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Tag: Singapore Chinatown

Memories of Sago Lane: Part 2 – The Friendship Inn

Memories of Sago Lane: Part 2 – The Friendship Inn

In the distant fog of time, Sago Lane is stripped off its roadside garbage, foul smelling drains, grimy potholes, and walkways littered with puddle of mashed cigarette butts. I was reminded of this after watching some short archival films and photographs of the street in the sixties. Litter was everywhere. I saw a film clip of rainwater draining all kinds of muck and dross on the road while a woman kneeled on the road in prayer. It really jerked my…

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Memories of Sago Lane: Part 1: The Sounds of Childhood

Memories of Sago Lane: Part 1: The Sounds of Childhood

In the heart of Chinatown today stand the less exciting remains of Sago Lane, “the Street of Dead People,” or “sei yan kai” in Cantonese. Originally a 250-metre-long street stretching from South Bridge Road to Keong Siak Road, it was cut into two in a massive do-over in the 1970s. Unfortunately, only the duller part of the street, the one leading to South Bridge Road, survived. The life and soul of Sago Lane, near to Keong Saik Road, was completely…

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