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Malay Mail
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Bon Odori: Festival meant to honour ancestors now beloved cultural showcase in Penang
GEORGE TOWN, July 18 — Every year, around the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, Obon was held in Japan to honour the spirits of their ancestors. Obon is a Japanese memorial service held to honour the souls of departed ancestors who were believed to have returned home during that period. Interestingly, this overlapped with the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival's main day to pray to the deceased with the same belief that spirits of their ancestors returned home during that period. The earliest record of Obon being practiced to welcome ancestors' souls with prayers and visiting them was dated 606 by the Empress Suiko (r. 593–628). Over the years, other influences were introduced such as the chanting of nenbutsu prayers and furyū, a lively folk dance, that formed the basis for the Bon Odori festivals that is being held today. Performances during Bon Odori 2024 in Penang. — Picture via Facebook/ Penang Global Tourism The folk dances performed during Bon Odori were passed down from long ago to coordinate with the lyrics that were initially to receive spirits and send them off again. Now, in modern times, the festival has become a cultural celebration to liven up summers in Japan while the religious aspect was mostly lost. Since most of the choreography of the dances were based around yukata, a light cotton kimono Japanese wear during summer, most participants and attendees will be dressed in their best yukata. Though the dances were the main feature of the festival, other activities are also held such as games stalls and an array of food stalls. Bon Odori in Penang While Bon Odori festivals are held over two to four nights or even up to six weeks in different cities in Japan, the festival is held for one night in Penang. Bon Odori was first introduced in Penang back in the early 1990s when it was organised by the Japanese community living in Penang and by Japanese companies in the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone. The festival started small, only held within the Penang Japanese School grounds or in company premises for Japanese expatriates living here to stay connected to their cultural traditions. According to tourism committee chairman Wong Hon Wai, as interest in Japanese culture grew, Bon Odori was then held at Padang Kota Lama in the early 2000s. 'Bon Odori evolved into a state-supported event, co-organised by the Consulate-General of Japan, the Penang state government, Penang Global Tourism, and the Penang Japanese Association,' he said. Today, the Bon Odori festival has become one of Penang's main cultural highlights that attracted visitors from other states and tourists alike. Bon Odori 2025 This year, Penang Bon Odori will be held on July 19 at Padang Kota Lama from 5pm onwards. Seen in this picture is a snapshot of Bon Odori 2024 in Penang. The celebration has now become a regular feature in Penang. — Picture via Facebook/ Penang Global Tourism Wong said the theme this year — 'Akari Bon Odori' (festival of lights)— reflects the state's hope to illuminate the night sky as well as shine a light on the spirit of community, friendship and togetherness. As with each annual Bon Odori festival, there will be traditional Bon Odori dances on the main stage where everyone is encouraged to participate as they converge on the field. 'There will also be taiko drum performances and martial arts demonstrations,' he said. There will be booths on another section of the field with cultural workshops such as calligraphy, origami and dressing up in yukatas. Festival games, cultural exhibitions and performances will be held by university troupes from Japan while Japanese street food will be available at the food stalls along with Penang's own street food. Wong said the night of festivities will culminate in a fireworks display at the end of the evening. Crowds at the cultural booths during Bon Odori 2024. — Picture by Opalyn Mok.
