Water Kiosk

After stopping by Balestier Market for lunch, we crossed over to the other side of Balestier Road in search of the Water Kiosk. And there it was, standing by the road, looking like it came straight out of one of those Chinese dramas which aired on Channel 8 and showcased Singapore in the 1900s. Located at the corner of Boon Teck Road just by the Balestier Road, it looked neglected and barely functional. 

However, as one of us ventured to twist the taps, we realised that it was in fact still functioning, and people do still use the water kiosk. One of the taps dispenses tea, whereas the other dispenses clean drinking water. We suppose that this is symbolic of a time when clean drinking water was a luxury in Singapore. It also reminded us of how the main water sources in the past were likely rivers, streams and wells that were dug up painstakingly. Free water kiosks like this one must have been hard to come by in the past as well, and once can only imagine how thankful the labourers were to see a water kiosk while working under the scorching hot sun.
The water kiosk is maintained by Thong Teck Sian Tong Lian Sin Sia, a temple along the same road. Every morning, volunteers from the temple will fill up the containers with tea and drinking water. 

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