Boxing, yoga, café trail: Joo Chiat merchants band together to debut car-free street party on Oct 3

(From left) Dr Serena Shum, Meraki Vets; Hannah James, Head of Place-making, Katong-Joo Chiat Business Association; Edmund Sim, Twenty Blinks Studio; Danny Fleury, Spartans Boxing Club, (wearing cowboy hat); Archana Amlapure, Ojas Yoga & Wellness (holding the sound bowl); Benjamin Tan, Creo Customs (on the motorbike); and Edmond Wong, President, Katong-Joo Chiat Business Association.

Published Sep 20, 2026, 11:00 AM

Updated Sep 20, 2026, 11:00 AM

Joo Chiat Street Social on Oct 3 features diverse activities like boxing, yoga, pet checks, and a café trail along a 530m car-free stretch to boost visitor engagement.

The event aims to spread footfall evenly, support local businesses, and foster community ties, with plans to continue and evolve beyond the annual road closure.

Joo Chiat's rising fame as a heritage and cultural hotspot attracts varied visitors, while organisers focus on meaningful connections over visitor numbers to deepen appreciation of the precinct.

SINGAPORE - Joo Chiat has more than just colourful shophouses, and its merchants want visitors to know.

A group of them are spearheading efforts to spotlight the rest of the neighbourhood by going door to door to convince fellow business owners to step out of their shophouses to engage customers.

This will be part of Land Transport Authority’s World Car-Free Day on Oct 3, which will close the area between Dunman Road and East Coast Road to traffic.

There will be a boxing ring in the middle of Joo Chiat showcasing boxing championships and free trials, non-stop wellness activities like street-side yoga, complimentary pet checks, and a café-and-bar discovery trail where visitors can sample signature coffees and craft beers.

Edmond Wong, president of the Katong-Joo Chiat Business Association (KJCBA), said the precinct has never lacked visitors, but its real challenge has always been footfall concentration. For example, tour buses frequently drop off passengers at Koon Seng Road for quick photo opportunities.

“People gather at one or two famous junctions while a passionate shopkeeper metres down the very same road watches the evening pass by,” said Wong.

The inaugural Joo Chiat Street Social , held from 3.30pm to 9.30pm, will see up to 90 Joo Chiat businesses based in different roads and alleys set up shop temporarily along a 530-metre car-free stretch of Joo Chiat Road.

The social aims to invite visitors to step inside spaces they might otherwise walk right past, and to encourage them to return in the future and make “meaningful human connections that far outlast any fleeting photograph”, said Wong.

It will not be a one-off spectacle, said the third-generation owner of Nonya dumpling store Kim Choo Kueh Chang. “We fully intend to nurture it forward. However, we want to listen and learn before fixing a rigid schedule.”

“Our precinct is blessed with intimate side lanes, leafy five-foot ways, and back alleys that are perfectly suited for smaller, regular, and deeply personal community gatherings throughout the year,” he added.

Planning the event began in July.

“We went door to door for this one. Every business along Joo Chiat Road is different, so we’ve really built the evening shop by shop, and some of the most ambitious ideas have come from the smallest businesses,” said Hannah James, KJCBA’s head of placemaking and design director with Aspex of Design in Joo Chiat.

Examples include Ojas Yoga & Wellness, which brought together most of the neighbourhood yoga, pilates, and wellness-based merchants to hold yoga classes and demonstrations on the street.

Kaboodle, an indoor play space, is looking at creating a large-scale children’s play area on the street using its blue play blocks.

Past efforts to draw crowds to the area include its annual year end light-up and the launch of a floor mural stretching nearly 100m near 241 Joo Chiat Road in 2025.

Asked if there were any target visitor numbers, Wong said t he event’s success will not be defined by headcount targets.

“Success is about meaningful connection. Did a visitor walk the full length of the road with an open heart? Did an independent artisan who pours their life into a small shop finally meet customers who appreciate their craft? That is the true measure that matters to us.”

