• The Mandarin term “十八间后” originated from the Hokkien dialect term zhap pueh keng au.
• The term “十八间” (literally, “18 units”) is the colloquial name of Boat Quay. This name is believed to have originated from the 18 shophouses along Boat Quay in the early days.
• Circular Road is colloquially known as “十八间后” (literally, “behind the 18 units”) as it runs directly behind the Boat Quay shophouses.
• Another colloquial name for Circular Road is “十三行后” (literally, “behind the 13 companies”), in reference to the 13 businesses that used to operate along Boat Quay (known as “十三行”).

From 2 April, the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s improvement project at Circular Road will be executed in phases, at a total cost of S$523,000. (Lianhe Zaobao, 31/3/1998)

In addition to “十八间”, Boat Quay was also colloquially known as “十三行”, “吊船码头”, “水厝尾”, and “十八溪墘”.