A-Z of Singapore - D for Duxton Hill

Duxton Hill in Singapore has a long history. Going way back to the 1800s as a nutmeg plantation, it has undergone much transformation to right now consisting of colonial style buildings and some sleazy bars.

Duxton Hill

Popular among the rickshaw pullers back in the colonial times owing to its proximity to the rickshaw station, Duxton hill later transformed itself to an opium trading and gambling hub. Duxton Road, one of the few roads that have been built on the hill housed several cheap brothels

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I personally have walked on Duxton Road every single day for about a month, when I was interning with a startup. Looking at the picture in B&W above, I realize that not a single building has changed along this road. Only the cars have.

Today, Duxton Hill & Duxton Road serve as home to a few commercial establishments and a fairly few number of sleazy bars as well. Atleast, that's what it looks like from the outside. What I really like about this place though, is that when you walk along it in the evenings and let your mind wander, you tend to get back to the colonial days and imagine which rickshaw puller would have parked his rickshaw here; which gang fight took place here etc.

Personally, I'd recommend this place to any visitor to Singapore, apart from the usual places of visit.

-Prashanth