Cycle Back in Time

TAN AH HUAT may be a fictional character created by Let's Go Tour Singapore, a local tour agency, but his story is one that resonates with many of our forefathers.

The Chinese immigrant came to Singapore in the 1920s in the hope of finding a better life. After several months on a boat, Ah Huat finally arrived at the former Clifford Pier, commonly referred to as ang teng beh tau (Hokkien for "red lamp harbour") by the Chinese. A red lamp used to hang at the end of the pier as a warning sign to ships in the harbour.

To make ends meet, Ah Huat peddled around Singapore, selling medicated oil, made using his grandfather's recipe.