Mr Bruce Mathieu (left) and Mr Alvin Chiong will be talking about their experiences with gangs and drugs as they lead the Triad Trails. BY NAVENE ELANGOVAN Published May 3, 2021 Updated May 9, 2021 CLICK FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The walking tour will take participants through Chinatown’s history of secret societies
The tour will be led by ex-gang members who will reveal what goes on in gangsters’ lairs
The tour runs every Saturday from May 15 and costs S$70
SINGAPORE — Pointing to a row of shophouses along 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 to the drug, he says. “I first tried weed at the age of 13, and I loved the high,” recounts the group’s leader, Mr Bruce Mathieu. 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.
Called Triad Trails, the 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.
At the same time, the guides will also share their personal experiences of being in gangs and their journey to reform themselves.
For one of the guides, Mr 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.
“My motto is to always do things that I never did before. That’s how I learn and I want to bring out this message to ex-offenders who may take over this project in future,” the 50-year-old told TODAY in an interview last week.
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