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COMMUNITIES OF QUEEN, WATERLOO AND BENCOOLEN STREETS Home to a diverse range of communities, Queen, Tessensohns, Bogaars, Mosbergens and Clarks served Beh Lor respectively, which translates to “Third Horse Waterloo and Bencoolen streets were originally slated in the churches, ran businesses and enlivened the Road”, “Fourth Horse Road” and “Fifth Horse Road” in to be a European quarter according to the Raffles Town social and cultural life of the precinct. Hokkien (the term “horse road” refers to main Plan in the 1820s. Its early European character was carriage roads). The Chinese also knew Queen Street apparent in the churches, schools, businesses and Likewise, other communities were also drawn to the as Sek A Ni Koi (“Serani Street”, referencing the residences established in the area, as well as the streets social and religious institutions in the area. For Eurasian population), rendering the Malay word for that were named after Queen Victoria (Queen Street instance, Maghain Aboth Synagogue on Queen Street Eurasians in Hokkien. and Victoria Street), the British victory at the 1815 served as a hub for the Jewish community, which Battle of Waterloo (Waterloo Street), and the British referred to the area as “the mahallah” (“neighbourhood” Today, these streets are part of the Bras Basah Bugis colony of Bencoolen in Sumatra (Bencoolen Street). in Arabic). The presence of the Japanese community arts and heritage precinct, and the residences of was evident in the “10-cent” discount shops, hotels yesteryears have been converted into venues housing However, by the mid-1800s, significant numbers of and schools that were located near Middle Road, while performing arts groups, museums and restaurants. Eurasians, Chinese, Indians, Jews, Malays as well as the Chinese and Indian communities established Kwan Nevertheless, devotees and parishioners still worship L K A other communities had settled in the area and brought Im Thong Hood Cho Temple and Sri Krishnan Temple in the churches, temples and mosques, and the S W with them new cultures and traditions. Drawn by the in the 19th century. tight-knit relationships that were forged over time proximity of Cathedral of the Good Shepherd and Saint continue to allow communities to coexist peacefully. Joseph’s Church as well as schools such as Saint The colloquial names of these streets further point to BENCOOLEN STREETS BENCOOLEN Joseph’s Institution, Eurasians bought homes on the diversity here. For example, some in the Chinese QUEEN, WATERLOO QUEEN, Queen, Waterloo and Bencoolen streets, and along community may know Queen, Waterloo and AND The Singapore Town Plan, showing Queen, Waterloo and Bencoolen streets to be part of a “European Town”, late-19th century Bras Basah Road. Eurasian families including the Bencoolen streets as Sa Beh Lor, Si Beh Lor and Gor Courtesy of National Museum of Singapore, National Heritage Board H Y A N R M O P r in s e p L in k et eet Stre Str len sep coo Prin Ben et Stre KWAN IM THONG en ool enc HOOD CHO TEMPLE Harmony Walks comprises a series of trails developed by the National MASJID B Heritage Board that celebrates Singapore’s religious and racial harmony, and BENCOOLEN explores the commonalities shared by diverse communities in the areas of B L e i n n c religion, culture and built heritage. These common threads have helped to k o o strengthen social bonds among Singaporeans and cultivated values of SRI KRISHNAN le understanding and openness that have enabled our communities to live side TEMPLE n by side in harmony over the centuries. Supported by C P h l e a n c MAGHAIN ABOTH e g Bencoolen Y L SYNAGOGUE a B P o n r Station a r a o y s n a B g M h a a s a CHURCH OF SAINTS n h il et a R PETER AND PAUL tre o et S S re en t a St ue r d loo Q e ter e Wa t M id d le R o a Bras Basah d Station KUM YAN et METHODIST Stre ria icto CHURCH V B a in S t r e e t oad e R dg Sign up for the Bri C th a or s N guided tours here: h in B r S a t s C r a e B r e CATHEDRAL OF THE a v t s e a r GOOD SHEPHERD h S R tr o e a e d t The peaceful coexistence of the diverse communities and religious institutions at Queen, Waterloo and institutions have forged strong relationships, and are united in their commitment to preserve and promote COEXISTENCE, COOPERATION AND COMMONALITIES Bencoolen streets serves as a good example of the unique religious and racial harmony found in Singapore. Singapore’s racial and religious harmony. Listed in this brochure are some commonalities shared by the Through harmonious coexistence and cooperation as well as similar practices, these communities and different communities and religious institutions in this area. Kum Yan Methodist Church Masjid Bencoolen COMMUNITY 1 Queen Street COMMON 51 Bencoolen Street INTERACTIONS Founded in 1918, this church was originally PRACTICES Established sometime between 1825 and