The story of Ah Hua Kelong, one of Singapore’s last few standing kelongs

Singapore has long perfected the art of reinvention. Yet, its maritime heritage has become so invisible that most locals would struggle to locate the country on a map, let alone recognise its seafaring gastronomy on a menu. Where once dozens of kelongs—wooden platforms built on stilts over shallow coastal waters and used primarily for fishing or fish farming—dotted the island’s shores, only three remain today. One such outpost is Ah Hua Kelong, where we meet Wong Jing Kai, a digital marketing graduate turned accidental custodian of one of Singapore’s last kelongs. Standing on the weathered planks of his platform along the Straits of Johor, Wong surveys his domain with the weary contentment of a man who has spent more than a decade trying to convince his fellow citizens that fresh, local seafood is worth eating. #AhHuaKelong #WongJingKai #Tatler #TatlerDiningSG #TatlerSingapore