Sago Lane

Part of the street was demolished in the late 1960s due to the construction of the new HDB development at Kreta Ayer, also known as Chinatown Complex.

Ho Man Nin is the chop of a well known singing hall in neighbouring Sago Street.

The sago was then taken from the powdery pith of the trunk of the rumbia palm and processed into flour that was used to make desserts, textile starch and hospital food.

In the 1920s, the lane was used as a jinriksha station in Chinatown where Japanese and Chinese brothels moved into Sago street.

The lane's famous Chinese death houses or funeral homes came into existence in the late 19th century.

As people were superstitious and believed that it was inauspicious to die in their own home, many chose to pay a small fee to stay in these death houses.

In the death houses, bodies were laid on wooden planks supported by some stools with candles and joss sticks scattered on the floor.

[11] The rich, on the other hand, mostly died in their own homes, as they were able to pay the extra cost of exorcising the house and cleansing the people from ‘evil spirits’.

[12] The crowded shop houses were unhygienic, with poor ventilation, lighting and sanitation, has limited cooking facilities, and little privacy.

The death houses never closed their doors, workers took shifts by day and night and kept the business running 24/7.