The "ship bows" of Lorong Telok

A row of shophouses with the "ship bow" shape at Lorong Telok. Pictures taken 15 Aug 2015.

I haven't managed to find information on why this lane is called Lorong Telok. "Telok" in Malay means "bay" so perhaps it was so named because of its proximity to the historic Boat Quay along Singapore River.  According to PictureSG, the lane was once referred to by the Chinese as "bih lang koi" or bamboo rattan street because of the many basket making shops there. Today I couldn't find any traces of such shops, except for the signboard (above) of an association for rope hardware and paint merchants. But I guess this doesn't count :) The lane may be rather short, but it is packed with pubs and eateries that are featured in a few food blogs -- which makes the place a little too touristy for my liking.  What's interesting (to me) is that Lor Telok has two "ship bows" (top picture and below).

The "ship bow" at the junction of Lor Telok and Circular Road.

Low rise two-storey shophouses interspersed with taller ones at Lor Telok. 

A closed and shuttered unit awaiting a tenant or renovation along Lor Telok. It has old fashioned folding doors that would make those familiar "crack-crack-crack" sounds in the morning when shops open for business -- as quite a few of us can remember.  

'Sky River' clan association at Ann Siang Road

Nice red letter box belonging to the Thin Ho Association occupying one of the shophouses at Ann Siang Road. Members probably received mail from back home (maybe a place called "sky river" which is what "thin hor" means in Cantonese). These days, members probably read their mails on the phone. And oh yes, maybe read the newspaper too (as the letter box has provision for a rolled up newspaper to be slotted in). But I would imagine that in the old days, the radio or Rediffusion would be switched on, so that everyone could be regaled by the grand master of storytelling, Li Dai Soh. Or some Cantonese operas perhaps by Hung Sin Nui?  Or someone playing the er-hu?

Two more letter boxes (for different floors), and more nice tiles.

Amoy Street

A row of shophouses at junction of Amoy Street and McCallum Street. Gable ends (the little "knob" or mound you see on the apex of the gable) always hold some interest for me. This blog, Anecdotes of old Chinese architecture in Nanayang, https://nanyangtemple.wordpress.com/category/2-visiting-guide/ gives a very good introduction to the different gable ends. Based on this guide, the one you see on the apex of the gable in this picture, would be symbolical of the wood element in Chnese fengshui, believed to provide some form of stability to the building and its occupants.

Once known for its opium dens, Amoy Street also had one of Singapore's earliest free schools. The Chui Eng School was founded by a Straits Chinese, Tan Kim Seng in 1854. It closed in 1954 but was conserved. Today, it is occupied by the Ju Chun Yuan Restaurant. Founded in 1865, this is the restaurant which created the famous Chinese dish, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in 1876.

Geylang Road

Saturday late afternoon. The jam is building up at Geylang Road. The five-foot ways of shophouses are packed with people hurrying to goodness knows where. Maybe to choose the best durians. The stallholders there are doing a roaring business, mao shan or no mao shan. The crowds are in such a hurry, you can't even pause to take pictures. And the most peaceful spot to take pictures would be up on an overhead bridge. Not many people use the bridge. They prefer to dash across the road, from what I observed. Pics: 18 July.

Some old shophouses (which must have been rather low lying as you can see the mark left behind at the gable on the left) were torn down. New buildings coming up. 

Geylang Lor 15. No quaint charm. Only clutter. 

Some renovation going on here. Also Lorong 15,

Spruced up, these tiles will be quaint and charming. 

Telok Ayer Street

The Ying Fo Fui Kun (1822) at the junction of Telok Ayer Street and Cross Street. It is the earliest building by the Hakkas on the street. Telok Ayer Street was the main landing site for Chinese immigrants and was the original focal point of settlement in Chinatown. It used to face the waterfront. One of Singapore's oldest schools, the Gan Eng Seng School, started in 1885 at 106 Telok Ayer Street near the junction of Telok Ayer and Cecil Streets. The whole bay area in front of the Street is reclaimed land.   Pic (above) taken on 11 July 2015, while the three pictures below taken in March 2013.

Shophouses here are well conserved  and not given an "overly" hip look, if you know what I mean. I like that the Ban Choon Medical Store Pte Ltd is still boldly embossed onto the facade. When these houses were built, their width and height of each storey were restricted by the  length of timber beams available then, usually about 4.8 metres. This explained for why they have narrow frontages (but with deep interiors.)

Telok Ayer Street, a must walk. Nice mix of shophouses with interesting eateries, including The Muffinery shown in the picture (to the right, near the gable).

The Hokkien Huay Kuan at Telok Ayer Street. 

Thian Hock Keng, a popular tourist sigtht at Telok Ayer Street. Of course, it is not a shophouse, but I can't resist having a picture of the beautiful temple here. Built in the 1820s, the temple is devoted to Matsu, Goddess of the Sea, as it once faced the sea. She protected the sailors.

Upper Cross Street

Upper Cross Street, near the junction at South Bridge Road. Pics taken on a very hot Sunday, 28 June, 2015.

The road has a mix of budget hotels, coffee shops and restauants, including my favouite chicken noodle and dumplings. There are two of these shops called Chew Kee serving the chicken noodles -- one of them claims to be the original (but I am not sure which one). There is a dessert shop a few units away -- from bird nest soup to steamed milk pudding. Recently closed, my favourite shop for browsing -- it had tai chi swords, spears, shoes, etc and some pieces of antiques too. Spring  Court (spring rolls aka poh piah, Peking duck, etc) is also here. The restaurant which has a rich history, used to be at Great World Amusement Park at Kim Seng Road. The pigeon flying in the foreground is accidental, but adds to the charm :)

Selegie Road

Selegie Road named after a Malay word for a wooden spear hardened and sharpened by fire. The Sri Vijaya Vegetarian (left) is supposed to be rather famous though I have not tried the food there. Shall do so one fine day. Pic taken in 2013.

I guess I can't pass this off as a shophouse. This building, 100 Selegie Road, is now used by the International Institute of Tea Culture. It was once a upon a time, a landmark in this area, being the Tiger Balm Building. You can see a picture of how it looked like in its days of glory at  http://kaufmann-mercantile.com/tiger-balm/.  A 4th floor has been added to the building, and the tiger that was so majestic gracing its facade is gone.  The building now looks like a block of chocolate, but I guess, it's the colour of tea. Pic taken in Jan, 2015.