Sago Lane
by Thulaja, Naidu Ratnala
Sago Lane is a one-way road in Chinatown connecting South Bridge Road to Banda Street.1 It was named for the many sago factories that were located there in the 1840s.2 Sago Lane was also known for the Chinese “death houses”.3
Description
Running parallel to Sago Street,4 much of Sago Lane’s history is similar to that of Sago Street. From a prosperous sago flour manufacturing centre in the mid-19th century, it evolved into an area rife with prostitution in the early 20th century.5 The most defining feature of Sago Lane, however, was its Chinese death houses.6
People believed to be living the last days of their lives would go to death houses to spend their last days. Typically, a death house consisted of a living space on the first level and a funeral parlour below.7 A common Chinese belief is that one can bring one’s belongings to the next world upon dying. Hence fake paper money and paper models of various items, such as a house or a car, are burnt during funerals to effect that transition. The whole stretch of Sago Lane were lined with shops that sold paraphernalia used in funerals, including paper models, clothes, flowers, appliances and other possessions considered valuable to the deceased.8 As Chinese funerals are extended affairs that continued through days and nights, many foods stalls were found on Sago Lane and Banda Street catering to night visitors and mourners.9 Death houses were banned in 1961.10
The construction of Kreta Ayer Complex, also called Chinatown Complex,11 in the early 1970s resulted in part of Sago Lane being expunged.12
Variant names
Ho-ban-ni au koi in Cantonese and ho-man-nin hau-pin kai in Hokkien, both of which mean “the street behind Ho-man-nin”. “Ho-man-nin” was the chop or seal of a popular singing hall on Sago Street.13
Sayyun kai (“street of the dead”): a reference to the death houses that lined the street.14
Author
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja
Source
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/…/art…/SIP_299_2005-01-11.html
