One of the beliefs was that in the olden days, the main modes of transport in Singapore were bullock carts and horse-drawn carts. As most roads were paved with red clay and passing traffic would often kick up dust. The City Council in charge of managing the roads imported water spraying tanks from England. These tanks were mounted on bullock carts and would spray water along the streets everyday, to stop the flying dust on the roads from being kicked up. These watering carts were parked around South Bridge Road and were known as kereta air in the Malay language, thus the Chinese called this area “牛车水”.

After a hiatus of 10 years, Chinatown hosted the lunar new year flower market once again, making it convenient for nearby residents to purchase flowers and add a touch of spring to their households. (Lianhe Zaobao, 24/1/2019)

• In the olden days, there were many restaurants, opera houses, brothels, shops, teashops and hawkers in Chinatown. It was a major hub for the working class community, and also a microcosm of the Chinese society in Southeast Asia (Nanyang). The urban redevelopment initiatives in recent years have designated Chinatown as an area to experience Chinese culture, and is one of Singapore’s famous tourist spots.
• “牛车水” is an amalgamation of the terms “bullock carts” (“牛车”) and “water”(“水”), and its formation was influenced by the Malay phrase kereta air. Due to this historical significance, the Mandarin name for Singapore’s Chinatown is “牛车水” instead of “唐人街”, which is commonly used in other regions to refer to Chinatown.