Ann Siang Road -- Unique Hybrid ▶▷▶▷▶▷▶▷
Tuesday, September 25, 2007Text and Photgraphy -- Irwin Yeo
Fusion of Old and New Elements
Shopping belts are aplenty in Singapore. Orchard Road offers scores of designer garb, Suntec City presents loads of branded wear and, for the bargain-driven shopper, Mustafa Centre provides many economically-priced electronic products.
But none are like Ann Siang Road, fast gaining recognition as the "alternative" shopping street of Singapore.
Located in the heart of Singapore's ethnically rich Chinatown district, Ann Siang Road (and its sister street Ann Siang Hill) exudes a charm of its own.
Source: Streetdirectory.Com
Nowhere else in Singapore will the traditonal old and eclectic new fuse together so harmoniously. On one hand, we have the conservative dialect association clans, housed in their modest, 1940s-style shophouses. On the other, we have the funky-looking shops (they seem almost too cool for the word) selling trend-setting apparels, furniture and accessories. Both sit side by side on this road, echoing the favourite globalisation phrase, "where old meets new", once again.
Old clan associations and new shops selling trendy items flank one another on the streets of Ann Siang. (Note: see related articles on Style Nordic, pictured above right)
This unique facade is what makes Ann Siang Road endearing. Expatriate Peter Dodds, who works in an advertising firm at nearby Cross Street enthused: "In Singapore, we have too much skyscrapers, it's nice to see these quaint-looking shophouses around."
Besides shops and association clans, Ann Siang Road and Ann Siang Hill have many cafes and chill-out pubs (see photos below), which are very popular among the young working crowd.
History
The area where Ann Siang Road and Ann Siang Hill stand is a small hill that used to be owned by British Charles Scott before the 20th century. It was renamed Ann Siang Road and Ann Siang Hill when businessmen Chia Ann Siang bought over the area at the turn of the 20th century. Used predominantly for residential purposes, it was a quaint, quiet area where the rich reside.
Today, the shophouses -- which were mostly built between 1903 and 1941 -- are being refurbished into cultural heritage sites by the Singapore Tourism Board. Among the many historically-rich buildings include the first Anglo-Chinese School building and the Pondok Peranakan Gelam Club, which housed a Bawean-Malay community from 1932 to 2000.
The layout of the shophouses is interesting too, as the 2 roads converge in an unconventional Y-junction. Information boards detailing the history and significance of the roads provide tourists and locals with greater insight to the area.
(above)Information boards provide visitors with background knowledge about the area
(below)The recently-refurbished Ann Siang Hill Park provides the area with some greenery
After thoughts of the author:
Spending 2 hours in the vicinity of both roads felt strangely surreal. Above the horizon of the shophouses, skyscrapers loom, reminding me that I am indeed in the heart of Singapore's commercial district.
Yet, as I walk the streets of Ann Siang, there was something distinctly foreign, as if I could be roaming the roads of Malacca, Bali or even Paris.
This un-Singaporean sentiment is interesting but also faintly disturbing.
The ubiquitous information boards extol the rich, cultural heritage of Ann Siang and how it is reflective of SINGAPORE'S history. But as I read the well-penned paragraphs, I can't help but feel this disconnect -- that I cannot identify with this place which supposedly holds dear to Singapore. I hope to surmount it but remain unable to do so.
To me, Ann Siang seems like just another well-packaged tourist attraction, designed primarily to pander to the curiosity of tourists.
This pensive piece sounds critical of government policies but I do not point fingers at anyone. It is really my own apathy towards the heritage of my home country that is the root of the problem.
What's more important though, is that, after acknowledging this apathy, would I (and all young Singaporeans for that matter) want to go about changing it?
Related articles
Out and About Ann Siang Hill -- Information about its new-age shops, including Style Nordic, pictured above
Ann Siang Hill, Alternative Design and Fashion Haven in Singapore -- Move over Orchard, Ann Siang's the up and coming fashion spot in Singapore
By singaporeroads at 10:14 PM