• Boat Quay has a history of close to 200 years. Sir Stamford Raffles saw the potential of Singapore as a free port, and as the location of Boat Quay was at that time closest to the mouth of Singapore River, land reclamation was done at the site in 1842 to develop it.
• Boat Quay was the first landing point in Singapore for many early migrants, thus carrying great historical significance. Due to the convenience of its location, Chinese traders built bungalows and private piers nearby to facilitate the transportation of cargoes. As the mouth of Singapore River was too narrow, larger vessels could not enter. Therefore, only small vessels such as boats could be used to transport cargoes.
• The Singapore River Clean-up Campaign carried out in the 1970s and 1980s ended Boat Quay’s important role in the trading and transportation of goods.
• In 1989, Boat Quay was gazetted as a conservation area. Today, it is a tourist attraction and popular nightlife venue in Singapore.

A new generation of teenagers believe that those who often spent the night at Boat Quay were mature people who knew how to enjoy life. (Lianhe Wanbao，10/1/1996)