A small cart stands on the corner of Boon Teck Road, dispensing free water and tea for any thirsty passer-by. This service is a legacy of earlier times when clean drinking water was a luxury.
It was an act of charity to provide clean water for the poorer folks, such as drivers of horse carriages, rickshaw men and others who were working in the area.
This service continues to be provided by the temple along Boon Teck Road called Thong Teck Sian Tong Lian Sia. This temple was originally sited at Kim Keat Road in the 1940s and was later relocated to this current spot in the 1970s. There would always be two containers at every water kiosk, one would be filled with water and the other would be a tea called ‘Su Teh’ in the Teochew dialect.
There used to be two other water kiosks in the past providing free tea and water for the public. These were along River Valley Road, outside what is Liang Court today, and near the old Hoover Theatre where Shaw Plaza now stands. The ones further away from the temple were always filled up by the temple caretakers using their trishaws every morning.