Kampong Glam Heritage Trail

This trail takes you through the meandering, bustling streets of Kampong Glam's conserved area, covering Arab Street, Beach Road, Jalan Sultan and Victoria Street. Start at the Malay Heritage Centre, formerly the residence of Malay sultans and their families, and follow the trail to find out what life used to be like in Kampong Glam, from its culture and communities to its trades and crafts. 

Gedung Kuning means “Yellow Mansion” in Malay. Made of mainly wood and brick, the façade of the building suggests European influence but its form and internal layout within the building reflects the style of a traditional Malay house. The house served as a residence for much of its history. Tunku Mahmud, a grandson of Sultan Hussein, was known to have stayed in the house. Haji Yusoff, a merchant of Javanese descent, first purchased the mansion in 1912. He sold it years later, but would subsequently buy it again. 

This location is where the former Pondok Java was located. Pondoks were communal lodging houses that were once a common feature of Kampong Glam and its vicinity. They were set up to house newly arrived migrants. At Sultan Gate, there was Pondok Java, a lodging house for Javanese arrivals. Many were bachelors, thus the house was also known by its other name, Rumah Bujangan (House of Bachelors). Pondok Java was also a centre for Javanese culture, where people came from all parts of Singapore to watch the regular traditional performances held there. Pondok Java was demolished in 2003 due to structural safety issues. As its name suggests, Sultan Gate was a road that led to an entrance of the former istana. It also has names with similar meaning in other languages, such as 'ong hu khau' (palace entrance) in Hokkien, and 'raja kottai' (King’s palace) in Tamil. Many blacksmiths and foundries were located at Sultan Gate; by the 1900s, the Chinese, in particular the Hakkas, operated most of these foundries. Household items and tools were some of the items made. There were at least seven foundries during its peak in the 1950s but by the late 1990s, only two were left. The last foundry closed down in the mid-2000s after a fire.

One of the earliest roads built in Singapore, North Bridge Road is so called because it ran north of Presentment Bridge (present-day Elgin Bridge). This road has always been one of the liveliest commercial streets in the Kampong Glam area, lined with shops set up by diverse communities and various trades that have came and went, including tailors, printers and genstone craftsmen. 

One of the few streets in Kampong Glam that has retained its original name, the area was designated for the Arab community in the 1822 town plan of Singapore. However, traders and entrepreneurs from Indonesia, India, China and the Middle East were also active in this busy commercial area. They started businesses ranging from eating houses, rattan shops and goldsmiths, to textile shops, money changers, bookshops and printing presses. 

Established in 1912, Madrasah Alsagoff Al-Arabiah is the oldest madrasah in Singapore. Its beginnings can be traced to the late 19th century when Syed Mohamed bin Ahmed Alsagoff started a small school in the family house of what was then Java Road (present-day Beach Road Garden estate). 

The former Kampong Bali comprised the current Bali Lane and the neighbouring Shaikh Madersah Lane (now defunct) which ran parallel to it, around present-day Ophir Road. The kampong’s development from the 1850s was partly due to the pilgrimage trade which had by then expanded from Kampong Jawa around Arab Street and Haji Lane. For a period, the back of Bali Lane had stalls for horses, which were later converted to motorcar stalls in the early 20th century. By the 1950s, an increasing number of Chinese migrants moved into Kampong Bali and set up lodgings for coolies. 

Bussorah Street and its immediate vicinity are often regarded as the heart of Kampong Glam by former residents. It was originally called “Sultan Road” and renamed “Bussorah Street” in 1910 after a place in present-day Iraq. This stretch of Bussorah Street near Masjid Sultan was once known as Kampong Kaji (Pilgrim Village), 'kaji' being the Javanese pronunciation of 'haji' (pilgrim) as there were many Javanese living here. Until the mid-1970s, Singapore was the pilgrim hub in Southeast Asia, and pilgrims from nearby countries –  in particular, Indonesia due to Dutch restrictions on the pilgrimage – would come to Singapore and stay at Bussorah Street while waiting for the 'kapal haj' (pilgrim ship). 

"Tembaga" means "copper" in Malay, and refers to the Javanese coppersmiths who were once active in this area. Many people visit Kampong Tembaga to buy or repair their copper implements and utensils. The trade gradually declined in the post-war years due to factors such as the availability of cheaper utensils.