Whampoa is a housing estate located in the subzone of
Balestier, which is a part of the district of
Novena in
Singapore. The area was named after
Hoo Ah Kay, who was better known as "Whampoa" (due to his origin from
China) during the early years of Singapore as a British settlement. His many contributions to the
Straits Settlements, and that he could speak both
Chinese and
English well, thus made him an important bridge between the two communities. The respect for his contributions thus resulted in this area being named after him.