The original New Bridge Road was laid in 1842, two years after the new Coleman Bridge was erected across the Singapore River. The bridge linked the road, which was on the south side of the river, with Hill Street in the north. The area around New Bridge Road and nearby Wayang Street was where many Teochew (a Chinese dialect group) fruit and vegetable sellers conducted their business. Teochew businessmen were known for specialising in the entrepot trade with their compatriots in Thailand and Indonesia.In the 1970s, the New Bridge Road area was redeveloped as part of the government’s urban renewal scheme for the old city centre. New structures built as part of the scheme included the People’s Park Complex (third from right) and the People’s Park Centre (second from right), which were completed in 1973 and 1976 respectively.