Lawyer William da Silva, who grew up in the area, said: “I think it’s a great idea. It will be fun to turn Joo Chiat into a walking street even if just for a few hours.”

Vincent Choon, a resident who helps his son-in-law with delivery for Ah Yee’s Soon Kueh in Joo Chiat, feels the social will “enliven the neighbourhood” with more visitors. He hopes to see less traffic congestion and more local food, as he misses the old street stalls along Dunman Road and Joo Chiat Road from the past.

Another aspect the team considered in organising the event was to ensure that those living in the area can still access it and to protect their peace, Wong said.

Joo Chiat resident Serena Shum, who is also a veterinarian at Meraki Vets in the precinct, said there are practical challenges to operating along a busy heritage shophouse stretch - in particular access and parking.

“Weekends can get particularly busy, so we remind our clients to arrive a little earlier for their appointments to give themselves enough time to get through the traffic and find parking,” she said. “But being somewhere with such a distinct identity and community makes those challenges worthwhile.”

The inaugural Joo Chiat Street Social, held from 3.30pm to 9.30pm, will see up to 90 Joo Chiat businesses based in different roads and alleys set up shop temporarily along a 530-metre car-free stretch of Joo Chiat Road. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

The inaugural Joo Chiat Street Social, held from 3.30pm to 9.30pm, will see up to 90 Joo Chiat businesses based in different roads and alleys set up shop temporarily along a 530-metre car-free stretch of Joo Chiat Road.

Growing fame and footfall

Benjamin Tan, chief executive officer of custom motorcycle shop and bar Creo Customs, said there has been a shift in visitor demographics in recent years since the area earned recognition as a growing tourism hotspot, heritage node, and one of the world’s coolest streets .

Beyond tourists taking photos of shophouses, he has seen shoppers and food lovers visiting specifically for retail and dining.

“Our street needs to span various interest groups to remain viably interesting for all to spend time here, with the only true spirit being an eclectic mix,” said Tan.

The Joo Chiat Street Social is then a ground-up effort by the merchants in the community to showcase this unique blend, he added.

Local authorities have over the years sought to help Joo Chiat attract visitors.

In February, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said it would spotlight “hidden gems” such as Joo Chiat as part of its “We don’t wait for fun” campaign across nine markets.

In 2011, the historic hub for Peranakan culture here was named Singapore’s first Heritage Town by the National Heritage Board (NHB), while in 2024 the precinct became NHB’s heritage activation node with street festivals, guided tours and talks.

British media group Time Out also named Joo Chiat among the top 15 coolest streets in the world in 2025.

Archana Amlapure, founder and chief executive officer of Ojas Yoga & Wellness, said in recent years, she has observed an influx of international visitors, expatriates, and young families alongside its long-standing neighbourhood regulars, all drawn to the area’s rich cultural heritage.

To cater to the evolving crowd, she has expanded beyond traditional practices to new programmes like sound-bowl healing sessions, posture alignment, wall rope classes, and restorative sessions for urbanites and travellers.

Danny Fleury, owner and manager of Spartans Boxing Club, has also observed an uptick in foot traffic. He said he wants to give back to the community through occasional “family day block parties” where customers can hang out at the gym for free.

While the crowds have grown significantly, global visibility can come with a real risk of superficiality, said KJCBA’s Wong. Visitors often rush to famous shophouse facades, take a few good photographs for social media, and leave within minutes.

“We want our precinct’s visitors to slow down,” he said. “Through our experiential trails and initiatives like Joo Chiat Street Social, we are giving our patrons and visitors to our precinct compelling reasons to linger, to converse, and to appreciate our cultural depth.”

Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times, covering a wide range of topics including community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage.

