Hongkong Street

Key features
Hongkong Street, a very short street, lies towards Chinatown's outer portion near the Singapore river where Chinatown begins to merge with Boat Quay or the civic district. Hongkong Street was also called Macao Street, probably because many Chinese from Macau, China lived on this street. However, it is also probable that the street got its name from the Malay word for the Cantonese, Orang Macao. Many Cantonese and Japanese prostitutes lived on the street in tin shacks during the pre-war and war times. As a part of Chinatown, the street reflected the quaint charm of old shophouses, food vendors and the itinerant trader.

Today, Hongkong Street is lined with commercial buildings. At the beginning of the street is Wong Shee Fun Building, a commercial property, followed by similar such buildings; Prosperity Building, TET Building, Luo Building, and APG Building. Hongkong Street till date retains some of its old shophouses and is a popular food joint with many eateries lining it.

Variant Names
Chinese names: In Hokkien Ma-kau loi and in Cantonese Ma-kau kai, both meaning "Macau street". The Malays called the Cantonese Orang Macau or "people from Macau".



Author
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja



References 
Durai Raja, S. S. (1939). Malayan street names: What they mean and whom they commemorate (p. 109). Ipoh: Mercantile Press.
(Call no.: RSEA 959.5 RAJ)

Savage, V. R., & Yeoh, B. S. A. (2003). Toponymics: A study of Singapore street names (p. 151). Singapore: Eastern Universities Press.
(Call no.: RSING 915.9570014 SAV)

Tan, B. C. (1976-1977). Street names in selected areas of Singapore: A study in historical geography (p. 27). [Singapore].
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 TAN)

Firmstone, H. W. (1905, January). Chinese names of streets and places in Singapore and the Malay Peninsula. Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 4, 94-95.
(Call no.: RSING 959.5 FIR-[IC])

Kong, L. (1992, July 23). Comfort in history. The Straits Times, Life, p. 3.

Tan, S. S. (1997, December 15). Entertainment that is actually old hat. The Straits Times, p. 37. 



The information in this article is valid as at 2003 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Architecture and Landscape>>Streets and Places
Ethnic Communities
Street names--Singapore
Immigrants--Singapore
People and communities>>Social groups and communities
People and communities>>Social problems>>Prostitution

Librarian Recommendations
>> Chinatown
>> Boat Quay


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