Rochor Road (South)

Rochor (South)- Golden Ingot Paying Respect to the Sage Den

Rochor River, characterised by its black water, flows through seven of the main roads in an area known as Small Slope. In the past, after Singapore's commercial port was opened, this area became a tiny commercial district with a dense population and a busy thoroughfare.

There were two popular street near Rochor River - Bugis Street and Sungei Road was always very crowded, with stalls set up close to eacha other and the lights bright as daylight. People throng the lanes in endless waves, and their numbers rivalled those in Chinatown and Nan Tian Market.

Bugis Street was famous as an open-air food paradise and was a must for all tourists. At nightfall, tourists could be seen enjoying their drinks under the bright lights and tasting local specialties. The day literally never ended! On top of that, the transvestites plying the area and flirting coquettishly with the tourists gave the place its unique character and became a top draw in Singapore's tourism industry. Travel magazines the world over featured the transvestites but also Bugis Street.

Today, the wheel of redevelopment and the MRT trains whizzing through the area have wrought great changes. Not only has Bugis street changed beyond recognition, the transvestites have also disappeared.

How does feng shui explain these changes? And what must businessmen operating in this district take note of?

Golden Ingot Paying Respect to the Sage Den - Meeting point of Religions

Feng shui refers to Rochor as the golden ingot paying respect to the sage den, but the place has been called the golden horse neighing den or land of golden leaf. The first name came about as the area resembled an ancient gold ingot on the ground. This area used to have many rivers and was not only muddy, but also extremely sandy, so it was also know as the land of gold. You may have observed that the trees here are generally tall and slender.

Land with such topography is conducive to the development of religions. That is precisely why the major streets in Rochor are lined with churches, temples and even Singapore's oldest mosque. There is even a Jewish Synagogue in the vicinity of the popular Kwan Im Tong Hood Temple at Waterloo Street. Christian and Catholic churches can be found on every street. Christian and Catholic churches can be found on every street. This feature gave rise to the term golden ingot paying respect to the sage den.

This district is not suitable for buildings with the tall, squarish features of the wood element. Instead buildings shaped like a rectangle, a temple, a bagua or an ingot are most desirable. The best colours to adopt inside and outside the house are gold, yellow and white, and while green and red should be avoided at all costs.

There should not be too much of the water element here too, so avoid fountains or your wealth will be washed away.

Medical practices and businesses dealing in religious artefacts, entertainment, transportation, medical products, fruits, timepieces, electrical appliances, fashion and beauty will flourish, but it is best to have a focus instead of diversifying too much.

People regard this area as a place where prices are reasonable; hence it is not wise to sell expensive products here.