Business Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Q3 wave of condo launches will test demand for Singapore prime projects above S$3,000 psf benchmark
[SINGAPORE] A wave of new condominium launches in the coming weeks will pose a litmus test of buyer appetite for prime properties, with prices pushing past S$3,000 per square foot (psf) for several projects. Some 10 new projects offering about 4,750 homes are expected to be marketed in July and August, before the start of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Beginning in the last week of August, the month-long event is a seasonally slow period for the property market. Four of these projects are in the prime Core Central Region (CCR): W Residences Marina View, The Robertson Opus, Upperhouse at Orchard Boulevard, and River Green. Another two – Amber House in the east and Promenade Peak at Zion Road – have Rest of Central Region (RCR) addresses, but will likely be priced close to CCR benchmarks due to their location. In September, two more centrally located condos could be launched: Skye at Holland at Holland Drive, and Zyon Grand at Zion Road. Within the CCR, some 1,857 homes will be marketed – the largest number of new units there since 2021, said Mark Yip, chief executive officer of Huttons Asia. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Tuesday, 12 pm Property Insights Get an exclusive analysis of real estate and property news in Singapore and beyond. Sign Up Sign Up PropNex chief executive officer Ismail Gafoor noted that for the whole of 2023, only two new prime condos totalling 258 units were launched; in 2024, three projects offered 571 units. There was just one CCR condo (the 367-unit The Collective at One Sophia) launched in the fourth quarter of 2024, and two smaller projects (the 188-unit Aurea and the 18-unit 21 Anderson) in the first half of 2025. Property players will be watching the upcoming launches closely, to determine strategies for a market where high-end condo sales have been squashed by cooling measures and overall sentiment is soft. Developers' sales of new projects fell sharply in Q2 2025 after a surge in buying in the two quarters before. Across all regions, total new sales were down 66 per cent at 1,124 units in Q2. The batch of CCR projects this quarter will bring not just a step-up in supply, but also higher price points than the mass-market condos that sold well in the past. Alan Cheong, executive director of research and consultancy at Savills Singapore, said: 'We don't expect demand to flood in, like what we saw for a few projects in the RCR and Outside Central Region (OCR) in 2024 and early 2025. Once developers have established S$3,000 psf as the benchmark, subsequent new launches in the CCR will build on that baseline.' While the boost in supply at the top of the market is raising some concerns, 'over time, if the pricing remains flexible, you will see take-up come in at a steady rate', he added. Palatable prices for local buyers IOI Properties' W Residences Marina View, a 683-unit branded residences project being built on top of a new W hotel, begins booking sales this Saturday (Jul 12), with prices starting above S$2.1 million for the smallest one-bedroom units. On a psf basis, prices are estimated to range from S$3,800 to S$6,000 psf. In the River Valley area, the first out of the gate is the 999-year leasehold The Robertson Opus, followed by three 99-year leasehold condos bunched around the River Valley Green and Zion Road locale. Prices for The Robertson Opus, a Frasers Property-Sekisui House project, start from S$3,150 psf. Wing Tai will begin previews for its 524-unit River Green on Jul 17. UOL and Singapore Land have also started marketing Upperhouse at Orchard Boulevard, with agents advertising indicative prices from just under S$3,000 psf to about S$3,500 psf. The last 99-year leasehold project launched in the Orchard area was Cuscaden Reserve, released in 2019 at prices ranging from S$3,300 to S$3,500 psf. The boost in new CCR supply, most of it coming out of government land sale sites, is likely to cap prices at levels palatable to local buyers. PropNex's Gafoor anticipates that 'developers will likely price units sensitively to try to get sales going during the initial stages of the project launch'. The current market is price-sensitive, especially with the broad line-up of launches available, added Justin Quek, Realion's deputy group chief executive officer. Demand in the CCR has been tepid since the government hiked additional buyer's stamp duty (ABSD) rates in April 2023. Foreign buyers, who typically account for a larger share of sales in the CCR compared with the city fringe and suburban areas, stayed away after ABSD for such purchasers was doubled to 60 per cent. Based on caveats data from Realis, foreigners now account for 6.9 per cent of new non-landed private home sales in Q1, and 7.1 per cent in Q2. These figures are among the lowest on a quarterly basis since 2021, said Gafoor. That said, Huttons' Yip noted there were buyers who picked up properties priced above S$4,000 psf in 21 Anderson and Park Nova in Q2 this year. Moreover, in June, a 3,326-square-foot (sq ft) unit at Sculptura Ardmore changed hands at S$20 million or S$6,013 psf, and a new 5,285 sq ft unit at Skywaters Residences was sold for S$30.9 million or S$5,841 psf. 