Singapore, Boat Quay - A River Transformed

With a total length of approximately 3km, the Singapore River has been a key artery supporting trade in Singapore since 1819. The rapid expansion of trade and urbanisation activities along the river in the periods from 1819 to the late 1970s resulted in extreme and heavy pollution with all kinds of waste, both domestic and industrial, contributing to the massive buildup of sewages in the river.

A cleanup campaign in the 1980s that cost hundreds of millions of dollars gave us the relatively clean waterway that is the hallmark of the Singapore River of today. Because of the damming of the mouth of the river to form a new freshwater reservoir in Marina Bay, the Singapore River now empties into this freshwater body instead of the Singapore Straits.

These days, the old conserved shophouses along Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Roberson Quay intermixed with high-rise modern buildings to breath new life and activities along this river. Watering holes, restaurants and cafes now lined the river to give it a bustling night life.

This photo of the Singapore River was taken just in front of the Asian Civilisation Museum with the conserved shophouses of Boat Quay clearly seen on the opposite bank of the river. 

A Tourist Boat on a sightseeing cruise along the Singapore River, Boat Quay, Singapore (2017)