Singapore’s most iconic hawker market Lau Pa Sat has been a fixture in the city for the last 130 years.
Established in 1894, the “old market” today is a must-visit food and retail destination for locals and visitors alike. It is home to over 80 F&B stalls offering local, Asian, western, and Middle Eastern cuisines, as well as Singapore’s largest open-air Satay Street.
Now, you can immerse yourself in its heritage and even bring home a piece of history.
Lau Pa Sat has launched its 130th anniversary celebrations by unveiling collaborations with renowned Singaporean artists. They include a 10-metre-long heritage mural From Shoreline to Skyline by visual artist Yip Yew Chong, and merchandise adorned with watercolour illustrations in collaboration with local illustrator Ah Guo. The works showcase Lau Pa Sat’s rich history, and its evolution as a cherished monument in Singapore over the years.
Yip’s heritage mural takes viewers on a visual journey through time, with depictions of Lau Pa Sat’s past as the first Telok Ayer Market that opened in 1824, before transitioning into the bustling lunchtime destination in the 1990s. The scenes morphed seamlessly across the two centuries, from day to night, and with playful out-of- place elements such as a chicken “choping” a seat – a sly nod to our widely debated practice of reserving seats with tissue packets.
Customers can take home a piece of the artwork in the form of limited-edition collectibles such as a twin postcard set and EZ-link card collection. These are available exclusively at Food Folks.
The merchandise created in collaboration with Ah Guo features items such as pouches and stationery. Among the three-part artwork series is a bustling dawn scene of Lau Pa Sat in its early days as a bustling market by the sea, with fishermen fishing in the nearby waters and selling their catch of the day at the market alongside early-day street hawkers.
From May 1 to Jul 31, collect one stamp with every $10 spent at either retail or F&B stores in Food Folks to redeem postcards, notebooks and more. There are five exclusive Ah Guo merchandise to collect during this period.
The celebrations are accompanied by a new 130th anniversary logo that pays homage to its rich history in Singapore’s hawker scene, blending imagery of hawker culture with its iconic architecture, including its Victorian cast iron columns, ornate leaves and octagonal layout.
For more information, visit www.laupasat.sg.
All photos courtesy of Lau Pa Sat.