'Window of opportunity' Yip said that as the price gap between properties in the CCR and RCR shrinks to one of the narrowest on record, buyers may view this as a 'window of opportunity' to enter the CCR market. Statistics from ERA research showed that with prices in other regions rising at a faster clip than those in prime areas, the median price difference in H1 2025 between the CCR and RCR has been whittled down to just S$59 psf; between the CCR and OCR, the gap is S$479 psf. Yip believes that with prices benchmarked around S$3,000 psf, new 99-year leasehold CCR condos could be 'very attractive' to buyers. In comparison, the average price of a new freehold or 999-year leasehold project in the CCR has risen 23.4 per cent to S$3,437 psf since 2020, he said. ERA's key executive officer, Eugene Lim, added that in the new Zion Road and River Valley cluster, prices are likely to be relatively competitive, even if neighbouring sites fall under different regions. These projects may also garner more interest from home upgraders, said Gafoor. They are not far from the Bukit Merah public housing estate, where resale values are high and numerous 'million-dollar' flat sales have been transacted. Savills' Cheong added that the government's latest seller's stamp duty (SSD) revisions are unlikely to affect those buying a unit for their own use or rental. 'It should also not affect prices of new launches, as developers (have already sewn up) their marketing strategies and pricing,' he said. 'Nevertheless, it may take the wind out of the sails of those who had crafted the narrative that buyers can flip (their properties) before they even need to draw down on their housing loans, or (need to rent them out), which they may now have to do with the extended SSD period.' Supply boost The increase in CCR supply in Q3 comes amid a significant boost in private housing supply. At least 10 projects are slated for launch, offering close to 5,000 new homes. In comparison, 3,251 units were marketed across six projects in Q1, and 1,526 units were pushed out through five projects in Q2. This upcoming wave of launches is larger than the bumper crop marketed in the last quarter of 2024. In November alone, six projects yielding a total of 3,551 units were launched – among them were Chuan Park, Nava Grove, Emerald of Katong, Novo Place Executive Condominium, and The Collective at One Sophia. The projects rolled out then were in popular residential estates that for some time had not had new launches, and some were attractively priced. Interest rates were also easing, and the economic outlook was brightening. 'You could say that the stars aligned in Q4 2024,' said Tricia Song, head of research for South-east Asia at CBRE. Developers sold about 4,000 new homes that quarter, and rang up another 4,240 units in new sales in the following three months as buying momentum continued – another large batch of new homes was released in Q1 2025. Three major projects – Lentor Central Residences, The Orie in Toa Payoh, and Parktown Residence in Tampines – all notched take-up rates of about 90 per cent over their launch weekends. But sentiment has since turned cautious, with growing tariff stress and geopolitical tensions, as well as fresh downside risks to the economy, said Gafoor of PropNex.
Straits Times
04-07-2025
- General
- Straits Times
From temples to towers: Old memories collide with new money in Geylang
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The colourful streets of Geylang have changed dramatically, with temples and kampungs making way for condominium developments and co-living spaces. SINGAPORE – Madam Ang Ah Lang's former home in Lorong 32 Geylang was hard to miss. One of the last remaining detached stilt houses in Geylang, it stood out among the mid-rise apartment buildings and terraced houses that line the street. A jackfruit tree had stood in the expansive front garden ever since Madam Ang's father-in-law purchased the house for $18,000 in 1968. A small pink pagoda in the front garden was the only sign of the house's past as a temple. Down the front garden, a metal banner featuring intricate inscriptions of Taoist deities and the names of the temple's benefactors stood beneath the shade of the verandah. The 2m-tall banner shielded the main hall of the house from public view. The temple, which occupied the main hall of the house, housed a large statue of the thousand-armed form of Guan Yin, the Buddhist goddess of mercy and compassion, flanked by two deities. A large table in the middle of the room held incense burners and candles. 'In the past, there were devotees who came here to pray every day. We would prepare for ceremonies during Chinese New Year, Hungry Ghost Festival, Qing Ming and Dragon Boat Festival. People would come, and the courtyard became a very lively place,' said Madam Ang, an 82-year-old homemaker, who spoke in Mandarin. Madam Ang Ah Lang at her former home in Lorong 32 Geylang with her granddaughter Low Li-Shann. A temple occupied the main hall of the house. