In Singapore, ‘Triad Trails’ tours led by ex-offenders uncover Chinatown’s seedy past

The one-hour tours combine the guides’ personal experiences of being in gangs with explanations of how secret societies came to be in the area

For one of the guides, Alvin Chiong, the tour is a chance for him to prove to other ex-offenders that those with a criminal past can still move on

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Alvin Chiong, Bruce Mathieu and members of social enterprise Architects of Life, which supports ex-offenders in Singapore. Photo: Instagram

Published: 8:00am, 4 May 2021Updated: 8:31am, 4 May 2021

Pointing to a row of shophouses along Singapore’s Pagoda Street leading up to Chinatown MRT Station, a heavily tattooed man tells the group behind him that the shops used to be opium dens in the 19th century.

It was a frequent haunt of early Chinese migrants to Singapore, and it is easy to understand why they were hooked on the drug, Bruce Mathieu says: “I first tried weed at the age of 13, and I loved the high.”

The 52-year-old, whose father is French and mother is Chinese, is intimately familiar with the world of drugs and secret societies, having dabbled with them before. It is what gives him the credentials to lead a new tour of Chinatown’s seedy underbelly past.

The Triad Trails tour of Chinatown’s storied history is a collaboration between tour group Actxplorer Singapore and social enterprise Architects of Life, which supports ex-offenders.

The one-hour tour will be led by two former offenders who will explain to participants how secret societies came to be in the area, which has since turned into a popular nightlife haunt. They will take participants through five pit stops, including Amoy Street and Sago Street.