Sago Lane and Sago Street got their names from the many sago factories in the area in the mid-1800s. Both streets lie parallel to each other and sometimes people mistake one for the other.
Sago Street, in the early days was where the brothels were located. Sago Lane was more famous (or infamous) for another reason - its death houses. The Lane's famous Chinese death houses or funeral homes came into existence in the late 19th century.
In years gone by, Chinese immigrants lived in crammed quarters in the Chinatown area. The terminally ill would literally, go to a death house to die, to await their death.
Death houses were so prominent on Sago Lane that people called it sei yan gai - "Dead People Street", or 'Street of the Dead' in Cantonese.
It sounds inhuman, or cruel now, but back in those days, a death house was a needed service for the early Chinese immigrants – many of whom arrived in Singapore with no kith or kin. They were uneducated and superstitious. They believe that dying in a house will bring bad luck to its inhabitants. As such, many chose to pay a small fee to stay in these death houses, when they felt that their time was near. I won't be surprised if some of them were forcefully evicted by the healthy occupants.
Population density in Singapore was also increasing rapidly, causing the number of patrons to increase at an exponential rate. The old Singapore under the British ruling offered no proper premise for the dying as well. Thus, Death houses became the next best option for many.
In the 1950s, business for these death houses reached its peak. This was because the early Chinese immigrants that moved into Singapore had all aged.
In the death houses, there was little to no furniture except for the hard beds occupied by the dying. Houses were unhygienic, with poor ventilation, lighting and sanitation. There was little privacy and little professional care for the dying, causing disease to be rampant in the house. It was dire straits for these immigrants who travelled in seek of a better life here.
The poor conditions of these houses of Sago lane attracted international attention. In 1961, the newly elected government quickly stepped in to place a ban on these houses. The death houses began to close down and number of houses dwindled. Existing death houses converted to funeral parlours instead.
Part of the Sago Lane was demolished in the late 1960s to give way to new development in the area. Most of the shop houses were gone now and not much of the Lane is left.
Sago Street now serves mainly as a tourist attraction that houses food outlets, bars, retail shops and offices, with the streets lined with pushcarts range of souvenirs and street snacks.
The street also boast of some of 'heritage brands' shops since 1938. They specialize in products like cakes, pastries and stuff for the Chinese festive seasons and festivals.
It is good to have these signs telling a bit of the history of the place. Useful to both tourists and the locals as well. I have printed out what's on the sign for easy reading. Scroll down to read it.
Death houses once line both sides of Sago Lane. A death house was literally where the poor came to die. Most of Singapore's poor Chinese immigrants lived in overcrowded quarters, where there was hardly enough space for the living, let alone the dying. This, coupled with the superstition that dying in one's home brought bad luck to the remaining residents, led to the establishment of death houses. Medical care and facilities at the death house were minimal, for those who entered did not expect to recover. Rooms and dormitories offered the dying a place to rest, while the attached funeral parlours ensured a proper burial.
The dead person would be laid out in a Chinese coffin surrounded by colourful paper effigies of worldly goods, such as money, cars, and houses. The effigies would then be burnt with some personal items belonging to the deceased. This ritual symbolised the assurance that wealth and comfort await him in the spirit world.
As dismal as they were, death houses were a vital part of the Chinatown community. They were outlawed in 1961 and shops selling funeral paraphernalia sprang up in their place.
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