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG But the streams of worshippers and elaborate ceremonies became a thing of the past following the death of Madam Ang's husband in 2021, although the temple would receive family friends on occasion. Last November, the sound of religious chanting emanated from the courtyard once again. But it would be the final time. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Her son Soh Kim Boon, 52, said 'it was time to move on from the house', as the circa 1930s bungalow was starting to deteriorate. The property, sold for $12 million to Primest Land, will be redeveloped into a 20-unit residential apartment building. Madam Ang teared up as family members gathered in the house. 'I didn't expect this to come so soon – that this is the last time we will all be gathered here.' As the family knelt down in front of the statues of deities and prayed, a priest conducting the ceremony tossed wooden cups known as sheng bei and asked the deities for permission to send them off several times. The priest then removed the clothes and gold jewellery on the deities. The clothes were burned in the pagoda, and the jewellery – a curious assortment that appeared over time, likely placed by grateful devotees when their prayers were answered – was collected, to be burned at a later time. The deities were then turned to face away from the main door. The priest rubbed ashes on each of the deities' eyes before the statues were carried out of the main hall, closing a chapter in the house's century-long history. Geylang's streets are changing fast – temples and kampungs replaced by chic cafes and co-living spaces. But for long-time residents, the cost of gentrification is more than just dollars and cents. Mr Gebian Lye, who lives down the street from Madam Ang in a two-storey home office, views the sale of her house as part of a wave of change that has swept Geylang. 'This entire stretch comprised terraced houses 20 years ago. Now, I can count eight condominiums that have been built around me,' Mr Lye said. 'I've been approached by many developers before as well, but didn't want to sell when some of my neighbours did, which is why part of my wall is now shared with the condominium next door.' He added: 'The apartments opposite used to be a small little bungalow before somebody bought it back in the 90s to build a four-storey house. Then, three years ago, they demolished and sold it, and the other developer built it up to seven storeys.' Today, most of Lorong 32 is taken up by condominium complexes, with the rare terraced house breaking up the uniform rows of balcony windows on both sides of the street. Madam Ang Ah Lang's former home in Lorong 32 Geylang, sold for $12 million to Primest Land, will be redeveloped into a residential apartment building. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG From coconut plantations to conservation shophouses Lorong 32 is one of the lanes that extend from Geylang Road, the main trunk road that connects eastern neighbourhoods of Singapore such as Joo Chiat and Paya Lebar to the city fringe. Numbered from 1 to 44, even-numbered and odd-numbered lorongs (Malay for lanes) occupy the left and right sides of Geylang Road respectively. Geylang was gazetted for conservation in 1991, with selected shophouses along the main roads of Geylang Road, Guillemard Road and Sims Avenue, as well as in the lorongs, earmarked for conservation. Many of the shophouses were built between the 1910s and 1950s, reflecting a wide range of architectural styles from the 'Early' style of the late 19th century to the Art Deco movement of the 1930s. Peeking out from behind the conservation shophouses that line Geylang Road are newer apartment blocks and commercial buildings, up to eight storeys high. Less visible are the handful of two-storey shophouses and terraced houses scattered between the condominiums which serve as rare windows into Geylang's history. Geylang was a lemongrass plantation in the 19th century, before shifting to the more lucrative cultivation of coconut at the turn of the 20th century. As the neighbourhood grew, business owners started to move into shophouses, many of them manufacturing goods. The exact origin of 'Geylang' is unclear. It may derive from the Malay word kilang, for mill or factory, or gelang, an edible local plant. Mr Curve Khong is the founder of project management firm Ideasscout Projects, which operates out of an office in Geylang. The 50-year-old said his parents moved into Lorong 17 Geylang after starting a business stamping leather heels on shoes in 1973, mainly serving two shoemakers across the street. He says: 'The entire area was mostly micro businesses. Next to my parents' store was a printer shop, a shop that painted movie posters, a bicycle shop and a shop selling pirated cassettes. Then farther down the road there were a tyre shop and lots of stockists for water pipes and metal bars.' Mr Lai Tuck-Chong, a 60-year-old director of an advertising agency, grew up in the second-floor unit of a shophouse in