Preparations for a festival

I visited Chinatown yesterday.  The streets were crowded and there were many open air markets as well as regular stores.

Chinese immigrants were one of the first major groups to enter Singapore.  They came from all parts of China via Hong Kong.  Like so many poor people, they left home in search of a better life.  Because they came from many sections of China, they tended to turn to people with the same customs in Singapore.  Over time they set up secret societies that operated a lot like gangs identified by numbers tattooed on their arms.  As conditions improved for the Chinese immigrants, the gangs continued into the 20^th century.  When Singapore became a nation in 65, they were still active.  The new head of government passed a law that allowed him to pick them up and hold them without charges or a trial.  The gangs have disappeared from Singapore society.

The cultural center provides a glimpse of Chinese life in Singapore.  The Cultural center building was the business and house of a tailor.  There are 3 stories to the house.  The tailor lived on the first floor.  The shop was in the front and the family lived in the rear.  In the upper floors, whole families would live in one small room.  One family with 10 children lived in a smaller room than my small bedroom in the states.   The house was packed with people.  When I was walking down the steps, I could see the worn tread of many generations of people.  I am attaching a couple of pictures of the house to show you.Chinese immigrants were one of the first major groups to enter Singapore.  

Room for a Carpenter's family.  Sling in the foreground is for the baby.

Kitchen for a number of room renters

Sink for the same kitchen

Bathroom and washroom for the taylor's family.  It is at the bottom of an air vent for the whole building.  It must have smelled wonderful throughout the building.