What’s the name of one of the biggest coolie station? What is the premises occupied by now?
The third stop on our heritage trail was Pagoda Street, known to some of the locals as ‘Kwong Hup Yuen Street’.
This is because it was famous for the 12 coolie stations operating here, with Kwong Hup Yuen the biggest of those stations! You may already know that coolies was the general term used to reference the unskilled or low skilled migrants from other parts of Asia, usually southern China, who worked for low or subsistence wages however it wasn’t always voluntary migration – many were sold to the highest bidder upon reaching Singapore! Located at No. 37, the Kwong Hup Yuen coolie station was licensed to hold up to 200 coolies but it is thought to have held many more than that, with conditions classed as sub-human, causing disease, violence and opium addiction to run riot. These terrible conditions reflected the value placed on coolies by society as the fit were bought and prized, while the weak, sick or ‘damaged’ coolies were left to survive on their own. It’s interesting to note that this coolie trade was managed by brokers, who were actually senior secret society members and knew that British officials were unlikely to prosecute them for their crimes. Coolie trade grew until the depression, Japanese occupation and world war two following which immigrants were considered to be more skilled labour.
Today, 37 Pagoda Street is a tailor’s shop, one among many on this bustling street. It is clear that while the heritage and history behind this area hasn’t been forgotten, shop owners have definitely moved on from the opium and coolie trade!
