No Head, No Tail. Source of Singapore River is Boh Beh Kang 无尾港

Most people know where is the Singapore River mouth* - it is at the heart of Singapore's Central Business District and a world class entertainment hub. Fewer people know where is its riverhead, where is its source. Curious? Let's look for it together. *Technically, with the damming of Singapore River with the Marina Barrage in 2008, there is no river mouth as it is now a reservoir.

Singapore River is about 5km long from Marina Barrage to the start of Alexandra Canal today (where the water goes underground). Kim Seng Bridge at Great World City is considered the start of Singapore River, so the official length of Singapore River is 3km.

Image credit: Screen grab from Google MapFrom Kim Seng Bridge, the river runs into Alexandra Canal which goes for another 2km before going underground (beside Tanglin Regency condominium and across the road from Masjid Jamek Queenstown mosque, near the intersection of Tanglin Road and Alexandra Road).

Map of Singapore in 1918. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeLooking at a map of Singapore dated 1918, we can see that where the Alexandra Canal starts (marked by > ), it was swampland around it.

The area south of the start of "Alexandra Canal" which was a stream were cemeteries and a few small hills. So, this is the elusive source of Singapore River.

Image credit: Screen grab from WikipediaToday, the start of Alexandra Canal is covered. Judging from the 1918 map, its starting point would roughly be at the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Queensway. The visible stretch of Alexandra Canal now starts near the intersection of Alexandra Road and Tanglin Road (centre, left of map).

Map of Singapore in 1918. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeThere were two hills here known as Hong Hin Sua and Hong Lim Sua. There was a large Hokkien Chinese village here known as Boh Beh Kang 无尾港 which literally means "No End River" or "No Tail River" as the stream running near the village (surrounded by swamps) actually had no visible source (disappearing into the swamps). Boh Beh Kang village was prone to flooding because of the swamps. This stream at No End River village was canalised to Alexandra Canal (probably as a flood control measure) which fed into the Singapore River. Around 350 families lived in Boh Beh Kang village. Most of the villagers were from Tong'An 同安 District, Fujian with the surname Ang. They moved here upriver in the 1920s, looking for farmland as the lower reaches of Singapore River had become overcrowded. There were also some Teochew and Hakka villagers. The villagers planted vegetables, fruit trees, rubber trees and reared pigs and chicken on Hong Hin Sua which stretched from Mei Ling Heights to Tanglin Halt. Hong Lim Sua was then a cemetery of over 9,000 graves bounded by Stirling Road, Alexandra Road and Queensway. The villagers worshiped at Tiong Ghee 忠义 Temple which was founded in 1931. It was an altar in one of the Boh Beh Kang village houses which grew into a temple over the years. Tiong Ghee Temple at Hong Hin Sua was demolished in 1968 to make way for Mei Ling Estate and moved to its present location at Stirling Road in 1973.

Air photo of Buller Camp & Boh Beh Kang Village in 1945. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeThe British colonial government built Buller Camp just beside Boh Beh Kang village in 1938. When the Japanese came (1942 - 1945), they occupied Buller Camp and used it to house Indian and Australian prisoners of war.

Buller Terrace at the junction of Commonwealth Ave and Alexandra Road in 1959. These flats were demolished. Today, it is Princess House. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore In 1952, Buller Camp was demolished for the development of Queenstown, Singapore's first satellite town. The first public housing flats in Queenstown were completed in 1953. Queenstown was named to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. As development of Queenstown continued, Boh Beh Kang villagers were resettled. By 1970, everyone from Boh Beh Kang village was moved. Hong Hin Sua and Hin Lim Sua were flattened and their soil used to fill up the swamps. The area was used to expand Queenstown where around 53,000 people lived (in the 1970s).

Alexandra Canal in 2011. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

As the head of Singapore River is "No Tail River", it can be said that Singapore River has no head, no tail. With its outlet to the sea shut by the Marina Barrage, it also has no mouth. But, it will always be our Singapore River where the story of Singapore, our Home began. Pandan River mouth in 1986. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporePandan River, Ulu Pandan canal and Alexandra Canal could, once upon a time, be one continuous stretch of water.

Alexandra Canal before it was widened in 1963. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeThe streams of Boh Beh Kang were widen to expand and extend Alexandra Canal in 1963.

Singapore in 1963. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeIn the Singapore map dated 1963, the Alexandra Canal ran from the Singapore River to the intersection with Clementi Road at top left corner. I've marked the Alexandra Canal V where it intersects major roads from east to west - Tanglin Road, Queensway, Buona Vista Road and Clementi Road.

Google Map screen grabToday (2020), the stretch of Alexandra Canal between Tanglin Road and North Buona Vista Road is covered up (invisible from the surface). The stretch of the old Alexandra canal to the west of Buona Vista Road (marked V ) is now named Ulu Pandan Canal which feeds into Pandan River in the west. References: Hidden Waters BlogMy Mind is Rojak Blog

In this map of Singapore dated 1905, Alexandra Canal began at the intersection of Singapore River and Delta Road. Alexandra Canal ran till the intersection with Tanglin Road and further to the west, it became a stream. The stream disappeared at the top left of the map around today's Commonwealth Ave and Queensway junction. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore Date: 3 July 2020