Naked boys jumping into the river

Yes, even till the late 1960s, the river was still the commercial hub of the entrepot trade. The tongkangs lined both sides of the river like cars parking side by side. There were shophouses with families living on the upper floors. There were many wayward children with too much time in their hands and jumping off the tongkangs or river banks into the blackish water was fun. No joke, but they normally did it during high tide when the cleaner water were flowing in from the sea. And they were naked children, gutsy and without fear. It was their leap of faith, showing their manhood. The bronze boys were just outside the Fullerton Hotel.

On the right photo is an old towkay(Chinese businessman), his European counterpart, a bullock cart and a mobile Malay satay stall with its owner standing by. And the European visitors were listening to their tales of the past. This is located just outside the Maybank.