Sims Avenue, between Lorong 17 and 19. A bustling metal workshop occupied the ground floor. He recalls: 'The folks there beat and welded grilles of all kinds, and looking back I was quite privileged, as kids don't usually get to see how things are made.' Many of the families there were in the lubricant and car parts business, and lived above their own shop or factory, he adds. The growth of Geylang's manufacturing industries was accompanied by an influx of Chinese and Malay settlers, who established villages in the area. Mr Dennis Tan, the third-generation owner of a corner shophouse in Lorong 34, remembers how Geylang was home to a high concentration of kampungs when he was growing up in the 1970s. The 53-year-old manager of the property says: 'The area around the MRT stations and Sims Avenue used to be kampungs, but then they were later demolished for development. They weren't like the organised buildings you see now. You would go into a stretch of road and find some shophouses, then deeper inside you'd find some attap houses (thatched-roof houses) scattered around.' While the kampungs fostered tight-knit communities, there was a clear divide along ethnic lines. Mr Tan says: 'My father would not allow me and my siblings to go up to Sims Avenue, as that was where the Malay villages were. In 1964, there were riots between Malay and Chinese communities in large parts of Geylang, so that affected the mood of the area a lot. 'Today, most of the kampungs are gone. With the increase in new private apartments, there are a lot of young families and expats. The environment is much more vibrant and pleasant to stay in.' Geylang's gritty underbelly As the community grew, Geylang became associated with vices such as prostitution and gambling, a stigma that is still attached to the neighbourhood today. As early as 1959, newspapers reported on anti-vice raids conducted in Geylang's brothels. In the 1980s, one of Singapore's most notorious loan sharks, Ah Long San, was known for operating an empire of karaoke bars that stretched from Lorongs 30 to 34. As a young boy in the 1980s, Mr Tan was tasked with helping out at his family's coffee shop in their shophouse every day after school. He recalls: 'There used to be secret societies on every corner. The gangsters also liked to conduct their loan-sharking business at the coffee shops. It caused a lot of headaches, as they sometimes fought and broke things. 'It got very hard to operate, which is why my parents decided to just lease out the coffee shop and stop operating the business.' Geylang's even-numbered lorongs were notorious for their many brothels. Mr Tan says: 'The red-light district used to stretch from Lorong 10 all the way to Lorong 34 from the 1980s to the 2010s. 'Then, developers started to come in, and the brothel owners sold their places when they saw the money that could be made from development. Today, the brothels are mostly concentrated in the lower-numbered lorongs, like Lorong 10 to 16.' His parents now live on the ground floor of a five-storey building in Lorong 36 Geylang that they purchased in 1991. Mr Tan moved out in 2007 after his first daughter was born. The first signs of gentrification Mr Cai Yinzhou, 33, the executive director of Chinatown Heritage Centre and a recently elected MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC , is a lifelong resident of Geylang. He attributes much of Geylang's wave of development in the 1990s to the neighbourhood's notoriety. 'The stigma of the red-light district pushes prices down even though many of the properties here are freehold and close to the city centre, causing them to be undervalued,' says Mr Cai, who also founded Geylang Adventures, which conducts tours of the area. As the community grew, Geylang became associated with vices such as prostitution and gambling, a stigma that is still attached to the neighbourhood today. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI In the 1990s, developers took notice of the low property prices in Geylang, leading to the first signs of change. Many developers acquired individual landed properties throughout the lorongs and consolidated them to build taller buildings such as condominiums or budget hotels. This attracted significant media attention and speculation over which developer would earn the title of 'Geylang King'. Three candidates quickly emerged. Datuk Eric Tan Eng Huat, the founder and chairman of real estate conglomerate Hatten Group; Mr Koh Wee Meng, founder and executive chairman of property and hotel developer Fragrance Group; and Mr Choo Chong Ngen, founder of Hotel 81, were noted for their large-scale acquisitions, which were unprecedented for what was then a sleepy industrial neighbourhood. For Mr Tan, the decision to redevelop Geylang was both commercial and sentimental. He says: 'I have some affinity with Geylang. My father used to sell eggs along Lorong 7 to 13, and I would always help him as a boy.' He adds: 'Later on, I realised that Geylang's plot ratio was quite high, and there was no setback since they were all terraced houses. Also, a lot of the properties were freehold. But nobody wanted to develop Geylang because of its reputation as the red-light district, so there was less competition and the price was cheap. The first property I bought in 1990 was around $98 per sq ft, now it's around $1,500.' His first acquisitions in Geylang were the big break his budding company needed then. 