• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Get our Newsletter

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Schools
      • Property
      • Work & Finance
      • For Guys
      • Environment
      • Readers’ Choice Awards
        • Moving house? Get your Wi-Fi connection right!
        • earth hour festival earth hour Singapore WWF SingaporeSwitch Off for Earth Hour by WWF Singapore
        • Lydia Ko plays golf tournament in singaporeWatch a women’s golf battle for the Team Series title!
        • real estate in united states owning property in USOwning Real Estate in the United States
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Elke & man k9 empawer walkWhat’s on this week and beyond
        • St Patrick's Day 2023 - irish pubs and drinking spotsSt Patrick’s Day: Great bars to celebrate at
        • Lydia Ko plays golf tournament in singaporeWatch a women’s golf battle for the Team Series title!
        • 10 places for teenagers to hang out in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • 10 places for teenagers to hang out in Singapore
        • Mental health support for toddlers to teens
        • Fun obstacle course in Singapore for kids and adultsHomeTeamNS challenges you to the ultimate obstacle course!
        • education system in Singapore Astor international schoolAstor: Small Singapore school with big impact
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Decor
      • Readers’ Homes
      • Furniture
        • Beautiful interior design by Arete CultureNeed decorators, home stylists or interior designers?
        • Bedrooms: Bed frames, bedding & bedside tables!
        • Affordable art in SingaporeBuying affordable art in Singapore – it is possible!
        • Where to buy a really good bed and mattress in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Asia
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • Rest Of World
      • News
      • Travel Offers
        • property in sydneyBuying property in Sydney
        • international health insurance for singapore expatsHealth insurance for Singapore expats
        • Travel News & Hotel Deals
        • Chloe from E&A InteriorsBuilding a holiday villa in Sri Lanka from start to finish!
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • crab bee hoon singapore recipeAll you need to know about crab bee hoon in Singapore
        • local desserts in singapore - Rainbow ice cream breadMust-try local desserts in Singapore
        • St Patrick's Day 2023 - irish pubs and drinking spotsSt Patrick’s Day: Great bars to celebrate at
        • Best Restaurants in Singapore – Where to eat for foodies!
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
      • Beauty Offers
        • ear piercing in SingaporeEar piercing in Singapore: types & how to avoid infection!
        • hairdressers in singaporeBest Hair Salons in Singapore for Haircut & Style
        • Best facial in Singapore? Read our face spa & beauty salon reviews
        • Niessing gold jewellery in SingaporeI discovered a 150-year-old jeweller in Singapore!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • Here’s why sleep is so important
        • core exercises in singapore7 Singapore Pilates studios for core exercises & more!
        • at-home personal training yoga in singaporeYoga classes in Singapore, and the benefits!
        • Here’s what inspires a top urologist in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • BOOKS
    • Close

Do you know the history of Lau Pa Sat hawker centre?

10th November 2022 by Expat Living 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/history-lau-pa-sat-satay-hawker-centre-singapore/

You may have enjoyed some satay at Lau Pa Sat. But how much do you know about the history of the famous Lau Pa Sat hawker centre in Singapore, also known as Telok Ayer market? Regular EL contributor CERI POWELL shares a few insights on the building then and now.

Snuggled beneath the glistening sky-scrapers of the Financial District, an incongruous low-rise, red-roofed building seems from another era … and indeed it is!

Lau Pa Sat (or “old market” in the Hokkien dialect), was Singapore’s first wet market – it dates back almost 200 years. In 1822, soon after founding Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles commissioned the simple atap-roofed Telok Ayer Market, perfectly positioned over the water for offloading catches of fresh fish.

The current distinctive octagonal shape of Lau Pa Sat hawker centre dates from George Coleman’s upgrade in the 1830s. The Irish architect also designed many of Singapore’s prominent buildings that can still be seen today, such as the Old Parliament House and the Armenian Church.

Lau Pa Sat hawker centre in singapore was also known as Telok Ayer market

Iron and lace

After Chinatown expanded and land reclamation moved the shoreline south, in 1894 the market was moved from its waterfront location and quadrupled in size. The Municipal Engineer of Singapore at the time, James MacRitchie (yes, he of the reservoir fame), added a graceful clock tower and a new cast-iron supporting structure. The iron frames were cast in the foundry of P&W Maclellan in Glasgow before being flat-packed, shipped and assembled in Singapore – the ultimate Victorian IKEA! (Lau Pa Sat is actually one of the oldest Victorian structures in all of Southeast Asia.)

As you stand under the soaring arches, fretted eaves and slender Victorian columns, the intricate filigree work – wrought from solid iron – seems to achieve an airy, almost lace-like effect that is quite astonishing.

The six-metre-tall cast-iron fountain that once marked the centre of the market was lost for many decades until it was rediscovered in 1989; it now graces the Palm Garden of Raffles Hotel!

Clock tower at old Lau Pa Sat hawker centre in singapore telok ayer market

Ringing the bells

The 23 bronze bells in the clock tower are Dutch, from the Royal Bell foundry Petit & Fristen of Asten. High in the tower is a fascinating “jacquemart”, a mechanical figurine that wields a hammer to ring the bells. The 1.25-metre doll is dressed in Chinese workers’ clothes with the distinctive conical hat, who struck the carillon of bells every 15 minutes, activating Chinese, Malay and Indian melodies to be played. (Tip: Take a camera with a good zoom or some binoculars to spy him high in the clocktower roof!)

I can’t find mention of any other example of a Chinese jacquemart in the world, and it’s a fitting tribute to the workers hailing from Fujian and Guangdong who once toiled in the wet market of old. You can still stop and listen on the quarter hours; the figure continues striking the bells proudly today, albeit rather sadly, as the melodies have been replaced by the simple dongs called “Westminster Quarters”.

satay at Lau Pa Sat today

Lau Pa Sat hawker centre in Singapore today

Lau Pa Sat was one of the first eight sites gazetted under the Preservation of Monuments Act in 1972, with its conversion to a hawker centre. Now, it’s once again a meeting-and-eating point providing sustenance to the workers of Singapore. And it’s worth a visit to soak in the atmosphere over a teh tarik, a bowl of laksa or satay at Lau Pa Sat.

Alternatively, wait until dark to explore, when Boon Tat Street is closed to traffic and bursts alive as “Satay Street”; stall holders grill satay sticks at lightning speed, with the smoke rising and the aroma of satay in the air. It’s Singapore dining the old-fashioned way, alfresco and authentic.

Lau Pa Sat is at 18 Raffles Quay. Get there by taking Exit I from Raffles Place MRT or Exit A from Telok Ayer MRT. Buses stop nearby along Cross Street or Shenton Way.

satay street at Lau Pa Sat hawker centre

This article first appeared in the November 2022 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy!

To make the most of living in Singapore, read our latest City Guide here for free!

Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox
Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox

Categories: Living here Living in Singapore

Expat Living

Expat Living has everything to help you make the most of living in Singapore! We've got information on neighbourhoods, things to do and see, dining, entertainment, schools, travel, fashion, furniture, finance, health and beauty. And more!

You May Also Like

temples in singapore

Historical churches in Singapore and other places of worship

cbd restaurants

CBD restaurants for business lunches, dinners & dates

mo bar singapore cool bars

Best Bars in Singapore from Rooftop Bars in Chinatown to Beach Clubs!

Primary Sidebar

  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2023 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.