Geylang (East)

Geylang (East) - Water Centipede

What is a centipede land? What luck do the people living on a centipede land have? Where can we find a centipede land in Singapore?

You can find many centipede lands in Singapore. The famous ones included the area near the government cemetery at Bukit Panjang, which is centipede on a hilltop, and Geylang, which is a water centipede, often found in places with soft soil and near rivers or sea.

Preference for Nocturnal Activities

The centipede is a nocturnal creature; therefore there are many places in Geylang that are particularly active at night. An example was Happy World (later called Gay World), which had an indoor sports stadium often used for basketball tournaments and large-scale performances. Another example is Geylang's infamous red-light district.

Geylang is also famous for something else - the many small restaurants and food stalls that often stay open till dawn. This makes Geylang a favourite hangout for night revellers.

Water Centipede - Extraordinary Split Personality

This is not an ordinary centipede for it has a split personality. Its top half is near Kallang River, its head near Gay World and its forehead is somewhere near Lorong 8 where its essence can be found. Here we can find many associations, societies and temples. From here to Lorong 37, the main characteristic is water, which is an indication of wealth, so this area sees Lady Luck smiling down on it. The main characteristic from Lorong 37 to Geylang Serai is earth, so this area is auspicious for settling down or starting a business.

There is a story behind Geyland's reputation as a centipede land. The centipede king had set to work training for an ultimate showsdown with Kallang's five snakes. As a result, many temples here were used as training grounds. Alas, the centipede king had a weakness for liquor and women. Though it had acquired superb skills, its bad habits and wealth attracted freaks and demons (eg gangsters) to this area.

The centipede king was a firm believer in brotherhood and greatly valued loyalty. Unfortunately, it was vindictive and continued to challenge the five snakes even after many draws. Eventually, the five snakes merged into one. The resulting divine snake gained immortality and extinguished all mundane desires. The centipede king was reformed by Buddha and hence, is less belligerent. But its brutish self is merely repressed and not fully extinguished, so it still slips back into its old ways every now and then.

The last few years have seen many well-advertised small budget hotels mushroom across Geylang. The older generation has to admit that Geylang has indeed changed a lot. An infamous red-light district previously, decent ladies were afraid to live in or step into Geylang as they were afraid of being mistaken for painted women. Now, more and more private houses and hotels are springing up in between the old buildings, the latter attracting foreign visitors with their affordable rental rates. Ultimately, Geylang has succeeded in changing its image. After all, the red-light district is confined to only a few streets.

Geylang is the only water centipede land in Singapore. The centipede's head is located at the People's Association (PA) headquarter, its cheeks at Gay World. The PA headquarter was originally Singapore's first civilian international airport. Here, ties among Singaporeans were forged. For several decades, Singaporeans have worked together and maintained good relations with the government. In addition to the grassroots leader's efforts, the PA has played a major role in providing leadership and planning for the building of strong social ties. Should the PA expand, it should preferably remain in tis current location as it can then continue its role in guiding the grassroots movement, and develop in tandem with the sea sports leisure centre at Geylang and Kallang River.

Gay World was once Geylang's most legendary spot. In the past, it was one of Singapore's three major entertainment spots - Great World and New World were the other two. Now, with the passing of time, Gay World's original site and its surrounding area are due for redevelopment and it is not known if the indoor sports stadium will be preserved. From the feng shui point of view, it is not favourable to build very tall buildings here. It is better to make use of the castle concept to design and work out a blueprint for this area. This way, Geylang's centipede land can prosper even more.