Sungei Road is popular in Singapore for its flea market.
We called that place as `the Bridge of Ice-making' in Teochew.
There was a ice-making plant at the junction of Sungei Road
and Pitt Road in the 1930s. It was the first ice-making plant
in Singapore and was popular as a pioneer establishment that
brought refrigeration to Singapore. It was renamed the New Singapore
Ice Works in 1958. Later the factory was bought by Cold Storage.
However, in 1984, the Housing Development Board (HDB) took over
the location.
I went to Sungei Road often about forty years ago. There were shops
selling electronic components. We went there to buy whatever we
needed for making our radio-recevier.
Later, the ice-making plant was gone. The flea market was gone.
The urban planners might think that we put up the new constructions
to replace the old and decayed would bring the bright future.
But people like us, always thinking of the good old days, just
lost in their brilliant designs. There were tourists like us could
not find their favourites and they did not return anymore.
I was not aware of the returning of Sungei Road flea market.
The market is now operate around the lanes of Larut Road, Pitt
Street and Pasar Lane. Once a while, I would visit the flea
market on Saturday and enjoyed the afternoon there. There were
locals of all races and tourists visiting the market. Many of us
were looking of the treasures which other threw away as garbages.
Rochor Canal |
The Flea Market |
Sungei Road |
The Treasures |
Treasure hunting |
Sight seeing |