SingaporeOnce the busiest place in Singapore, but Geylang has changed so much that people living here don’t even realize it.
Marielle Descalsota, from the Philippines, spends a day wandering the red light district of Geylang to give readers the most authentic view of this once very busy place, after Covid-19.
Main road in Geylang. Image: Insider
The whole of Geylang covers an area of 10 square kilometers, and the red light district is located on even-numbered streets, which locals call lorongs in the southwest area.
“This only legal red-light district in Singapore used to be very busy. But the pandemic turned it into a dull area for two years, when businesses were closed,” Descalsota said.
She hired Cai Yinzhou, a local, as a guide to visit every corner of the street in early May. During the day, it is difficult to distinguish which houses on the street are brothels and which are not. The neighborhood was eerily quiet, and there was hardly anyone on the street.
At night, the atmosphere is not much different. The main roads of Geylang used to be full of life, bustling with traffic, red light streets… are still boring. “The new government allowed businesses operating in the entertainment sector to reopen early last month. But the brothels have not,” Yinzhou said.
A brothel closes in the evening – what should be the peak of the day. Image: Insider
In Singapore, brothels must be licensed and regulated by the government, Yinzhou added. More than 100 brothels are managed by three ministries: Manpower, Health and Home Affairs. Before the epidemic, each girl working here could earn from 2,900 to 4,000 USD a month. However, many prostitutes living in the neighborhood said they regret choosing this job. If they were chosen again, they would do something different.
“I don’t recognize this place anymore. To me, Geylang is bright neon lights, heavy traffic. Now, everything is dark here,” said Sherry, a former prostitute. Currently, she has another job.
Although the brothels haven’t opened yet, Geylang still has patrons stopping by for drinks at the local beer gardens. These beer gardens are some of the busiest in the area right now. In this place, women sell beer and provide other services to customers. However, these activities have not been able to fill the crowded and bustling that Geylang used to have before the pandemic appeared.
The beer garden is the busiest place in the area today. Image: Insider
Currently, visitors to Geylang enjoying local cuisine can see discarded needles in the small alleys. This is a problem that the Singapore Government is facing and seeking to thoroughly crack down.
Mr. Minh (According to Insider)
at Blogtuan.info – Source: vnexpress.net – Read the original article here
