Mak's Memoirs: Panggung Wayang Cina (Chinese Opera Stage)

Hi All!

Welcome to the first ever instalment of the new section in Wan's Ubin Journal, Mak's Memoirs where my mom will share with you guys her memories, stories and thoughts as she reminisces on her past time growing up on the island from the 1960s till the 1980s!

For today's post, my mom would like to share on her memories revolving around Pulau Ubin's one and only Panggung Wayang Cina.

The Panggung Wayang Cina or Chinese Opera Stage was among the only sources of entertainment for the Pulau Ubin residents back in the 1960s till 1990s. Photo courtesy of Ria Tan via Flickr

The Panggung Wayang Cina, or Chinese Opera Stage in Malay, is a prominent building in the heart of Pekan Ubin, or also known as Ubin Town. This massive wooden and zinc structure can't be missed once you set yourself on the island as its sheer size would surely keep you in awe. Facing the village's own version of a Town Square, the area surrounding the opera stage is big enough to fit up to two hundred people or even more! The once sleepy area would transform to be a robust and happening location on the island when there are performances showcased throughout the length of nights in conjunction of major Chinese festivals such as the Hungry Ghost Festival held every 7th month in the Chinese lunar calendar and Tua Pek Kong's Birthday.

The following lines are excerpts from my mom, translated from Malay as she talks about the Panggung Wayang Cina of Pulau Ubin.

"In the past, in the heart of Pekan Ubin, there would always be something to look forward to when they are setting up the stage on the Panggung Wayang Cina. Word of mouth in Ubin spreaded fast, so anyone who might have crossed the opera stage would inform others that a performance was going to be shown soon - perhaps even on that night itself. 

I always enjoyed hearing about this as it meant that I could hang out with my sister and mom for the night for some entertainment, especially after a long day helping my dad out in the sireh tree plantation. As the sun began to set and we finished our Maghrib (dusk) prayers, the three of us would set off to Pekan Ubin to watch the show while the men stayed at home to look after the house or do their own things. 

We would then walk on foot to the place, and yes our house was far from the town so it took us between half an hour to 45 minutes to reach the place, but when I'm out together with my sister and mom, the journey would not seem so treacherous anymore. As we reached closer to Pekan Ubin, we could hear rounds of applause, the banging of the gongs and other traditional Chinese musical instruments - so that means the show has already started with a decent-sized crowd forming around the temple. 

Of course for us, our main intention was not really to watch the opera throughout. Instead, when there are performances on the Panggung Wayang, merchants from Changi would make their way down via bumboat or their own sampan and set up their make-shift stalls around the perimeter of the Town Square, to sell away some goods. Simply put, we went down to do some shopping. 

Back in the old days, the whole Pekan Ubin Town Square would be jam packed with residents strolling to watch the show or do some shopping from the many makeshift street vendors that would pop up around the Town Square. Photo courtesy of Ria Tan via Flickr

You could find almost anything you desired down there, they sold all sorts of items such as clothing, food and sweets. We even had the famous Indian Kacang Putih Man there to sell us his peanuts and there would always be a crowd queuing up, so that they can munch away as they are entertained by the ongoing performances on stage. I would just be busy buying the sweets and food there, and during that time, the sweets were just sold for 10 cents each!  

If we had the money, the three of us would also look for some new clothes, some for ourselves, and some for the men back home. Prices for the clothes ranged from $2 and the more expensive and luxurious ones would cost up to $10. 

The crowd would continue to build up as more and more residents in Pulau Ubin came to know about the ongoing performances on the Panggung Wayang Cina. Of course, a majority of the crowd were the Chinese, and some of them came from the extreme ends of the island just to come down and have a good time with their families and friends. However, there was also a decent amount of Malays and even Indians joining in to watch the show. Sure, we couldn't actually understand a single thing that was going on, but that just goes to show that entertainment is not bound by language, race or religion on the island. 

I always admired the performers. Usually they would perform up to three nights for long extensive hours till the dead of night. But it is their passion for their arts and culture that kept them going, always finding a way to entertain the hearts of the residents of Pulau Ubin. I also loved the way they did their make up and preparation back stage. When it was time for them to appear as animals in the show, they would be dressed up accordingly and they would portray their roles very well. 

It was really such a happening and happy environment when there are shows ongoing there in the Panggung Wayang Cina. The whole island just appeared to have come to life."

Today, the Panggung Wayang Cina continues to stand, but its fate remains uncertain. For the past few years, there has been pleas made by the residents for funding and donations to help restore the Chinese Opera Stage.

A small banner is placed at the front of the Panggung Wayang Cina, put up by the temple which runs the opera stage, seeking for donations to keep the Panggung Wayang Cina restored and alive today. Photo courtesy of Ria Tan via Flickr

Thankfully, it is not in a state where it is beyond repair so there continues to be hope where the Panggung Wayang Cina would be restored once more to its former glory. Pulau Ubin's very own entertainment hub has yet to receive its hype back but I believe it can become as robust as it was back in the 1960s till 1990s.