Read Bridge which spans the Singapore River connecting the north and south banks at Clarke Quay, is truth be told, not a pretty bridge nor any architectural marvel. Neither is it the oldest, youngest, longest or anything. The 280 metres short bridge's only credential is it is at Singapore River's most happening place, the party central of Singapore River since the turn of the century till today 💃
It is unclear when the first bridge spanning the Singapore River at Clarke Quay was built. The wooden bridge is visible in maps of Singapore of the 1870s.
It was known then as Tok Sing Bridge in honour of Tan Tock Seng, Kapitan China of Singapore, wealthy merchant, philanthropist and community leader from Malacca. (It was also known as Merchant Bridge as it serves mainly traders on both sides of Singapore River.)
Raffles Town Plan 1822. Future Read Bridge marked in green. Image credit: Wikipedia
In Raffles' vision for Singapore known as the Raffles Town Plan or Jackson Plan, the area across Clarke Quay was designated the Chulia Campong. Tamil Muslim Chulia lightermen, traders, money changers were settled here. It was later named Kampong Malacca as traders from Malacca also settled here. The first mosque in Singapore, Masjid Omar was established in Kampong Malacca in 1820. Tok Sing Bridge connected Kampong Malacca with South Street in Clarke Quay. As the bridge led into Kampong Malacca from South Street in Clarke Quay, locals called it 甘榜马六甲桥 or Kampong Malacca Bridge in Teochew Chinese. Often it was simply shortened to Malacca Bridge in conversation.
It was named after William Henry Macleod Read who was a prominent Scottish resident in Singapore (1841 - 1887), and Consul for the Netherlands (1857 - 1885). In 1854, Read meditated between the warring factions during the Teochew-Hokkien Riots of 1854.
Locals call the southern head of Read Bridge (where Jumbo Seafood Riverside Point is today), "Cha Chun Tau" which means "timber boat jetty" 柴船头 in Teochew Chinese.
Logs from Indonesia were offloaded from twakow lighters here. Read Bridge was also known as Green Bridge because the barriers on the bridge were once dressed in green paint.
In 2008, Read Bridge was included in the Urban Renewal Authority's conservation programme. However, Read Bridge is not included in the list of National Monuments of Singapore (which included Anderson Bridge, Cavenagh Bridge and Elgin Bridge). The charm of Read Bridge and "Cha Chun Tau" is not in its architecture. The short 280 metre span is plain ordinary looking. The beauty of Read Bridge is the intangible cultural heritage it represents.
The maze of streets around Cha Chun Tau and nearby Ellenborough Market, many of which no longer exist, were chock a block with traders, hawkers, and full of the sight, sounds, and smells of life.
Every evening, lightermen, rickshaw men, hawkers gathered around a storyteller. Popular storytellers can command a 100 member audience. They told stories from Chinese mythology, legends, literary classics (e.g. Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West) and the latest martial novels (武侠小说). Each session lasted the length of a joss stick's burn time (about 20 minutes). Audience who sit on wooden stools provided by the storyteller were obliged to pay for the session (about 5 cents in the 1960s). Those who stood around to listen were not obliged to pay. Teochew, Hokkien and Cantonese mother tongue storytellers faded away with Mandarinisation which began in the late 1970s. (Source: Singapore Infopedia)
Wayang (Teochew opera) stage and street hawker stalls at Angus Street in 1980. Two Teochew opera troupes were based here. Cha Chun Tau was also the birth place of Singapore bak kut teh. Party life still goes on at Read Bridge today.
The nearest MRT station to Read Bridge is Clarke Quay MRT station.
Please share your memories of Read Bridge and Cha Chun Tau by leaving a comment. Thank you.
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