Car-Free Sunday/initiatives

（从左至右）Meraki Vets 的 Serena Shum 博士；加东如切商业协会场所营造负责人 Hannah James；Twenty Blinks Studio 的 Edmund Sim；斯巴达拳击俱乐部的 Danny Fleury（戴着牛仔帽）；Ojas Yoga & Wellness 的 Archana Amlapure（拿着颂钵）；Creo Customs 的 Benjamin Tan（骑着摩托车）；以及加东如切商业协会主席 Edmond Wong。

发布于2026年9月20日上午11:00

更新于2026年9月20日上午11:00

10 月 3 日，如切街社交活动将举办丰富多彩的活动，例如拳击、瑜伽、宠物检查以及沿着 530 米无车路段的咖啡馆之旅，以提高游客的参与度。

该活动旨在均匀分散人流，支持当地企业，并促进社区联系，并计划在年度道路封闭活动之外继续发展壮大。

如切作为历史文化热点地区声名鹊起，吸引了各种各样的游客，而组织者则更注重建立有意义的联系，而不是追求游客数量，以加深人们对该地区的了解。

新加坡——如切区不仅仅有色彩缤纷的店屋，这里的商家也希望游客们了解这一点。

他们中的一些人正在带头努力，挨家挨户地劝说其他商家走出店面，与顾客互动，以此来吸引更多人关注这个社区的其他商家。

这将是陆路交通管理局10月3日世界无车日活动的一部分，届时敦曼路和东海岸路之间的路段将禁止车辆通行。

在如切中心地带将设立一个拳击台，用于举办拳击锦标赛和免费试赛；此外还有不间断的健康活动，例如街头瑜伽、免费宠物检查，以及一条咖啡馆和酒吧探索路线，游客可以在那里品尝特色咖啡和精酿啤酒。

加东-如切商业协会（KJCBA）会长黄先生表示，该地区游客络绎不绝，但真正的挑战始终在于人流的集中度。例如，旅游巴士经常在坤成路（Koon Seng Road）放下乘客，让他们快速拍照留念。

黄说：“人们聚集在一两个著名的路口，而几米外同一条路上的热情店主则看着夜幕降临。”

首届如切街社交活动将于下午 3 点 30 分至晚上 9 点 30 分举行，届时将有多达 90 家位于如切不同道路和小巷的商户在如切路 530 米长的无车路段上临时摆摊设点。

黄表示，此次社交活动旨在邀请游客走进他们原本可能会直接走过的空间，并鼓励他们将来再次光临，建立“比任何转瞬即逝的照片都更有意义的人际关系”。

“这不会是一次性的活动，”娘惹饺子店金珠粿昌的第三代传人表示，“我们完全打算好好培育它。不过，在制定具体的时间表之前，我们希望先听取和学习意见。”

“我们辖区拥有幽静的小巷、绿树成荫的五英尺宽的人行道和后巷，非常适合全年举行规模较小、定期且充满个人情感的社区聚会，”他补充道。

活动筹备工作从7月份就开始了。

“我们挨家挨户地拜访了商户。如切路上的每家商户都不一样，所以我们真的是一家一家地去打造晚间活动，而一些最有创意的想法都来自最小的商户，”如切KJCBA的场所营造主管兼Aspex of Design的设计总监Hannah James说道。

例如，Ojas Yoga & Wellness 将附近大部分瑜伽、普拉提和健康相关的商家聚集在一起，在街头举办瑜伽课程和演示。

室内游乐场 Kaboodle 正在考虑利用其蓝色积木在街上打造一个大型儿童游乐区。

过去吸引人群到该地区的举措包括每年年底的亮灯仪式，以及计划于 2025 年在如切路 241 号附近推出一条近 100 米长的地面壁画。

当被问及是否有目标参观人数时，黄表示，活动的成功与否不会以人数目标来衡量。

“成功在于建立有意义的联系。一位游客是否敞开心扉地走完了整条路？一位倾注毕生心血经营小店的独立工匠是否终于遇到了欣赏他们手艺的顾客？这才是我们真正看重的衡量标准。”

