additional five outlets throughout the country including in the suburban areas of Serangoon Gardens as well as the Singapore Indoor Stadium. As of 2022, it has 5 outlets in Singapore.
The culture of Singapore has changed greatly over the millennia. Its contemporary modern culture consists of a combination of Asian and European cultures, mainly by Malay, South Asian, East Asian and Eurasian influences. Singapore has been dubbed as a country where "East meets West", "Gateway to Asia" and a "Garden city".
i12 Katong is a seven-storey shopping mall in the east of Singapore. It is located in the heart of Katong at the junction of East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road. The mall was closed for renovations in March 2020 and had its soft reopening on 23 December 2021, and its grand reopening on 23 June 2022.
Kampung Cina, is a Chinatown located in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. Kampung Cina is located along Jalan Bandar, in Kuala Terengganu city centre at the river mouth of Terengganu River that empties into the South China Sea. Kampung Cina literally means Chinese Village; it is also called Tn̂g-lâng-pho (唐人坡) or KT's Chinatown by local people. It is one of Southeast Asia's early Chinese settlements and contains stately ancestral homes, temples, townhouses, and business establishments. The town is small but has colourful shophouses along both sides of the road that carries traditional flavour.
Sino-Portuguese architecture, also known as Chinese Baroque,Straits/Singapore Eclectic architecture or Peranakan architecture is an Asian hybrid style incorporating elements of both Chinese and Portuguese architectural styles. It is common in urban centers where Chinese settlers lived in southern China and the Peranakans of the Malay Peninsula, with examples found and most prominently conserved and maintained in Singapore.
Peranakan Place, formerly known as Peranakan Corner, is a row of six two-storey shophouses facing Orchard Road, built around 1902 at the intersection of Emerald Hill Road and Orchard Road in the planning area of Newton in Singapore. It forms part of the Emerald Hill Conservation Area within the Orchard district in central Singapore.
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Violet Oon is a Singaporean chef, restaurateur, and food writer known for her food columns, cookbooks, and restaurants specializing in Peranakan cuisine. She has been the food ambassador of Singapore since 1988.
Tanjong Katong Complex is a shopping complex in Geylang Serai, Singapore. Constructed in 1982, the complex was the first air-conditioned shopping complex built by the Housing and Development Board and has since become known for servicing the Malay community in the area.
↑ Shaw, Brian. J., & Ismail, R. (2006). Ethnoscapes, entertainment and ’eritage in the global city: Segmented spaces in Singapore’s Joo Chiat Road. GeoJournal, 66(3), 187-198. doi:10.1007/s10708-006-9029-9
↑ Shaw, Brian. J., & Ismail, R. (2006). Ethnoscapes, entertainment and ’eritage in the global city: Segmented spaces in Singapore’s Joo Chiat Road. GeoJournal, 66(3), 187-198. doi:10.1007/s10708-006-9029-9
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