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Two Hundred Years of Life and Death on the Singapore River

Date: 04-August-2025 (Monday), 07:00-09:00pm

Venue: ARTualize 海之韵, 1 North Bridge Rd, #02-11, High Street Centre, Singapore 179094

Cost: S$75/pax

Workshop Outline

Life and death have long been two sides of the Singapore River, intertwined and difficult to disentangle. Historically, the Singapore River was a vital artery of trade, the lifeblood of our island nation. BUt efforts to develop the river for economic use raised questions about environmental degration and heritage loss. At the centre of the river's social history were little wooden boats called twakow (lighters), ferrying heavy cargo from ships. Unsung workers called lightermen performed this backbreaking work while expertly perched on the boats. In the '70s and '80s, the long-polluted river was finally cleaned up and this world and livelihood came to an end. In their place were today's shiny new establishments on the river quays. Can film capture this poignant human story? Dr Loh Kah Seng invites you to try.

Biography

Dr Loh Kah Seng is a Singapore social historian and director of Chronicles Research and Education, a research consultancy on the island’s heritage and memory. He is interested in all things that happened in the history of Singapore, especially the ‘little histories’ of its people. Two of his books have been shortlisted for the Singapore History Book Prize. Squatters into Citizens: The 1961 Bukit Ho Swee Fire and the Making of Modern Singapore (2013) covered the infamous greatest fire in Singapore history, while Theatres of Memory: Industrial Heritage of 20th Century Singapore (2021) was an ode to the pioneer generations who built Singapore’s economy after 1965 and received a Special Commendation. He is currently writing the social history of the independent shopkeepers of Chinatown.