Purvis Street, Singapore

Purvis Street, Singapore


Purvis Street is a minor road in the Downtown Core of Singapore. Located between Beach Road and North Bridge Road, it is a one-way street with traffic flow from the former to the latter. The road is renowned for its rich Hainanese heritage and vibrant culinary scene. Running parallel to Middle Road, which is often dubbed the "Hainan First Street", and Seah Street ("Hainan Third Street"), Purvis Street earned the moniker of "Hainan Second Street" due to the significant Hainanese community that settled there.³

Purvis Street was named after John Purvis (1799-1872), a merchant who was appointed as magistrate by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1823. He established the firm of John Purvis & Co in 1822.¹

Purvis Street is lined with well-preserved colonial shophouses, showcasing ornate architectural façades with Chinese Corinthian-style features such as peony vases, fire-breathing dragons, and bat-headed keystones.⁴ These historic buildings now house a variety of establishments, blending traditional charm with modern enterprises.

Purvis Street is particularly celebrated for its array of Hainanese eateries, offering authentic dishes that have stood the test of time. Notable establishments include:

In addition to its gastronomic offerings, Purvis Street is home to cultural landmarks such as the Kheng Chiu Tin Hou Kong temple and the Hainan Hwee Kuan, which have historically served as places of worship and community centers for early Hainanese immigrants.³

Today, Purvis Street stands as a testament to Singapore's multicultural tapestry, seamlessly blending historical significance with contemporary allure.

Map of Purvis Street, Singapore

Purvis Street Singapore on Google Street View

Purvis Street Singapore (Mar 2024)

References

List of the Streets in Singapore; Discover Singapore

 Sights in Singapore

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

Streets of Singapore and Map of Singapore Streets

Singapore MRT and Map of Singapore MRT

Postal Districts of Singapore and Map of Singapore Postal Districts

Planning Areas of Singapore and Map of Singapore Planning Areas

About this website

Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.

To get to know me better, do follow me on Facebook!