Lai Chun Yuen Opera House was a Cantonese opera house that was built before 1887 and located on Smith Street, Chinatown, Singapore. It was owned by Lin Dingxing and subsequently, Loh Ghim.

Venue: Lai Chun Yuen Opera House
Town: Chinatown, SG

Lai Chun Yuen Opera House was a Cantonese opera house that was built before 1887 and located on Smith Street, Chinatown, Singapore. It was owned by Lin Dingxing and subsequently, Loh Ghim. Chinese opera performances have religious significance for the Chinese as they believe it entertains the gods and spirits. The opera house was designed in the style of a traditional three levels Chinese teahouse with balconies. There are small tables on the first level for the audiences. The stage was located on the second floor. This was designed by Regent Alfred John Bidwell from Swan and Maclaren, whose portfolio includes other notable buildings such as Raffles Hotel and Stamford House. His works are prominent as he considered the usage of the buildings for the clients and clientele. The opera house was able to accommodate 834 people. It was a well-frequented opera house as it provided a form of entertainment for the immigrants. The popularity of the opera house is evident by its twice daily plays. The architecture design followed that of Chinese buildings - decorated corbel brackets, architrave tie ends, steps and door nail studs. Other opera houses, such as Heng Wai Sun and Heng Seng Peng Opera Houses, which were located mainly on Wayang Street in Singapore. Even though “Wayang Street” was “Theatre Street” translated from Malay, it was not the hub of the entertainment business. The main entertainment district was on Smith Street. Lai Chun Yuen Opera House was able to attract many famous Cantonese performers such as Leng Yuen Hung, Ma Si Chang and Hung Sin Nui in the early 1900s. Famous performers could earn up to 450 to 700 dollars a day, which was a hefty sum for that era. According to a visitor, no other places in Singapore could be compared with the Lai Chun Yuen Opera House. However, the place was the epitome of vice as Smith Street was the red-light district back then. There were private cubicles designed for discreet activities and opium smoking was a common sight in th