'A lot of people thought what I was doing was impossible then. The banks were wary of lending money, and negotiations with each landowner could get complicated,' he says. Mr Tan launched his first project, the 49-unit Torieville at Lorong 6 in 1995. The eight-storey building was built on the former site of a row of terraced attap houses. He recalls: 'It was difficult to get funding for the project initially because it was within the red-light district.' Nevertheless, 27 out of 28 units were sold within two months of the launch. The buyers were a mix of residents looking to upgrade from their HDB flats and investors, who intended to rent out the apartments. He acquired more than 30 properties in Geylang between 1990 and 1995 for redevelopment, radically transforming the streetscape of Geylang by building a portfolio of apartment buildings and budget hotels. Mr Tan made his final purchase in Geylang in 1995, which became Wing Fong Mansions. Sensing that the property scene in Geylang had become overly competitive, he chose to divest all his holdings in Geylang before turning his attention to new projects in Singapore and Malaysia. Even though Hatten Group's projects are now concentrated in Melaka, the neighbourhood continues to retain its allure for him. 'If I go back to doing projects in Singapore, my first project will be in Geylang,' he says. Datuk Eric Tan Eng Huat, the founder and chairman of real estate conglomerate Hatten Group, made his final purchase in Geylang in 1995, which became Wing Fong Mansions. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM GOOGLE MAPS Laissez-faire development Since most of Geylang's development is driven by private developers, the neighbourhood's streetscape has evolved into a patchwork that reflects its organic growth. Budget hotels, condominiums, clan associations, and late-night eateries stand shoulder-to-shoulder within the small area bounded by Sims Avenue and Guillemard Road. A fact that Mr Cai shared often in his tours is that Geylang has the largest concentration of religious institutions and brothels in Singapore. This diversity is reflected in Geylang's residents as well. A large proportion of Geylang's residents are expatriates and international students who rent units in Geylang's condominiums. They live alongside migrant workers who are housed in private lodgings that are often found on the upper-floor units of Geylang's shophouses. 'Geylang's central location is a huge draw. There's the stigma of the red-light district, but for many foreigners who come from abroad, what Singaporeans perceive as unsafe is actually quite fine for them. So Geylang inadvertently provides the best mix of convenience and cost for them,' says Mr Cai. Reflecting the steady demand for rental housing, Mr Cai says: 'Around half of the neighbours I grew up with in my apartment block moved out and converted their apartments to rental units.' As a result, Geylang has seen a steady influx of residents that add to the neighbourhood's already diverse social fabric. Mr Cai says: 'In the past, it used to be a 'Little Chinatown' because of the eateries and shops servicing Chinese migrant workers here, but now there's also an influx of Vietnamese and Bangladeshi eateries as well to service their respective communities. Mr Cai also notes that there are no Housing Board flats within the lorongs of Geylang. 'This reflects how highly privatised the neighbourhood is, so it's not easy for the demographics of the area to be changed,' he says. 'The neighbourhood has developed its own unique character as a result of being entirely left to free market forces.' Geylang's new cultural custodians In the past decade, new developers have joined the fray, but they have different plans for the area. Instead of building new structures, a new wave of developers is seeking to create a concrete identity for the community in Geylang. Among the new developers is Mr Sebastian Soh, 36, who runs property management and placemaking firm Meir Collective. In 2013, Mr Soh's father, housing developer David Soh, sought to enter the Geylang market by acquiring several units of a walk-up apartment block and pushing for a collective sale of the entire building, but the deal did not go through. In 2018, the duo began exploring investment opportunities in shophouses and acquired a slew of them in Geylang. The younger Mr Soh says their conservation status made them 'a very unique investment'. While Meir owns shophouses throughout Singapore, the firm's three shophouses at 211, 465 and 483 Geylang Road form the lynchpin of an ambitious project to remake Geylang. The area, after all, holds immense personal significance to the younger Mr Soh, who spent his childhood in Geylang growing up in Lorong 3 with his great-grandmother. He says: 'Before the red-light district, Geylang used to be family friendly. The red-light district only arrived in the 1990s as it slowly shifted from farther from the city centre to Chinatown, to Bugis, then Geylang. 