Sago Street

Sago Street (traditional Chinese: 碩莪街; simplified Chinese: 硕莪街) is a street located in Chinatown within the Outram Planning Area of Singapore. There is a Trengganu Street that links Sago Street to Smith Street, Temple Street and Pagoda Street. Half of the Sago Street was converted into a pedestrian mall in 2003. It now serves mainly as a tourist attraction that houses food outlets, bars, retail shops and offices, with the streets lined up with pushcarts selling a range of souvenirs and street snacks. It is also Singapore's largest historic district, with rents costing upwards of S$3.80 psf.

Sago Street in Chinatown, Singapore.

Etymology and history

The street received its name because during the 1840s, there were numerous [sago] factories on the street. pith of the rumbia palm and made into flour that is used to make cakes. During the 1850s, there were thirty sago factories in the town which had a total output of 8,000 tons annually. Many of the sago factories were in the Sago Street area. In the late 19th century, the area was well known for its number of prostitute dens. By 1901, there were 14 brothels on the street alone. In the later part of the 20th century, the brothels vacated Sago Street and the shophouses underwent restoration in the 1990s. The Cantonese call the street "little temple street" because of the tua peh kong temple located there. The Hokkiens (Min Nan speakers) refer the street as gu chia chui hi hng koi cheng koi, meaning "the street in front of the theatre (street) in Kreta Ayer".

The funeral parlours are located on nearby Sago Lane and not Sago Street. As such, Sago Lane has always being referred to as sei yang gai or "street of the dead" in Cantonese. However, there are no cemeteries in Sago Lane. During the years 1950 to 2000, the entire Sago Street and Trengganu Street were occupied by wet, dry markets and cooked food hawkers.

The References
  • Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2004), Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern University Press, ISBN 981-210-364-3
  • Property prices of Sago Street,
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