Tras Street


Tras Street is a street located in Tanjong Pagar in the Outram Planning Area and Downtown Core in Singapore. The road connects Enggor Street and Gopeng Street to Cook Street, and is intersected by Wallich Street.

Etymology and History

The street name Tras Street dates from an 1898 municipal resolution to "use names of rivers and districts in the Malay Peninsula as being better adapted to the purpose than the names of persons or families". Other Malayan place names which were assigned in the same year to new streets laid out on either side of Anson Road near Tanjong Pagar included Bernam Road, Enggor Street and Raub Street.

Hong San See Temple

The Hong San See Temple, which means "Phoenix Hill Temple" in Hokkien, by migrants from Lam Ann County in Fujian Province. The temple used to be located at Tras Street when it was first built in 1836. A road widening project in 1907 involving government acquisition of the temple's site resulted in its relocation to Mohamed Sultan Road.

Tras Street Today

Tras Street today is lined with many shophouses, many of which are two- and three-storey buildings. These shophouses, some of which are conserved pre-war buildings, are home to shops, eating places, pubs, boutiques and offices. The street is in fact a well-known night spot because of its string of bars. Being part of the Tanjong Pagar Conservation area, and found within the historic district of Chinatown, there are efforts to bring back the old charms of Chinatown to Tras Street.

Alternate Names

The Chinese name for this street, Zu Shi Gong Kou. It is known as Chor Su Kong Kau in Hokkien, which means "mouth of the Chor Su Kong Temple". This name is very likely due to Kim Lan Beo Temple which is dedicated to Qing Shui Zhu Shi, also known as Chor Su Kong in Hokkien. Kim Lan Beo Temple was founded in 1830, and is currently under the management of Hokkien Huay Kuan. The temple was formerly located at Narcis Street and moved to Kim Tian Road in 1984. The former location of Kim Lan Beo Temple at Narcis Street is actually very near Tras Street.