Eu Tong Sen Street
Encyclopedia
Eu Tong Sen Street is a one-way road
located in the central
part of Singapore
in the planning areas of Outram
, Singapore River
and Bukit Merah
. The road starts at the junction of Hospital Drive, Kampong Bahru Road and New Bridge Road
, and ends at the junction of Hill Street
, North Boat Quay and New Bridge Road
after crossing the Coleman Bridge
.
It is named after a wealthy Chinese tycoon Eu Tong Sen
and it starts at the junction of Neil Road
and Jalan Bukit Merah
. It is one of the major roads in Chinatown
with a number of modern Chinatown landmarks such as the Eu Tong Sen Street Police Station, People's Park Complex
, The Majestic
, The Central
and Pearl's Centre located on this street. During Chinese New Year
and Mid Autumn Festival, the street is the major area for the lightup and the Chinese New Year countdown party, lighting up ceremonies for the festivals are always held on this road.
, rubber
estate and a property owner. He was one of the richest men in Malaya
and Singapore, and was born in Penang
, Malaya in 1877. He set up a bank known as Lee Wah Bank which catered to the Cantonese
, but was merged with the United Overseas Bank
due to financial issues.
The road was formerly part of the expunged Wayang Street, and it received its present name in 1919 as he rebuilt the street and acquired two Chinese opera
theatre
s, known as Heng Seng Peng and Heng Wai Sun. These theatres now stand on the site of People's Park Complex. Eu also built another opera theatre in 1927 known as Tian Yien Moi Toi on this street. This opera theatre was later converted into a cinema and known as Queens' Theatre, and later became Majestic Theatre, which was converted into a shopping mall
in 2003 known as The Majestic. Other places named after Eu, is a now demolished villa
at Mount Sophia as well as Eu Court at the corner of Stamford Road
and Hill Street
, which is now on the Stamford Court site.
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
located in the central
Central Region, Singapore
The Central Region of Singapore is one of the five regions in the city-state. Comprising 13,150 hectares of land area, it includes 11 Planning Areas within the Central Area which is the immediate vicinity of the Singapore's central business district, as well as another 11 more outside it.Although...
part of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in the planning areas of Outram
Outram, Singapore
Outram is a district in Singapore, within the Central Area, relatively near the prominent city centre and financial districts, but is nearer the border of the Central Area, and outside the Downtown Core. Outram is served by extensive public transport, including SBS Transit and a Mass Rapid Transit ...
, Singapore River
Singapore River
The Singapore River is a river in Singapore with great historical importance. The Singapore River flows from the Central Area, which lies in the Central Region in the southern part of Singapore before emptying into the ocean...
and Bukit Merah
Bukit Merah
Bukit Merah is a hill in Singapore. Previously, it was a much larger hill that was situated at the present site of Henderson housing estate, which lies opposite the Delta Sports Complex. There was a Chinese cemetery on the reverse side of the hill. The present Bukit Merah Secondary School and...
. The road starts at the junction of Hospital Drive, Kampong Bahru Road and New Bridge Road
New Bridge Road
New Bridge Road is a one-way road located within the Central Area in Singapore.New Bridge Road starts at the Coleman Bridge to the south of the Singapore River and extends into Chinatown within the Outram Planning Area, before joining with Eu Tong Sen Street and Kampong Bahru Road within the Bukit...
, and ends at the junction of Hill Street
Hill Street
Hill Street is a street in the downtown of Singapore starting from Eu Tong Sen Street and ending at Stamford Road, where the road becomes Victoria Street...
, North Boat Quay and New Bridge Road
New Bridge Road
New Bridge Road is a one-way road located within the Central Area in Singapore.New Bridge Road starts at the Coleman Bridge to the south of the Singapore River and extends into Chinatown within the Outram Planning Area, before joining with Eu Tong Sen Street and Kampong Bahru Road within the Bukit...
after crossing the Coleman Bridge
Coleman Bridge, Singapore
Coleman Bridge is a vehicular bridge in Singapore. The bridge links Hill Street and New Bridge Road, spanning the Singapore River near Clarke Quay...
.
