Geylang Serai Wet Market
The Early History
The opening of the market, unfortunately, coincided with the 1964 racial riots. As a result, many of the street hawkers who were supposed to have moved into the new Geylang Serai Market decided to give it a miss for fear that they may be attacked. So, Geylang Serai Market became a white elephant for some years, while the street hawkers continued to operate all along the streets around.
Over time, most of the market stalls were eventually occupied. In 1975, almost a decade after opening, Geylang Serai Market underwent its first upgrade. At this point, the market had three sections: the Eating House, which was considered the place where Singapore’s largest variety of Muslim food could be found, the Market proper (wet market) and the textile and sundry goods area, where many of the stalls were owned by Malays or Indian Muslims.
​View of Geylang Serai Market on its opening day, 1964 Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Geylang Serai Market in the 20s. Photo credit: Robert J Steiner
​View of Geylang Serai Market on its opening day, 1964 Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Geylang Serai Market
Geylang Serai Market is one of the biggest and busiest wet markets in Singapore. Since 1964, this market has been a focal point for the local Malay community, with a good selection of Malay and Indian-Muslim specialties on offer.
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