Singapore River

From its origins as a fishing village known as Temasek, to its role as a trading port under the British Empire, the Lion City’s history has been inseparable from that of the Singapore River.

It was at the river’s mouth that Sir Stamford Raffles—the founder of modern Singapore—first stepped onto the island, and where prince Sang Nila Utama saw the mythical lion after which our city is named.

During the colonial era, the Singapore River became a flourishing hub of commerce, with dock hands toiling along its dusty banks, and flotillas of boats docked along its three quays.

Today, the Singapore River has transformed from a working waterway to an attractive waterfront environment for housing, recreation, entertainment and commercial. New developments have generated renewed activity, while conserved buildings lend charm and preserve the memory of the river’s past that spreads along Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay.