History

The Singapore River had gone through a lot of change since the 1970s. It used to be the lifeline of the nation as trade took place there everyday.

The Singapore River used to be old and very dirty, due to the rubbish from ships docking in, and it was always filled with ships and people of different ethic and country. Many may also remember the stench too. It was made a free port by Singapore's founder, Sir Stanford Raffles, who wanted to generate more income through trade.

Trading moved to the newer ports later in history and the Singapore River began to be neglected, so, the Singapore Government started cleaning the river up since the 1970s and thus we now have a clean river to view. They have also preserved most of the old shop houses and warehouses and they have now transformed into modern dining or recreation venues.

Source: http://www.singpost.com/04_stamps_phil/yr2000_river.htm