The area is now largely filled in, and the river Bras Basah (now the Stamford Canal) is mostly covered up.

These included Lau kha-ku-keng khau (老脚拘間口, "Old Gaol Mouth") in Hokkien and Kau ka-ku hau (舊架古口) in Cantonese, a reference to an old gaol that was once located between Stamford Road and Bras Basah Road.

Another location used was Tek kok seng nong (德國神農) or "the German pharmacy", referring to a German-own pharmacy named after the mythical ruler Shennong that once stood at a corner of the street.

[8] Other names included Hai ki ang-neo toa-oh pi (海墘紅毛大學邊) or "beside the seaside English big school", referring to the Raffles Institution once sited here.

[7] In Mandarin, this is pronounced as Hai gan hong mao da xue bian, or simply as Da shu guan bian (大书馆边), meaning "beside the big school" (RI).