Shophouses along Haji Lane

It was nice to take a slow walk along Haji Lane and browse through all those shops, you could find some hidden treasures worth buying.

My last visit was few years ago, it was not so pretty then. You can view my old post.

Surprised by the huge transformation from back then to now.

The window display is really attractive.

Spotted an old post box which was used a long time ago in the streets of Singapore.

Some shops were on the second level, do pay this street a visit if you are in the vicinity.

Chinatown

It is nice to take a slow walk in Chinatown especially walking towards Outram MRT Station. I seldom walk along this stretch of chinatown. Spotted Poon Yue Association, this is the association where my late in laws were members of.

The Poon Yue Association, which the Chinese philanthropist Hoo Ah Kay, more popularly known as Whampoa helped to form in 1879. The association started a school and provided accomodation for people from Poon Yue district of Guangdong.

Kwong Chow Wui Koon, one of the many Cantonese clan associations set up in the early 1920s. it was well-known for its music and opera show.

Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple is located in center of China Town at the junction of Keong Saik Road and Kreta Ayer Road. This temple that was built in 1925, has a very long history. You can read more about the history of the temple from its official website.

So many pigeons in the corner park near the temple, spotted a lone white pigeon among them.

Did not know there's so many restaurants in these rows of shophouses. Will try to visit another time and walk further in this stretch of the roads.

Outram MRT Station (NEL Line)

Walk along Balestier Road - Traditional Shops that still surviving

As I continued my walk along Balestier Road, at the junction of Balestier Road and Whampoa is this very old traditional bakery shop. I used to stay near Whampoa during my childhood so I can relate to this old bakery shop. Mom used to buy freshly baked bread from this bakery.

They are still around and still using the traditional oven to bake these bread. When I was there around 1 pm, there were people queueing to buy the bread that just come out of the oven. Of course I bought some too. :)

Sing Hon Loong Bakery (4 Whampoa Drive)

I asked permission from the owner to take photos of the freshly baked bread.

Bread cutting machine

Lam Yeo Coffee Powder, 328 Balestier Road

Another old shop still around is the shop selling coffee powder along Balestier Road. As it was a Sunday, it was closed. I only could take photo of the coffee powder from a small gap from the main gate, lucky they did not pull the shutters down lol. I can still remember the smell from the coffee powder that mom used to come and buy from this shop.

The above two shops has a history of more than 50 years as old as me hahaha.

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A walk along Balestier Road - Sim Kwong Ho Shophouse

Madam Sim Cheng Neo a female developer owned many properties in Balestier Area. One of these is the shophouse called Sim Kwong Ho Shophouse at 418 Balestier Road just at the junction of Balestier Road and Jalan Kemaman.

The shophouse has been restored, modernized and converted into a budget hotel.



It is interesting to observe the designs on the shophouses. There were animals, birds, dragons, etc. There's some that come in the design of a dragon with bat's wings.



Instead of the usual Chinese warriors that are depicted on doors of Chinese homes as symbolic guardians, the shophouse has Sikhs as its door guards as they were often employed as policemen in the colonial past.

You can read more about the shophouse from heritage trails website.

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Little India - Shophouses

After having my lunch at Tekka Centre, I walked from Little India MRT Station to the next MRT Station i.e. Farrer Park MRT Station. Although the weather is very hot, I get plenty of shades from walking along the shophouses.

You will find all kinds of interesting stuff sold in these shophouses.



These shophouses are dated very long ago and have very interesting stories behind them. As a child, I used to follow my mom to Little India to buy spices to cook curry. During those times, we dont have any kind of blender or grinder, so we would get the shop owner in Little India to grind some curry spices for us. They have very large machines to grind spices for traders and housewives.

My World Tuesday - Yishun

Been a long time since I visited Yishun, a heartland located north of Singapore. I used to visit Yishun almost every weekend when my kids were younger, cause at that time Yishun was a very vibrant heartland. Now twenty years later, the town is so much quieter and even the shophouses near the bus interchange are very empty.

The building where the shophouses are located is a two storey building. At that time, it seems to cater to the needs of the residents and shoppers but twenty years later, the building have to give way to better and taller buildings due to the space constraints of our tiny island.

The whole place looked like a ghost town with people still moving things out.

But nearby the famous chicken rice stall at another four storey building is not affected at the moment. I am surprised the chicken rice stall is still there after twenty years. You have to queue to order your food. This is a coffee shop/eating house. Owner of the coffee shop sells drinks/coffee/tea while renting out other stalls in the coffeeshop to different stall holders.

It is not cheap to rent these stalls some can cost S$3000 to S$6000 per month depending on the location of the shop.

Other stalls selling just as yumy and delicious food.

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