Jalan Besar (South)

Jalan Besar (South) - Heavenly Cats Teasing Mice

Jalan Besar, Malay for big road, is actually a tiny, muddy kampong road. Even after its expansion during the 1920s and 1930s, it remained a small road till today.

In feng shui, Jalan Besar is the land of agile cats teasing mice. Although not as ferocious as the tigers, cats are very agile and love to play with anything they can get their claws on. Jalan Besar has two cats, one male and one female. The land here is suitable for business that sells quirky and upmarket technological products. This suits the cats' nature and habits.

There are a total of five mice in this district. Though heavenly cats do not eat mice, endless chasing games ensue between them. Both rhe cats and mice have a common characteristic - they are very sharp. As such, residents are very good at sniffing out fantastic business deals. Sharp, witty and adaptable, they are able to detect the first signs of trouble and wriggle out of difficult situations very quickly. They are virtually unbeatable. Redevelopment may change the facades of many buildings and neighbourhoods, but Jalan Besar is able to retain its special character. This is vital because only then can it develop into an exciting area.

Jalan Besar has the Character of a Tiger

The cats in Jalan Besar are very unique. Though the cat is not as strong and brave as the tiger, the cat land possesses the style of the tiger land. Tiger land is known to be scholarly while the cat land can only produce mediocre talent. This is why there is an acute shortage of professionals in Jalan Besar. As Singapore requires more professionals in the future, people living on cat land will have to work hard to become professionals.

Also affected by the qi of the mice, residents are agile, smart and alert. As the cats have spoilt the mice, the latter end up as street bullies. This is why in the past many secret societies used to flourish in Jalan Besar. According to the Chinese Zodiac, the rat is the first of the 12 animals. This may or may not be an advantage. It they can make good use of their sharp wit, they are on their way to success.

Sungei Road flea market was sited on what used to be a big ice factory. When the factory shifted, the resulting empty space became the battleground of street vendors. In the 1980s, after the government started stamping out illegal hawking the area was deathly quiet.

Slowly, groups of illegal hawkers, scrap collectors and used goods dealers returned, selling their wares while keeping a furtive lookout for law-enforcement officers. Upon the officers' arrival, they would flee helter-skelter. They picked up and refurbished old and discarded items and put these up for sale in the flea market. This unique place rapidly gains fame. Presently, although the old buildings have been demolished, many hawkers still return in the evening to set up stalls.