Every town has a few enclaves that have been forgotten by developers, usually because they are more difficult to access. In a vicious circle, business dries up and people move out. In Singapore, the Katong area on the east coast is one such enclave that has been left behind, even though the city state is so oriented towards constant redevelopment.
Katong (which means turtle in Malay) was once a vibrant multi-cultural community, which mixed Peranakans (descendants of the early Chinese community who settled in the Malay Archipelago from the 17th century), Eurasians, Chinese, Indian and Malays.
Today, the area retains a quaint atmosphere because many of the old, traditional shops, which doubled as homes, have been left relatively untouched over the years, unlike the sterile Chinatown, which was over-renovated and has lost its charm.
Katong, however, lacks vibrancy and focus. The fact that there are no fancy coffee shops, in fact few shops of interest at all, attests to its lack of popularity.
Yet things could soon be changing, and this time, (unlike in Chinatown) the move is led by the private sector. The Katong Heritage and Business Association has just been formed to be the engine for the growth and revitalisation of the area and is now planning activities, such as bazaars and heritage festivals, which will inject more colour and life.
To kick things off, three of the founding members of the association have launched new retail outlets dedicated to Peranakan heritage: a Peranakan beadwork shop, set in a Peranakan house built in 1928; a traditional Peranakan coffee shop where patrons can savour the famous nonya chang (rice dumplings with spices, seasoned minced pork and preserved winter melon cubes) and a more general, one-stop shop on anything Peranakan, from clothes and food to jewellery and pottery. Apart from the retail element, the outlets also offer special classes and demonstrations of traditions and customs.