'I want to bring back the spark to Geylang. The shophouses along Geylang Road will be the main site of change.' 483 Geylang was the firm's first shophouse in Geylang, and comprises a corner unit facing Lorong 27 and three others facing Geylang Road. When Meir acquired the shophouses in 2020, the tenants were a massage parlour, KTV bar, and a coffee shop with 'beer ladies'. The second level was illegally used as a foreign worker dormitory. He chose not to renew their leases and actively sought 'something with a Singapore heritage... that can be brought into the future'. Today, co-living operator Cove occupies the second floor, while Meir is in the process of identifying suitable tenants for the first floor. 'We see Geylang as Singapore's St Kilda', says Mr Soh, referring to the former red-light district turned lifestyle hub in Melbourne. 'Covid-19 was a hard-reset for the area, and now that we're on a clean slate, we can rethink Geylang'. This change is part of the process of placemaking, which is the process of shaping public spaces to enhance their vibrancy and make them appealing for people to live, work and play in. Mr Soh, whose title at his firm is Chief Placemaker, engaged local experience design studio The Afternauts to develop a strategy for Meir's shophouses in Geylang. More on this topic Singapore shophouses are blazing-hot properties as sales and prices surge The Afternauts co-founder Chew Kok Yong explains: 'Placemaking is an intentional process that tries to take into account the history and characteristics of the particular neighbourhood. 'In contrast to gentrification, which is characterised by a lack of control, placemaking involves a plan. We want to actively reshape the neighbourhood by bringing in more community activities.' As part of their collective vision for Geylang, Meir and The Afternauts have started monthly 'block parties' in local businesses for residents in the area to mingle. The first iteration in August 2024 was held at Space Coffee, a newly opened cafe serving vegan food. Mr Chew says: 'We also want to explore the idea of a pedestrianised Geylang Road on certain days in the future, but for now our focus is on building a community here step by step.' Another second-generation developer with a unique vision for Geylang is Mr Fang Low, the founder of co-living developer Figment. In 2012, Mr Low's father acquired a row of eight 1920s shophouses from their former clan association occupants, now named the Lorong 24A Shophouse Series. Under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Geylang Urban Design Guidelines, the original facade and structure of conservation shophouses must be retained, although owners have the option of building a rear extension. Figment refreshed the facades of its shophouses, while the interiors of each shophouse were redesigned completely by a different local architect. 'We wanted to stay as true as possible to how the shophouses originally were,' Mr Low says. 'We brought in authentic Peranakan tiles and actually hand-scraped the exteriors of the shophouses for that aged look.' Mr Low hopes to make Geylang a hub for the arts. In April 2023, Figment launched the first iteration of an artist residency programme, with four local artists invited to spend six months in a studio in the main shophouse at 11 Lorong 24A. Each shophouse also features works by a different local artist – from paintings to sculptures – that are displayed in communal spaces like the living room. These artists are separate from those in the residency programme, with each artwork selected to complement the character of the home. As part of this unique collaboration, 15 per cent of the rental proceeds from each shophouse go the artist whose creations bring the space to life. Mr Low says: 'We want to tap the mix-used zoning in Geylang. We feel that there is a bohemian vibe here, and we want to encourage interaction with the arts. In the long run, we envision Geylang as a hub for the arts.' Pophouse in Lorong 24A, a project by co-living developer Figment. It refreshed the facades of its shophouses, while the interiors of each shophouse were redesigned completely by a different local architect. PHOTO: FIGMENT Across from Lorong 24A Shophouse Series is Mr Jeffrey Eng's Chinese antique shop Eng Tiang Huat, which was established by his grandfather in 1938. His father moved the shop from its original location in Merchant Road to its current premises in Geylang in 1984. Many of Figment's co-living tenants have made visits to the shop, where the 63-year-old eagerly shows them around the traditional Chinese instruments, costumes, and furniture he has collected over decades. 