Boat Quay was established as a public quay in the early 1820s on reclaimed land along the south bank of the Singapore River near its mouth. The quay is also known as the ‘Belly of the Carp’ in reference to the shape of the river at the site where it is situated. Prior to the establishment of New Harbour (now Keppel Harbour) in the 1850s, most of the port trade was carried out along the banks of the Singapore River at Boat Quay and Clarke Quay located further up river. Godowns, warehouses and shophouses were built in these busy trading areas by the merchants to support their business activities. Due to the large number of such historic buildings found at Boat Quay, the area was gazetted for conservation in 1989. Beginning in the 1990s, the Urban Development Authority redeveloped the area into a food and entertainment district with businesses housed in the renovated shophouses along the river bank.
