• The term “廊头” in “水廊头” originated from the Hokkien term long tau, which means “factory”. The character “水” means water. “水廊头” thus refers to “water factory”.
• “Water factory” in this context refer to the Straits Ice Company Limited, whose factories and warehouses were located along River Valley Road. Later, Mohamed Sultan Road also became known as “水廊头”, causing confusion between the two roads.
• This issue was rectified in the first Chinese edition of the Singapore Street Directory published by the Ministry of Culture in 1970, which designated “水廊头” as the colloquial name for Mohamed Sultan Road, and “皇家山脚” for the nearby stretch of River Valley Road between Killiney Road and Tank Road.
• A well-known historical landmark along Mohamed Sultan Road is Hong San See Temple. The temple was established in 1908, dedicated to the worship of the deity, Guang Ze Zun Wang. It is the centre of worship for the Hokkiens from Nan’an county. Hong San See Temple was gazetted as a National Monument in 1978.
• Mohamed Sultan Road was formally named in 1898.

The Hong San See Temple along Mohamed Sultan Road was not only a place of worship for Sheng Gong culture, but also a reflection of the tenacity of the local Nan’an community. The Nan’an people combined the resources of their ancestral home and their place of residence to create the ideal religious venue with meticulous craftsmanship. The temple later housed the Lam Ann Association. (Lianhe Zaobao, 23/11/2023)