This is a pleasant evening walk through the entire neighbourhood between Keong Saik Road and Smith Street in Chinatown. It also looks at the marginalised folks in the coolie and vice profession.

From the honest, professional businessmen to the unfortunate coolie, the rickshaw pullers and sex workers – we’ll go through their triumphs, spoils and thrills.

Brothel Number 8 and Brothel Number 6, 6A and 6B have decided to call it a day at Keong Saik Road. These were the last few brothels to vacate this business at Keong Saik Road.

Just a stone’s throw away, the Jinriksha Station is still here, though the rickshaw pullers are long gone. We’ll go through the sad story of the unfortunate pauper, Low Nong Nong (a rickshaw puller who has been interred at the Bukit Brown Cemetery since 1938).

Lonely Planet says Keong Saik Road is one of the top ten places you must visit before you leave. You think so?

Smith Street sits smack in the middle of Chinatown, and it also carries a checkered history that we don’t talk about anymore. On our tour, we’ll go through the list of beautiful things Smith Street has done in the past.

Today, Smith Street is undergoing a transition to cater to the new tourism industry – especially during these pandemic years. Chinatown Complex (on Smith Street) isn’t exactly a beautiful building. The food court (if you can call it a food court) isn’t ideal either.

It was built in a hurry, and the air inside sometimes is so stuffy that one could barely breathe. But even so, this isn’t exactly a drawback. Locals and tourists throng this adventurous “dungeon” for her endless list of delicious and exotic cuisines.

No one really remembers how Madam Loh Lai Soh died at this very spot (number 65, Smith Street) when a man plunged a knife into her chest. We’ll try and unravel this mysterious murder case along the way. 

Meet me at the coffee shop at the junction of Neil Road and Keong Saik Road. The address at this coffee shop is 120, Neil Road, Singapore 088855. We meet at 6pm, and we should be done by 7.30pm, maybe 8pm.

For reservations, contact:

UNCLE CHRIS WALKING TOURS
Chris WK Ng
T: 65 91814298
E: [email protected]

Note:
• We do the worldwide practice of tipping at the end of the tour.
• We also reserve the right to accept or reject habitual late cancellations and No Shows.