Until the 1860s or 1870s, the north bank of Boat Quay at Singapore River was a center for boat building and repair. In the late 19th century, there were Chinese-owned boatyards, further upstream, towards the source of the Singapore River. Artisans had been building and repairing boats there on a small scale for over a century. The artisans not only built boats but built their homes on the tongkang as well.
