Tanjong Rhu
Consisting of residential, commercial and recreational developments, Tanjong Rhu is famous for being the location of the Singapore Sports Hub, which includes the Kallang Wave Mall, new National Stadium and the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Previously, the old National Stadium which hosted a total of 18 National Day Parades sat on the land now occupied by the new National Stadium. The former Kallang Airport once extended into this area, with part of its old runway being the modern-day Stadium Boulevard.
Other sports facilities in Tanjong Rhu include the Kallang Tennis Centre, Kallang Field, Kallang Ground, Kallang Track, Kallang Netball Centre, Kallang Squash Centre and PAssion WaVe @ Marina Bay. Notable places include Kallang Theatre, Leisure Park Kallang, Mountbatten Fire Post, Katong Community Centre, Singapore Swimming Club, the Benjamin Sheares Bridge and Dunman High School, one of Singapore's leading educational institutions.
Tanjong Rhu is also a residential neighbourhood, made up of mostly condominiums and private housing along Tanjong Rhu Road. A few blocks of public housing built by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) exist along Kampong Arang Road and Kampong Kayu Road. These residential estates are connected to the Singapore Sports Hub via Stadium Way, across the Geylang River.
Etymology
The name Tanjong Rhu appeared in Manuel Godinho de Erédia's 1604 map of Singapore spelt as Tanjon Rû, it means "casuarina cape" in Malay from the trees of Casuarina equisetifolia or almost similar C. littoria (ru or rhu) species that grew along the beach between Kallang and Rochor. It was known as sha tsui (沙咀) in Cantonese, which means "sand spit".
History
Tanjong Rhu has been associated with ship building and repairing from the early days. Captain William Flint, a harbour master, started a boat building and repair company here in 1822. Thomas Tivendale had his (Wilkinson, Tivendale and Company) shipyard here in the 1860s. The shipyard would be acquired by John I. Thornycroft & Company in 1926 and close in 1986 by successor Vosper Thornycroft Pte Singapore.
As late as the 1980s and the early 1990s, the Tanjong Rhu area was an industrial area with shipyards. The water surrounding Tanjong Rhu was polluted with industrial and domestic waste, creating an extremely unpleasant environment. A massive relocation exercise was then undertaken by the Singapore Government to transform Tanjong Rhu into a high-end residential area. Reclamation of land along the Tanjong Rhu coast began as early as 1992. Private developers then started the new luxury residential developments in Tanjong Rhu. Today, the shipyards have since been relocated elsewhere and condominiums have replaced them.
In September 1993, 12 men were arrested in an entrapment operation in Tanjong Rhu coined the "Fort Road Incident". The operation, which targeted homosexual men, led to charges of "outrage of modesty". Six of the men pleaded guilty and were sentenced to three strokes of the cane each and imprisonment ranging from two to six months. The names, ages and occupations of all 12 men were published in all major Singaporean newspapers. The operation has been noted for its controversial nature due to its entrapment tactics and harsh punishment of homosexual individuals. Those were the last reported cases of such police entrapment. A short 19-minute 2009 film, "The Casuarina Cove" by Boo Junfeng told the story of one of those men.
Residential developments
HDBs
| Years Built | Project Name | Street | Blocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Di Tanjong Rhu | Kampong Kayu Road | 1 |
| 1969–1970 | Jalan Batu | 2-9 | |
| 1986 | Jalan Batu | 10-11 | |
| 2029 | Tanjong Rhu Riverfront I | Sampan Place | 24-25 |
| 2029 | Tanjong Rhu Riverfront II | Kampong Arang Road | 26-28 |
Condominiums
- Costa Rhu
- Pebble Bay
- Fort Gardens
- Water Place
- Sanctuary Green
- Parkshore
- Tanjong Ria
- Camelot By The Water
- Casuarina Cove
- The Waterside
- The Line @ Tanjong Rhu
- Fulcrum
- Crystal Rhu
- La Ville
Public transport
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
Tanjong Rhu is served by four MRT stations, spread across two lines, namely the Circle Line and the Thomson–East Coast line. The stations are:
- CC6 Stadium
- CC6 Mountbatten
- TE23 Tanjong Rhu
- TE24 Katong Park
Bus
Tanjong Rhu is also served by the public trunk bus services 11 and 158, which connect the neighbourhood to different parts of Singapore. Bus 11 cuts across the Tanjong Rhu Bridge and connects residents to Kampong Bugis and Geylang, while Bus 158 connects residents to Mountbatten, Geylang, MacPherson and Serangoon.
Notes
- ^ "Rhu" is an informal local name that refers to the casuarina equisetifolia which grew along the area.
References
- Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2004), Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern University Press, ISBN 981-210-364-3
- ^ "Singapore Residents by Planning Area / Subzone, Age Group, Sex and Type of Dwelling, June 2024". Department of Statistics Singapore. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ "Singapore's Kallang Planning Area".
- ^ Thulaja, Naidu Ratnala (24 January 2018) [31 December 2004]. "Tanjong Rhu Road". Infopedia. Government of Singapore. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- ^ "12 men nabbed in anti-gay operation at Tanjong Rhu". NewspaperSG. The Straits Times. 23 November 1993. p. 19. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ Wong, Tessa (4 December 2022). "377A repeal: Singapore turns page on dark LGBT history". BBC. Archived from the original on 16 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ "Bus 11 Service Information". SBS Transit Ltd. Archived from the original on 31 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ "Bus 158 Service Information". SBS Transit Ltd. Archived from the original on 31 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
External links
Media related to Tanjong Rhu at Wikimedia Commons