 Orchard Road, Singapore
Orchard Road is one of the most famous streets in Singapore. It is renowned as the main shopping boulevard in the city. It was known in Hokkien as Tanglin Pasat Kay (Tanglin Market Street), and in Tamil as Vaira Kimadam (Fakir's Place).
Due to the development of Singapore, Orchard Road has developed into three branches. The main branch of Orchard Road runs in an easterly direction. It continues from Tanglin Road, immediately after the junction with Orange Grove Road. From there, it continues in a single direction eastward until the intersection with Handy Road, from where it continues as Bras Basah Road.
The second branch of Orchard Road is to the south of the main branch. It begins at the intersection with Bencoolen Street, from where it continues from Stamford Road through the Fort Canning Tunnel. From there, it continues in a westerly direction until it merges once more with Stamford Road, to continue as Penang Road.
Orchard Road (13 September, 2010)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
The third branch of Orchard Road is a small unnamed lane off Claymore Road, parallel to the main branch. Its access junction is at Claymore Road in front of the Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade.
Orchard Road has been around for close to two hundred years, having been laid as early as 1830. It was still unnamed in the early Map of Singapore by architect George Coleman from 1836. During its early years, it was covered with plantations, originally of gambier and pepper, and later on with nutmeg and fruits.
Orchard Road was named after the fruit orchards that were there in the 1840's. However, there was also a British by the name of Orchard who had his garden on the road, at the corner with Scott Road, which helped to make the name stick.
Private houses began to appear on Orchard Road from the 1860's onwards. In the 1890's, the Thai monarch King Chulalongkorn acquired an existing property, known then as Hurricane House, through the Thai Consul in Singapore, Tan Kim Cheng. A couple of adjacent properties were added to the acquisition, and this forms the site of the present Royal Thai Embassy premises at 370 Orchard Road.
Royal Thai Embassy (13 September, 2010)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
In the 20th century, Orchard Road began to evolve from a plantation road to a shopping street in the 1950's. Although plantation-related names still remain in the sign roads such as Nutmeg Road, Orange Grove Road and Jalan Lada Puteh ("white pepper road"), the character of Orchard Road was transforming and urbanizing.
Today Orchard Road is home to a lion's share of the shopping malls in Singapore.
Orchard Road roadsign (13 September, 2010)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
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