Katong

Katong (commonly referred to as Tanjong Katong) is a residential neighbourhood in the eastern portion of the Central Region of Singapore, within the Marine Parade planning area. The Katong district stretches from Fort Road area to the Joo Chiat area. It used to be located by the sea, before land reclamation towards the south to East Coast Park was created for housing and recreational purposes beginning in the 1960s to 1970s.

Katong was the location of many villas and mansions of the wealthy elite in the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries. They made their fortunes in the Far East and built seaside resorts, villas and manors along the beachfront of Katong, beginning from Katong Park to the end of the East Coast.

Katong's rich cultural mix has contributed to its unique cuisine. Katong is well known among locals as a food district with a variety of shophouse restaurants serving Peranakan cuisine and particularly, a spicy Singaporean noodle soup known as Katong laksa. Its famous icons include Joo Chiat Road's "food street", Dunman food center, Koon Seng Road & Everitt Road's Peranakan conservation house, Eurasian Heritage Gallery.

Etymology

Tanjong Katong derived from the popular beach shoreline along the East Coast. In Malay, Tanjong means cape whilst Katong refers to a now extinct species of turtles as well as "the effect of a sea mirage" when looking at the shoreline. This coastal feature was located near the present Tanjong Katong Flyover across East Coast Parkway and has since disappeared due to land reclamation.

History

In 1822, Sir Stamford Raffles designated a plot of land between the tip of Sandy Point (present day Tanjong Rhu) and Deep Water Point (present day Tanjong Katong) as a shipyard. In order to expedite the growth of the shipping industry, the Chinese settlers living there were given compensation for moving out. By the 1860s, the ship yards were flourishing.

In the 1900s, the city centre was overcrowded and residents started moving to the east. Due to the need of more residential lands, the plantations began to break up. away from the hustle and bustle of town life. The wealthy suburb stretched along Meyer Road and Mountbatten Road from Katong Park to Tanjong Katong. By 1928 Katong had grown to the extent that the Inspector-General of the Singapore Police Force H. Fairburn remarked: "The development of the area from Katong to Joo Chiat, which has been so rapid in the past two years, promises to continue, and from every point of view one sees the necessity of providing for a sub-divisional station in the suburb. The suburb at present possess no police station."

During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore (1942-1945), shophouses between Wilkinson Road and Goodman Road in Tanjong Katong Road were used to house comfort women from Indonesia and Korea.

The late 1970s and early 1980s also saw more road changes where adjacent streets were linked up to ease commute.

In the early 2000s, due to the economic downturn, prices and rentals of shop houses went down leading to many karaoke lounges, massage parlours and pubs in Joo Chiat. Existing hotels started to offer rooms by the hour which helped promoted vice related activities. In 2005, it had 44 pubs, 38 massage parlours and eight hotels which led to Joo Chiat gaining a reputation as a red-light district. The village was named after the adjacent Amber Road, which was in turn named after the clan name of Joseph Aaron Elias, a prominent property owner in early-20th-century Singapore.

The inhabitants of Kampong Amber were mostly Malay fishermen, who lived in thatched timber houses on stilts, irregularly clustered into a porous urban fabric. Between these houses were many large communal spaces, where the inhabitants spent much of their time, engaging in activities such as plucking beansprout, pounding chili paste, and talking to their neighbors. Since the salty soil was unfriendly to agriculture, the villagers largely depended on the ocean for their livelihoods. Mr and Mrs Lee allowed the villagers to live in Kampong Amber rent-free; as a show of appreciation, the villagers held an annual parade on Mrs Lee's birthday.

After World War II, Katong became an active retail and entertainment hub in the 1950s and 1960s, with popular supermarket Tay Buan Guan, Red House Katong Bakery and food specialties such as Katong Laksa.

As part of the 1971 Concept Plan, land reclamation along the East Coast was carried out between 1963 and 1985. The occupants were relocated to newly-built, government-subsidised flats. In a 2003 master plan, the land was parcelled out for further development. Another surviving early Kampong Amber landmark is the Chinese Swimming Club, founded in 1909 and moved to a permanent site at Amber Road in 1921. Originally a Chinese response to the European-only Singapore Swimming-club founded by the British in 1994, the Chinese Swimming Club was sponsored by wealthy philanthropist Lee Choon Guan. The club went on to become a social gathering place, a training location for many world-class athletes, and a prominent local landmark that drew visits from figures including Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, President Wee Kim Wee, and President Tony Tan Keng Yam.

Transportation

An electric tramway was built between the Joo Chiat-Changi Market and Tanjong Pagar.

Amenities

Places of worship

Church of the Holy Family (also known as Holy Family Church and Katong Catholic Church), a Catholic church in the Archdiocese of Singapore: It was founded in early 1902 by four Eurasian families living in Tanjong Katong. It is located at Chapel Road, off East Coast Road, and has one of the largest parish populations in the archdiocese.
Masjid Kassim: The mosque was built at Joo Chiat through waqf donations from a Muslim merchant, Ahna Mohammed Kassim.
Katong Presbyterian Church: It was built at Joo Chiat Terrace before moving to Joo Chiat Lane in 1971.
Mangala Vihara, a Theravada Buddhist temple: In 1959, Madam Chew Quee Neo, daughter of Chew Joo Chiat, donated a piece of land to build the temple catering for the Peranakan Buddhist community.

Shopping centres

Katong also has many shopping centers such as Eastgate building, Katong Plaza, i12 Katong (formerly Katong Mall and Katong People's Complex), Katong Shopping Centre, Roxy Square, Paramount Shopping Centre and Odeon Katong Shopping Complex.

There are famous eateries which contribute to Katong's popularity as a dining spot such as the Red House Bakery and Chin Mee Chin Confectionery.

Education

Secondary schools

Tanjong Katong Secondary School
Tanjong Katong Girls' School

Highlights

The area is traditionally associated with the Eurasian and Peranakan community. However, many high-rise apartment blocks now stand alongside the traditional shophouses and Peranakan terrace houses. In 1993, the Joo Chiat neighbourhood which comprises the historical centre of Katong, with its uniquely Singaporean architecture mixing Chinese, Peranakan and English colonial styles, was designated a national heritage conservation area by the Singapore Government. The conservation area consists of many shop houses which are refurnished into cafes as well as specialty shops.

Notable residents

It was home to the earlier scions of the Englishmen Lord Mountbatten of Burma and Cathay Organisation film magnate, Loke Wan Tho. Its illustrious residents include the ancestral family of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. The former President Sellapan Ramanathan lived in Katong in his primary residence on Ceylon Road. It is also home to performance artist Nicholas Tee.

Notable places

25 Chapel Road, conserved building

Politics

The area used to be part of the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC) with the Joo Chiat area represented by Joo Chiat Single Member Constituency (SMC). Prior to the 2015 general election, Joo Chiat SMC was merged into Marine Parade GRC.

Prior to the 2025 general election, Marine Parade GRC was abolished and Katong is represented by Marine Parade–Braddell Heights GRC. In the 2025 general elections, the governing People's Action Party (PAP) won the contest with a walkover with Goh Pei Ming, Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Diana Pang, Seah Kian Peng and Tin Pei Ling being the elected Members of Parliament of the GRC.

In popular culture

Katong Miss Oh, a sitcom that aired on MediaCorp Channel 8 in 2002.
Tanjong Katong is mentioned in a song "Nak Dara Rindu" by actor, filmmaker, musician, and composer P. Ramlee
Tanjong Katong is mentioned in the Singaporean folk song "Di Tanjong Katong"