A Very Brief History of Clarke Quay

Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore.  It is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River and Boat Quay.

Clarke Quay was named after Sir Andrew Clarke.  He was Singapore's second Governor and Governor of the Straits Settlements from 1873 to 1875.  He was instrumental in positioning Singapore as the main port for the Malay states of Perak, Selangor and Sungei Ujong.

( Ref:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke_Quay )

Art and Architecture

At Clarke Quay, you'll be able to feast your eyes on the many art pieces and architecture.  I shall begin to share with you some of the works of art you can find there.  The art pieces come in all shapes and sizes.  Some are so artistically treated that you'd find them intriguing.  For example, there is this interesting structure that will leave you marveling at the designers' wit.  Only on close scrutiny will you realize it's actually made to mimic a real umbrella!  It consists of the big cover on top and comes complete with a hook that looks like the handle for the gigantic umbrella.  It provides shelter and shade for tourists while they are viewing the shops and restaurants.

There is a shop where art pieces are displayed and sold.  The art pieces are all made of molten metal (pewter) and there is even a live display of "Money Trees".

"Money Trees" are basically molten metal cast into trees with coins hanging on their branches like leaves.  A very apt name isn't it?

One cannot miss another prominent work of art. That is none other than a restaurant that is built in an exact replica of the forbidden city in Beijing, with a few figures of the Terracotta Army of the Qin Dynasty flanking the entrance. (Details of the restaurant's specialty can be found in a later section on food.)

 

One of the shopping malls is the riverside mall.  Next to it is the riverside chuch. The mall and church are both great works of architecture.

One of the statues in Clarke Quay is a statue of fishes stacked on top of each other on a wavy sea-like platform. I find it a very creative portrayal of the waters and bays of Clarke Quay.

Clarke Quay is filled with colourful shophouses, which belonged to its heritage, we are lucky to have it "preserved" till now.

Go Downs

Clarke Quay was once a place where many çoolies worked. They had to lug heavy loads of cargo from the lighters or bumboats into the go downs. The go downs were built in the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century, and it was these go downs that made Clarke Quay the warehouse centre of Singapore's entrepot trade. After Clarke Quay was declared a conservation area in 1989, five blocks of the go downs and warehouses were converted for commercial use, combining shopping, dining and entertainment. ( Ref: http://heritagetrails.sg/content/950/Clarke_Quay.html )

The following are some photographs taken in the vicinity of the go downs, providing glimpses of our ancestors sweating and toiling under the hot sun.

Bridges

Bridges at Clarke Quay
Clarke Quay is located within the Southern bank and comprises three bridges: Ord Bridge, Read Bridge and Coleman Bridge.  Here is a quick map of the vicinity:

Here are further details of each of the bridges:

Ord Bridge
Ord Bridge (Chinese : 渥桥) is a pedestrian bridge.  It was built in 1886.

Ord Bridge -- from Afar

Ord Bridge -- Close up view

Read Bridge
Read Bridge (Chinese : 李德桥) is a beam -structured bridge located at Clarke Quay.  The bridge's construction took place in 1881.

Read Bridge -- Close up view

A view taken on Read Bridge

Coleman Bridge

Coleman Bridge (Chinese: 哥里门桥) was first built in 1840.  Since then, it had undergone 3 replacements in 1865, 1886, and the latest upgrade was done in 1990.
(Ref:  http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_151_2004-12-16.html)

Food

Singapore is well known to be a gourmet paradise.  Hence, not surprisingly, one is bound to find many restaurants at Clarke Quay offering a good spread of food like chilli crab, hainanese chicken rice, laksa and many other Singaporean cuisines.  You will also find signature dishes from different cultures.  For example, you will find Indian cuisines, Thai cuisines, Chinese cuisines, Japanese cuisines, and cuisines from other countries too.  So, keep your stomach empty as you feast till your heart's content at Clarke Quay!

Click here for a list of restaurants available at Clarke Quay.

The following are facades of some of the restaurants just to give you an idea:

A Proposed Itinerary for "The McClean Family" (ie. Just for your family, John!)

So, John, as you can see, Clarke Quay is really a great place to spend the day.  I'd like to propose the following itinerary for you and your family:

• 1pm:  Lunch.  Go for a bite at a fast food restaurant (say at MacDonald's at Liang Court).
• 2pm:  Tour of River Art and Architecture.  Make a tour of the interesting, even intriguing, works of art in the vicinity.
• 3pm:  Unfold the Past.  Take a stroll along the waterfront godowns, or saunter across the 3 bridges that spans the Singapore River, and discover the humble beginning of this popular night spot.
• 4.30pm:  Bumboat Ride.  Hop onto the traditional Chinese bumboat and enjoy the scenic boat ride along Singapore's most historical river.
• 7pm:  Dinner.  Dine at a Chinese restaurant, say at Metropole Herbal Restaurant, and savour the "delicacies fit for emperors of ancient China"!

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References:
http://www.clarkequay.com.sg/abt_mall.htm 
http://www.rivercruise.com.sg/rivercruise.htm
http://www.streetdirectory.com/restaurants/singapore/reviews/districts/Clarke+Quay/