Joo Chiat / Katong

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Sight Address : Joo Chiat/Katong, Singapore 427585, Singapore.Edit

Detail InformationEdit

Joo Chiat is a residential conservation area in the eastern part of Singapore, and is located between Geylang Serai and Marine Parade Road. Joo Chiat Road is the main road in the area with rows of shophouses for residential and commercial purposes.Sitting adjacent to the Geylang district is the Joo Chiat/Katong enclave, which traditionally has been the preserve of the Peranakans, middle class locals and the wealthy merchant class. The Peranakans are descendants of 17th century Chinese and Indian immigrants who married non-Muslim natives from the Malay Archipelago.They settled in several parts throughout Singapore, but their legacy is best showcased in the the Joo Chiat district. Named after wealthy Chinese landowner Chew Joo Chiat, this area is dotted by colourful shophouses and homes that are adorned by sculpted facades of animal reliefs and hand-crafted ceramic tiles. In fact, back in the day, Chew himself built houses and grew plantations in this district as well.

Joo Chiat/Katong

HistoryEdit

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’s Family. The road name changed after Chew Joo Chiat owned most of the land in Joo Chiat area. He bought land from the Alsagoff Family as well as the Little’s Family to plant spices, such as nutmeg, gambier and pepper which were in great demand by the Europeans. In 1903 he 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 the cash crops. His foresight and business acumen made him a wealthy land owner. In 1913 he bought from the auction 5 freehold building allotments fronting the Confederate Estate Road to increase his land bank. In early 1917 Joo Chiat Road was still a cart track going through Chew’s plantations. 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, the Municipality wanted to construct a road for motor vehicles from Geylang Serai to the beach. There was no land acquisition law at that time. So the Municipality offered to buy over the stretch of Chew’s land (the Confederate Estate Road) to construct a road for motor vehicles. Chew’s foresight in seeing the benefit of a transport infrastructure going through his land, bequeathed the road to the authority without compensation. For his generosity, the road was named after him as Joo Chiat Road. As more people moved into Joo Chiat 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. Today, Joo Chiat is best known for its colourful rows of traditional Peranakan shophouses, dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, that line its narrow streets.

Must SeeEdit

Must see

Visiting TimeEdit

6.30 pm to 10 pm.

Closed OnEdit

N.A.

Best Season to VisitEdit

June to July and November to December.

Best Time To VisitEdit

N.A.

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

N.A.

Ticket Required : Yes Edit

Individual National Adult : $60

Kids : N.A.

Individual Foreigner Adult : $60

Kids : N.A.

Still Photo Camera : N.A.

Video Camera : N.A.

Guide Required : No Edit

Approximate cost: N.A.

Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit

Dress Require: N.A.

Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : Taxis are generally very hard to get during peak hours (Mon-Fri 7:00am – 9:30am and Mon-Sat 5:00pm – 8:00pm) and on rainy days. If you are at a hotel, have conceirge call you a taxi. If you are out about town and have access to a cell phone- calling for a taxi will cut your wait time by 20 to 30 minutes. All taxis are fitted with meters; all are air conditioned; the majority of the taxis are 5-seaters; about 90% of taxis have radiophones; call booking is done via GPS or digital voice dispatch. All passengers must fasten their seat belts by law.
For taxi Booking fee is SGD $2.3. Minimum fare for taxi is SGD $3 for first 1Km. Fare above minimum fare until 10Km is SGD $0.55 per Km. Fare above 10Km is charge SGD $0.628 per Km. Taxi Waiting charges per hour is SGD $17.6. Peak Hours charges is diffrent.

Bus : Public buses run daily from 5.30am to midnight. Extended night services cost slightly more (a flat rate ranging from $1.50-$3.00). Otherwise, most fares depend on distance travelled and range from 67 cents to $1.58 for air-conditioned comfort (almost all public buses in Singapore have air-conditioning today). There are also “feeder” bus services that charge a flat rate of 67 cents. Each bus should not take more than 15 to 20 minutes to arrive at the bus stop.

Train : Singapore MRT system is very well connected to different parts of Singapore and very clean! If you have the time and plan to explore around little Sunny island, get the the Singapore Tourist Pass!
It runs 6am-12mn, fares start at S$1 (70cents in EZ link). Tickets can be purchased in all MRT stations. You just have to insert your money through the ticket machine. Rush hour’s usually 7am-9am, 11am-2pm and 4pm-7pm.

Air : Changi Airport is the country’s main airport. From the airport there are a number of ways to get into the city:
Taxi is easiest – simply follow the signs after clearing customs. Meters are always used in Singapore and prices are reasonable. A trip to the city during the day will be between $20-$30 including $3-5 airport surcharge. An additional 50% surcharge applies between midnight and 06:00.
Limousines charge a flat $50 to anywhere in the city and are a pretty good deal after midnight, as you can skip the queue and avoid the surcharge. The same pricing applies to chartering van-sized MaxiCabs, which are good for large families or if you have lots of baggage.
Shuttle – Shared six-seater MaxiCab shuttle service to designated areas/hotels costs $7 and can be booked in advance or in the arrivals hall. 6AM-2AM, every 15-30 min.
Subway – MRT trains run from a station between T2 and T3, but you’ll need to change trains at Tanah Merah to a city-bound train: just exit through the left hand side door and cross the platform. The 30 min ride to City Hall station costs $1.90 plus a refundable $1 deposit, and trains run 05:31-23:18.
Bus – Bus terminals can be found in the basements of T1, T2 and T3. 06:00-23:59 only. Fares are less than $2.00, exact fare required (no change given) if you pay cash.

Others : N.A.