'A lot of younger people and expats come to this area now, and I always appreciate people with a genuine interest in the history here. I hope that there will be more people who are interested in the Geylang story,' says Mr Eng. His family lives with him on the upper floor of the shophouse. He adds: 'My wish is for Lorong 24A to turn into a cultural space. Hopefully it becomes cleaner too, because the old Geylang wasn't family friendly.' Hold out, or fold While developers like Figment and Meir seek to conserve Geylang's physical history, ownership of these buildings will inevitably pass from their individual occupants to commercial entities as the area gentrifies. Although Mr Eng wants to stay put in Geylang to continue witnessing its changes, the reality is that maintaining a time-worn building is a relentless battle – and an expensive one at that. Mr Eng says: 'Annually, I think I spend $5,000 on maintaining the shophouse for things like pipe bursts or roof leaks.' 'I changed the entire roof for almost $20,000 15 years ago. Today it would exceed $50,000. I've managed to maintain my wooden structure well, but I have to fumigate the entire place every few years to ensure there are no termites, which costs me about $2,000 each time,' he added. The building's roof and structure also need work. The conservation status of his shophouse presents additional obstacles to maintenance. Mr Eng says: 'My shophouse is almost 120 years old, which makes it very expensive to renovate. I wanted to do so 10 years ago, but the lowest tender was $1.2 million, which I could not afford. This was because they had to do things like micro-piling to ensure the structure of the shophouse is retained.' 'I've seen families with financial difficulties who can't afford the $500 for repairs needed to fulfil Building and Construction Authority guidelines. They then have to look for help. Otherwise, they have to sell,' he adds. As the shophouse ages and draws increased interest from buyers, Mr Eng senses its days may be numbered. 'My own place is appreciating. Most of my neighbours want to sell their place for around $7 million to $8 million,' he says. 'I would love to preserve the place, but I'll leave the decision to my children. They're not interested in my business, so I don't know what will happen.' Madam Ang's granddaughter Low Li-Shann, too, wrestled with a sentimental desire to preserve the legacy of her family home in Lorong 32 Geylang and the pragmatic alternative of letting go. She says: 'Growing up, I used to be uncomfortable sharing that I lived here. It was old and so different from the modern houses my friends lived in – there was only one toilet for the house and there were rats, which I was scared of. 'But as I grew older, I started to realise that the house and its unique charm would be gone eventually. In the last few years of staying here, I tried to capture as many memories as I could, because I know that we can't cling on to things that don't last forever.'
Time Out
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Celebrate Hong Kong's intangible heritage at this festival in Tai Kwun
Over 300 intangible cultural heritage artworks created by the educators and students of the Hong Kong Art School and Lingnan University will be featured at this special exhibition, along with interactive activities, to highlight the contemporary expression of the traditions, arts, rituals, and crafts that make Hong Kong unique. There are plenty of traditional techniques still being practised today, such as cheongsam tailoring, soy sauce making, and even the famous Fire Dragon Dance, but this festival provides a look at how these traditions are also being reimagined and passed down in creative ways. This year's programme highlights the art of flower board crafting, with craftsman Choi Wing-kei and contemporary artist Lau Ming-hang, along with five students, taking on the challenge of co-creating a large-scale flower board installation. These signboards are typically used in celebrations such as deities' birthdays or the Hungry Ghost Festival, as well as the inauguration of projects like new buildings or businesses. Measuring approximately six metres in height and width, the ICH+ Festival's piece is a nod to the visual impact of traditional flower boards and also the intergenerational transmission of skills that has long been found in the teacher-disciple model of Hong Kong's traditional crafts. Some students will also be exhibiting their works on Guangcai making – the art of handpainting white porcelain with overglaze decorations – each showing distinctive elements of Hong Kong culture. Keep an eye out for iconic subjects like the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, the Haw Par Mansion, and a traditional 'fishes and aquatics' motif. Aside from these two featured techniques, there will also be works related to other intangible cultural heritage such as Hong Kong cheongsam making, seal carving, Shiwan pottery making, dough figurine crafting, steamer making, blown sugar techniques, and many more. The art fair, game booths, workshops, and expert sharing sessions that accompany the exhibition will let visitors gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the treasured history that this city's culture is built on. The ICH+ Festival starts from June 21, with the art fair and game booths available until June 22, while the workshops run until July 5. For the full programme and schedule, visit the official website.