located at the former Yeung Ching School on 1828, Masjid Bencoolen is the second oldest Club Street and was known as Cantonese mosque in Singapore. The mosque was Methodist Church. The founding members of founded by settlers from Bencoolen in Everyday interactions between different cultures have the church were Cantonese-speaking While distinct in spiritual and cultural traditions, Indonesia (now Bengkulu), and was also helped cultivate a better understanding and acceptance of Christians from China who were teaching in commonalities can be found across different religious known as Bengali Mosque because of the high social and cultural differences among the communities in Singapore during the time, and had wanted to practices. The use of water is a common denominator for number of Indian Muslim congregants. First the area. Out of these organic relationships built over the reach out to the Cantonese community. In several religions, serving as ritual purification for Muslims constructed as an attap-roofed mosque, years, sometimes surprising and often uplifting stories 1946, the community acquired the church’s (wudu) and Orthodox Jews (netilat yadayim) before Masjid Bencoolen was rebuilt in brick and emerge. The temples, churches and mosques in the area present site at Queen Street, and the building prayers, and as a sacramental element in Christianity. concrete in 1845 by Arab merchant and also conduct inter-religious visits and dialogue sessions, was later consecrated in December 1957. Incense of various types is used among Arabic, Jewish, philanthropist Syed Omar Aljunied. In the and participate in each other’s festivals to show support Today, the church caters to a variety of Indian, Chinese and other communities, and forms part of early 2000s, the mosque and surrounding lots and reach out to other communities. language groups among its 1,000 liturgies and rituals in Christianity, Hinduism and in the were redeveloped into a mixed commercial worshippers, and services are held in everyday worship of Taoists. and residential development, with the mosque At Maghain Aboth, non-Jews including a Hindu Indian Cantonese, English and Mandarin. housed within. In 2019, the mosque family have worked as cooks and custodians, thereby The Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and announced that it will undergo further helping to preserve Jewish culture and tradition through Islam also share several common threads in religious upgrading to expand its prayer spaces and their mastery of kosher cuisine as well as knowledge of observances. Ahead of the period of Lent, Christians improve amenities. festivals such as Sukkot (the Feast of the Tabernacles, practise fasting, abstinence and almsgiving, as do commemorating the Biblical Exodus). Muslims during the month of Ramadan, and Jews during Maghain Aboth Synagogue Yom Kippur, Tisha B’Av and other Jewish holidays. Likewise, worshippers at the Hindu Sri Krishnan Temple 24/26 Waterloo Street and the Taoist-Buddhist Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Within a diverse society such as Singapore, religious (The synagogue is closed to walk-in visitors. Temple visit and offer prayers to sets of deities housed in Please write to the Jewish Welfare Board for messages also pass through different language mediums both temples. By doing so, new cross-cultural practices permission to enter.) to reach out to a range of communities, with institutions have emerged including the use of Chinese-style joss offering services in various languages to meet the sticks and praying in the direction of the sky – largely a Consecrated in 1878, Maghain Aboth is evolving needs of their congregations. The institutions in Chinese practice – in front of the Hindu temple. Singapore’s oldest synagogue. Bearing a name this area have longstanding traditions in this respect, and which means “shield of our fathers” in they include the Church of Saints Peter and Paul and Kum Hebrew, the synagogue, which is a Greek Yan Methodist Church, both of which still conduct word that means “assembly”, was first services in Cantonese. constructed as a single-storey building for about 100 congregants. Maghain Aboth was then expanded and restored several times over its history, and is presently a two-storey building built in the Neo-Classical style. Today, the synagogue caters to some 200 worshippers, including a sizable number of Jewish expatriates. Cathedral of the Sri Krishnan Temple Good Shepherd CROSS-CULTURAL 152 Waterloo Street COMING TOGETHER A Queen Street MOTIFS Sri Krishnan Temple traces its roots to a shrine TO DO GOOD Established in 1832 by missionaries from established under a banyan tree in 1870s, the Société des Missions Étrangères de which evolved into a gathering place and Paris (MEP), the present church building eventually a temple for Hindus in the area.

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