Prominent landmarks shown in this picture of Orchard Road include: the outdoor foyer of the Ming Dynasty Hotel (first from right, opened in 1970); the pioneering Singapura Forum Hotel (second from right, built in 1963); the Singapore Hilton luxury hotel (third from right, completed in 1969); the Far East Shopping Centre office-cum-shopping complex (fourth from right, erected in 1974); the Liat Towers, named after former Cycle and Carriage Chairman Chua Cheng Liat (fifth from right, built in 1965 with the tower block added in 1975); and the Mandarin Hotel with its distinctive saucer-shaped tower (left background, opened in 1971).Orchard Road, located in the central region of Singapore, began as a small country lane in the 1830s surrounded by nutmeg plantations, with spice gardens, pepper farms and fruit tree orchards later sprouting up in the area. Its name was thought to have been derived either from the orchards that once flanked either sides of the lane, or from a Mr. Orchid, who was a plantation owner in the area. By 1860, there were only a few nutmeg plantations left in the area following the worldwide drop in nutmeg prices. The areas surrounding Orchard Road were subsequently developed for residential purposes, with private houses and bungalows common along nearby Scotts and Tanglin Roads. One of the first major retailers to setup shop in the area was the Singapore Cold Storage, which opened a grocery shop along the street in 1905. However, major development of the area only began in the 1960s and by the 1970s, Orchard Road had been transformed into the tourist and shopping belt it is today.
