Bugis street is one of the busiest and most frequented shopping streets in Singapore. It runs perpendicular to Victoria Street (facing Bugis Junction Shopping Centre) at one end, and to Queen Street at the other. Locals call this area “pasar malam” (night market in Malay language), as the prices of the things sold here usually can be further bargained or negotiable just like a night flea market or bazaar, although this place operates even in the day time.
Bugis street stretches through blocks of what we call Shophouses in Singapore; low rise 2 storey buildings under conservation by the Singapore Government since pre-war times in the 1960s. These shop houses were usually owned by olden-day merchants who stay and live on the upper storey, and used the ground story as a shop for trading of businesses. Today, these properties are all leased to multiple tenants for trading purposes, first storeys are usually for prime retail, cafes, restaurants and other food trades, while the 2nd floors are leased to office tenants or spa & beauty trades where the privacies of the customers are prioritised, and are usually at secondary rental rates. Together, these shop houses and the busy Bugis street form today’s “Bugis Village”.
The street is flanked by two rows of shophouses, with shops selling all sorts of things, ranging from home entertainment such as dvds, video cds, cds, old records, etc, to household goods such as vacuum cleaners, chefs knives, laundry bags, etc, to fashion such as cheap earrings, bangles, bracelets, jewellery, accessories like belts, sunglasses, pouches, hair clips & bands etc, beauty products – facial creams, masks, nail polish, cosmetics, fragrances, false eyelashes, shoes & other footwear, shirts, dresses, etc, to foodstuffs, i.e. all kinds of tropical fruits including lychees, durians, rambutans, mangoes, etc. You will also be able to see some fresh flowers stalls nearby as this area is very near to Waterloo Street, a place where thousands of Singaporeans flocked to everyday for worship at the very famous Guanyin Hood Cho Temple. Buddhist devotees have sworn to this temple for as far as this temple existed, and will buy fresh flowers from these stalls as offerings to the deities.
If you have a weak resistance to falling prey to sales tactics and product promotions, you will end up in many buying dilemmas in this area. Sales men are everywhere, promoting different kind of products, usually household appliances such as mops, kitchen knives, rice cookers, pancake or waffle makers, etc. Random potential customer crowds can be seen at different points surrounding & crowding around the stall set ups to watch product demonstrations; some find the sales persons amusing and entertaining, somewhat like street buskers.
This street is often packed with shoppers and tourists, as well as Buddhist devotees, especially on weekends. Familar voices of buyers & sellers bargaining, fruit sellers shouting across their sales messages (“lelong lelong!” means selling cheap), & the constant ringing of bells coming from the bicycles and tourist rickshaws squeezing with shoppers’ traffic, are all common sights and experiences, and these are what made Bugis Street, or Bugis Village, rather, a unique shopping experience for many tourists.