Kreta Ayer Road, Singapore

Kreta Ayer Road, Singapore (29 July 2017)


Kreta Ayer Road is a minor road in the Chinatown neighbourhood of Outram, Singapore. It runs in a single direction from Neil Road to New Bridge Road/Eu Tong Sen Street, and is intersected by Keong Saik Road.

The name Kreta Ayer means "water cart" in Malay. It refers to bullock carts used to carry water. In our present age, where we tend to take piped water into every homes for granted, it is necessary to understand that in the past, before there was piped water, fresh water has to be delivered to homes by bullock carts. Kreta Ayer Road is where the bullock carts carrying water containers passed through on its way into the city. In this respect, Kreta Ayer Road played a similar rôle as Burmah Road in Penang.

For that reason, Kreta Ayer Road became known in Hokkien as 牛車水 (Taiji Romanisation: Goo3 Chia3 Cui4 , Church Romanisation: gû-chhia-chúi, Taiwanese Romanisation: gû-tshia-tsúi) meaning "water oxcart (road)".

In today's modern society we often forget how life was like in the early 19th century, when Kreta Ayer Road was laid out. At that time, there was no electricity or piped water. Battalions of bullock carts were used to bring fresh water to the houses in the Singapore township. Of course, much of the residential houses were thatched, with brick shophouses appearing only later on.

Kreta Ayer Road was a working class neighbourhood. From the late 19th century until the early part of the 20th century, it was the destination for earthy pleasures, as brothels and opium dens were the main commercial establishments at that time.

Map of Kreta Ayer Road, Singapore

Kreta Ayer Road road sign (29 July 2017)

Kreta Ayer Road Singapore on Google Street View

Kreta Ayer Road, Singapore (Mar 2022)

References

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