Boat Quay

The old commercial spine of the river. Boat Quay is a historic riverside stretch on the south bank of the Singapore River, curving below the towers of the Raffles Place financial district. In the colonial era this was the busiest landing on the river, where lighters and bumboats unloaded cargo bound for the godowns and trading houses that lined the waterfront, handling a large share of the young port's commerce.

Shophouses with a new life. The quay is fronted by a continuous row of restored two- and three-storey shophouses, once warehouses and offices, now converted into restaurants, bars and pubs. Their pastel facades, shuttered windows and five-foot ways survive from the nineteenth century, and the whole strip is a designated conservation area that preserves the intimate scale of the old trading town against the glass skyline behind.

Riverside atmosphere. A pedestrian promenade runs the length of the water, lined with alfresco tables and dotted with sculptures recalling the river's working past. Cast-iron lamps and mooring bollards survive along the edge, and interpretive markers explain how labourers once hauled sacks between the boats and the godowns behind. In the evening the quay fills with office workers and visitors, and boats still ply the river, now carrying sightseers between the historic quays and Marina Bay rather than sacks of rice and spice.

Visiting. Boat Quay is a short walk from Raffles Place and Clarke Quay MRT stations and connects along the river to the Asian Civilisations Museum, the old parliament and the Merlion. There is no charge to stroll the promenade; dining ranges from mid-priced to upscale. The best time to come is late afternoon into evening, when the heat drops, the lights reflect on the water and river taxis glide past the illuminated shophouses.