在该地区长大的律师威廉·达席尔瓦表示：“我认为这是个好主意。即使只是几个小时，把如切街变成步行街也会很有趣。”

住在如切的居民Vincent Choon经常帮女婿送阿义的顺粿，他认为这项社交活动会吸引更多人来“活跃社区”。他希望交通拥堵状况能够缓解，本地美食也能更加丰富，因为他怀念过去敦曼路和如切路一带的街边摊。

黄先生表示，团队在组织这项活动时考虑的另一个方面是确保该地区的居民仍然可以参与其中，并保护他们的安宁。

居住在如切的Serena Shum同时也是该地区Meraki Vets兽医诊所的兽医，她说，在繁忙的历史店屋街区经营诊所存在一些实际的挑战，特别是交通和停车问题。

“周末尤其繁忙，所以我们会提醒客户提前到达，以便有足够的时间避开交通拥堵和寻找停车位，”她说。“但身处这样一个拥有独特个性和社区氛围的地方，让这些挑战都变得值得。”

首届如切街社交活动将于下午3点30分至晚上9点30分举行，届时将有多达90家位于如切不同街道和小巷的商户临时在如切路530米长的无车路段上摆摊设点。（海峡时报摄影：金泰）

首届如切街社交活动将于下午 3 点 30 分至晚上 9 点 30 分举行，届时将有多达 90 家位于如切不同道路和小巷的商户在如切路 530 米长的无车路段上临时摆摊设点。

知名度和客流量不断增长

定制摩托车商店兼酒吧 Creo Customs 的首席执行官 Benjamin Tan 表示，近年来，随着该地区被公认为一个不断发展的旅游热点、文化遗产中心和世界上最酷的街道之一，游客人口结构发生了变化。

除了游客拍摄店屋照片外，他还看到购物者和美食爱好者专门前来购物和用餐。

“我们的街道需要涵盖各种兴趣群体，才能保持其吸引力，让每个人都愿意在这里消磨时间，而真正的精神就在于多元化的融合，”谭说道。

他补充说，如切街社交活动是社区商户自下而上努力展示这种独特融合的成果。

多年来，地方政府一直努力帮助如切吸引游客。

今年 2 月，新加坡旅游局 (STB) 表示，将在其覆盖九个市场的“我们不等待乐趣”活动中重点推介如切等“隐藏的瑰宝”。

2011 年，这里土生华人文化的历史中心被新加坡国家文物局 (NHB) 命名为新加坡第一个历史名城；2024 年，该区域成为 NHB 的遗产激活节点，举办街头节庆、导览和讲座。

英国媒体集团 Time Out 也将如切评为 2025 年全球 15 条最酷街道之一。

Ojas Yoga & Wellness 的创始人兼首席执行官 Archana Amlapure 表示，近年来，她观察到除了长期居住于此的社区居民外，还有大量国际游客、外籍人士和年轻家庭涌入，他们都被该地区丰富的文化遗产所吸引。

为了迎合不断变化的人群，她已经超越了传统的实践，推出了新的项目，例如颂钵疗愈课程、姿势矫正、墙绳课程以及为都市人和旅行者提供的修复课程。

斯巴达拳击俱乐部的老板兼经理丹尼·弗勒里也注意到客流量有所增加。他说，他希望通过不定期举办“家庭日街区派对”来回馈社区，届时顾客可以免费在健身房聚会。

KJCBA的黄先生表示，虽然游客数量显著增长，但全球知名度的提升也可能带来肤浅的风险。游客往往匆匆赶到著名的店屋门前，拍几张好看的照片上传到社交媒体，几分钟后便离开。

他说：“我们希望来访者放慢脚步。通过我们的体验式步道和像如切街社交活动这样的项目，我们正在为来访者提供充分的理由，让他们驻足停留、交流互动，并感受我们深厚的文化底蕴。”

陈素芳是《海峡时报》的资深记者，报道范围广泛，包括社区、政治、社会问题、消费、文化和遗产等话题。

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