It is named after a wealthy Chinese tycoon Eu Tong Sen
Eu Tong Sen
Eu Tong Sen was a leading businessman in Malaya, Singapore and Hong Kong during the late 19th and early 20th century. He was the son of Eu Kong Pui and Kong Pui's first wife, Madam Leung in Foshan, China...
and it starts at the junction of Neil Road
Neil Road
Neil Road is a one-way road in Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar in the planning areas of Outram and Bukit Merah in Singapore. The road starts at the junction of South Bridge Road, Maxwell Road and Tanjong Pagar Road and ends at Jalan Bukit Merah which then merges into the latter...
and Jalan Bukit Merah
Jalan Bukit Merah
Jalan Bukit Merah is a major road in Perak, Malaysia. It is also a main route to North-South Expressway Northern Route via Bukit Merah Interchange.-List of junctions:...
. It is one of the major roads in Chinatown
Chinatown, Singapore
Singapore's Chinatown is an ethnic neighbourhood featuring distinctly Chinese cultural elements and a historically concentrated ethnic Chinese population. Chinatown is located within the larger district of Outram....
with a number of modern Chinatown landmarks such as the Eu Tong Sen Street Police Station, People's Park Complex
People's Park Complex
People's Park Complex is a high-rise commercial and residential building on Eu Tong Sen Street in Outram, within the Chinatown of Singapore.-History:...
, The Majestic
The Majestic, Singapore
The Majestic is a historic building on Eu Tong Sen Street in Chinatown, Singapore. Located between the People's Park Complex and Yue Hwa Building, it was known as Majestic Theatre, which was a Cantonese opera house.-Early history:...
, The Central
The Central
The Central is a commercial and residential building located on Eu Tong Sen Street, opposite Clarke Quay along the Singapore River in Central Area, Singapore...
and Pearl's Centre located on this street. During Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
and Mid Autumn Festival, the street is the major area for the lightup and the Chinese New Year countdown party, lighting up ceremonies for the festivals are always held on this road.
Etymology and history
Eu Tong Sen Street is named after the tycoon, Eu Tong Sen who was a minerMiner
A miner is a person whose work or business is to extract ore or minerals from the earth. Mining is one of the most dangerous trades in the world. In some countries miners lack social guarantees and in case of injury may be left to cope without assistance....
, rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
estate and a property owner. He was one of the richest men in Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
and Singapore, and was born in Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, Malaya in 1877. He set up a bank known as Lee Wah Bank which catered to the Cantonese
Cantonese people
The Cantonese people are Han people whose ancestral homes are in Guangdong, China. The term "Cantonese people" would then be synonymous with the Bun Dei sub-ethnic group, and is sometimes known as Gwong Fu Jan for this narrower definition...
, but was merged with the United Overseas Bank
United Overseas Bank
United Overseas Bank Limited , abbreviated as UOB is a bank incorporated in Singapore. It was founded 6 August 1935 by Kuching-born Datuk Wee Kheng Chiang, father of the present United Overseas Bank Group Chairman, Mr...
due to financial issues.
The road was formerly part of the expunged Wayang Street, and it received its present name in 1919 as he rebuilt the street and acquired two Chinese opera
Chinese opera
Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE...
theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
s, known as Heng Seng Peng and Heng Wai Sun. These theatres now stand on the site of People's Park Complex. Eu also built another opera theatre in 1927 known as Tian Yien Moi Toi on this street. This opera theatre was later converted into a cinema and known as Queens' Theatre, and later became Majestic Theatre, which was converted into a shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in 2003 known as The Majestic. Other places named after Eu, is a now demolished villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
at Mount Sophia as well as Eu Court at the corner of Stamford Road
Stamford Road
Stamford Road is a one-way road in Singapore within the planning areas of Downtown Core and Museum. The road continues after the traffic light junction of Nicoll Highway, Esplanade Drive and Raffles Avenue towards Orchard Road. It then ends at the junction of Fort Canning Road, Bencoolen Street...
and Hill Street
Hill Street
Hill Street is a street in the downtown of Singapore starting from Eu Tong Sen Street and ending at Stamford Road, where the road becomes Victoria Street...
, which is now on the Stamford Court site.