This postcard shows the Central Business District (CBD) skyline with its towering skyscrapers. The CBD area on the south bank of the Singapore River underwent major redevelopment in the late 1960s and 1970s as part of the government’s urban renewal scheme for the old city centre. The most prominent building erected as part of the renewal project was the 52-storey Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) Centre (centre), which easily eclipsed the 30-storey United Overseas Bank (UOB) Building as the tallest structure in the area when it was completed in 1976. Amidst the changing city skyline stood old colonial structures such as the Elgin Bridge (foreground), the original structure being erected in 1863 and named after Lord Elgin, Governor General of India (1862-1863), before a new bridge with the same name replaced it in 1929.Docked along the river bank are the ‘twakow’ (left centre) lighter vessels, which first appeared on the waters of the Singapore River in the second half of the 19th century. By 1900, it had displaced the ‘tongkang’ (light wooden boat) and Indian lightermen as the vessel of choice for transporting cargoes to and from ships anchored in the harbour. Influenced by traditional Chinese nautical designs, the squat-looking craft had a wide hull with an almost flat bottom designed for carrying heavy loads in shallow waters. In the 1980s, most of these vessels were barred from the Singapore River as part of the Clean Rivers Campaign. However, some twakow continue to remain in operation today ferrying tourists up and down the river.
