Former Jinricksha Station

The former Jinricksha Station sits on a unique triangular plot of land at the junction of Neil Road and Tanjong Pagar Road. It was constructed in 1903 to serve as the registration centre for rickshaws, the most common form of transport during colonial times.

The rickshaw was first imported to Singapore from Shanghai in 1880. It is a small, light-weight 2-seater carts with springs and large wheels. By 1888, the Jinricksha Department was set up to register and license each rickshaw. By the end of the 19th century, there were about 1,000 rickshaw owners in Singapore. By 1919, there were 9,000 rickshaws manned by 20,000 rickshaw pullers working in shifts.

As time passed, rickshaws were gradually replaced by other means of transport such as the trishaw, electric tram, bus and car. Rickshaws were finally phased out by the government after World War II.

A quick trivia: Hong Kong movie superstar Jackie Chan bought the Former Jinricksha Station for S$11 million in 2007 and the building now houses eateries, pubs, restaurants and offices.

Address: 1 Neil Road, Singapore 088804
Getting there: The nearest MRT station is Tanjong Pagar MRT Station (EW15) on the East West Line.