Waterloo Street


Image:54 - 58 Waterloo Street, Singapore - img 01.jpg|thumb|right|250px|54-58 Waterloo Street
Waterloo Street is a two-way street located in the Central Area of Singapore, running from Rochor Road to Bras Basah Road. It traverses the planning areas of Rochor and Museum. Waterloo Street is home to a number of prominent landmarks, including the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, the Maghain Aboth Synagogue, Sculpture Square and the Sri Krishnan Temple. The synagogue, established in 1878, is the oldest in Singapore and was built by the local Jewish community.

History

Waterloo Street was originally established in 1837 and was initially named Church Street after Thomas Church, who served as Resident Councillor of Singapore at the time. In 1858, the Municipal Council renamed it Waterloo Street in honour of the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington's victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, as well as to avoid confusion as there was another Church Street close to Raffles Place.
In 1998, the northern end was redesigned as a pedestrian mall to alleviate vehicular congestion and accommodate the large crowds drawn to the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, particularly on weekends and public holidays. On the southern end, the street formerly extended to Stamford Road but was shortened following the development of the Singapore Management University city campus in 2006 and the adjacent MRT station of Bras Basah which opened in 2010. Originally a one-way road, it was converted to a two-way street in 2016. In the lead-up to Chinese New Year, a small festive bazaar is typically held along the upper section of the street.

Naming

Waterloo Street was colloquially referred to as Si Beh Lor, meaning "Fourth Horse Carriageway", by the local Chinese community. This term reflected its place within a broader tradition of assigning Hokkien numerical nicknames to streets, making them easier for Chinese residents to identify and remember. It was preceded by North Bridge Road as "Toa Beh Lor", Victoria Street as "Ji Beh Lor" and Queen Street as "Sa Beh Lor", and followed by Bencoolen Street as "Gor Beh Lor", Prinsep Street as "Lak Beh Lor" and Selegie Road as "Chit Beh Lor".

Landmarks

[Image:Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple (Feb 2024).jpg|thumb|right|Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple]
[Image:Sri Krishnan Temple Koyil, Singapore (2025) - img 10.jpg|thumb|right|Sri Krishnan Temple]
In order from Rochor Road to Bras Basah Road: