Chinatown Heritage Centre

Chinatown Heritage Centre

Depiction of Local Lives

During this part of the museum trail, the Chinatown Heritage Centre utilised an interactive approach to depicting the lives of Singaporeans living in the Chinatown shophouses. Visitors could touch or see exhibits donated to the museums while they listened to the narration of the stories behind these exhibits.

Visitors can listen to audio recordings while they interact with museum exhibits.

What was notable was the selection of narratives that were presented to museum visitors.  Framed through the lens of an “authentic” shophouse, the visitors are first introduced to the wealthier families who were living on the first floor. It was the shop of a tailor where the front of the house was used business while the back was utilised just like any other home - an undivided space allocated for the living room, open-aired washroom and kitchen. They are taken through the daily routines of such families, such as watching babies and preparing meals in the kitchen. It is also likely that the owner of the house lives on the first floor, renting out the rooms on upper floors to other residents. As the visitor walks up to the second floor, they are introduced to more humble residents ranging from a Chinese physician who was forced to give up his younger daughter to a room that was home to a group of Chinese coolies.

The corridor that connected the various rooms was rather dark and narrow with the only source of natural light at both ends. A common toilet and kitchen at one end was shared by around 7 families and residents, with each room taking up an area of around 4 square meters. The close proximity of residents created a lively atmosphere whereby everyone supported one another be it by lending items or taking care of their neighbours children. It was also a vibrant one as though not everyone was from the same dialect group, they understood multiple dialects and could communicate with each other. They are taken through the daily routines of such families, such as watching babies and preparing food in the kitchen. The Chinatown Heritage Museum displayed a clear attempt to portray a broad segment of the Chinese society.

 

However, I take issue with how this museum narrative depicts every single story as one of suffering. While their conditions were undoubtedly harsh especially when compared to what we have today, these people would nonetheless have experienced happiness. Moreover, many of these hard labourers came over from China knowing that they were engaged to do hard labour. The fact that they were willing to come demonstrates that Singapore at least holds some hope for them, something that was glossed over in the museum’s narrative.

It also omits any mention of Malays or Indians that were living in the area. Their presence was evidenced by the presence of Sri Mariamman Temple and Jacobs Mosque in the area. This reinforces the (erroneous) idea that Chinatown was exclusively an area for the Chinese.

Overall, however, this mode of presentation was refreshing but I would hope that the museum broadens their scope of narration to accurately depict the complex situation in Chinatown at that time.

Chinese Heritage Centre (Sago Lane)

The Chinese Heritage Centre has a section which depicted the development of Sago Lane as the “Street of the Dead”. It chronicles how Sago Lane transformed from its origins as a lane with many sago processing factories to its present-day establishment as a shopping complex. However, it particularly focused on the period where Sago Lane was home to many “death houses” and related businesses. “Death houses” were places where people who were beyond medical cure, or were too poor to afford medical cure, came to wait for death. 

The presentation of the exhibit, which was housed in a darkened room, added to the dramatic effect of the exhibit. The atmosphere of the room created an eerie and sombre feeling, which framed how visitors experienced the exhibit, thus heightening their experience.

This exhibit was thus successful in letting the visitor not only learn but also emotionally experience the interesting but largely untold narrative of a street.

Reflections Zone

The reflection wall at Chinatown Heritage Centre

At the end of the tour, visitors were asked to share a reflection of what they had experienced in the museum or what they remember about Chinatown in the past. This creates a connection between the visitor and the exhibits he/she just experienced earlier and helps the visitor to pause and reflect, thus reinforcing their learning. As such, this exercise is a fitting end to the Chinatown Heritage Centre exhibition.