Yangtze theatre here I come - 长江戏院我来也

Pearl Centre building is being acquired for the construction of the 18 million Thomson MRT line. The Government announced in August 2102 that it would acquire the mall, a 99 year leasehold development with 243 shops, offices and residential units. Compensation negotiation is on going.  Most of the tenants had accepted the offers leaving a small group still seeking for higher compensation.
The Yangtze cinema owner is not looking forward to the day the curtains come down on his iconic China Town hot spot. He had spent $600,000  upgrading the premises three years ago. It is a pity to let go after spending so much. The cinema shows R21 films and the clienteles are seniors majority. It is unlikely that the 44 year old cinema will re-run at another location as it is difficult to find a place that can hold big cinema screens. Unlike Yangtze, the mall oldest tenant Nam Hoe Travel is on the lookout for a suitable new location to continue its business operation.
Pearl Centre building days are numbered. I decided to make a trip down before the building disappeared from the horizon. It gave me a good reason to patronise the Yangtze Theatre. I can keep the cinema ticket after the show as souvenir before it is gone forever.
On 6 May 2013, I took the North / East MRT to China Town. My first stop was the China Town hawker center. I had my favorite ikan billies niang dou fu 江鱼仔酿豆腐 for lunch. Many senior citizens patronise this store. This store was recommended to me by an ex colleague Mr William Tay. The lunch queue started to build up as early as 10.30 am. I strolled along Eu Tong Sen street towards the direction of Pearl Center and took some photos along the way. Being a stranger to the Pearl Centre building, I was unable to locate the cinema initially. I made a U turn when I saw the KTV sign board and not knowing that the cinema was actually located above the KTV. I later decided to follow some of the senior citizens who are the old horses that lead me to the cinema. I found the cinema at last. The R21 show cost me $9.00 which I considered expensive.  I only paid $4.00 senior citizen concessionary rate to watch any film show on a week day. There were about 25 patrons watching that show. Not a bad turn out on a week day if  I were to compare it to the film "Ah Boys To Men 新兵正 传" directed by Liang Zhi Qiang 梁智强 .  To my surprise there were other races also enjoying the R21 Mandarin show.

                                                                                NE line exit A to Chinatown

                                                                               Sign that leads to the popular niang
                                                                               dou fu stall 酿豆腐

                                                                          $3 per serve with noodle and 6 pieces
                                                                          of niang dou fu

                                                                              Queue for niang dou fu

                                                                              Additional $0.50 for extra piece of
                                                                              bitter gourd

                                                                                Hand made sha qi ma 杀骑马

                                                                              Another long queue for roast pork rice

                                                                               Da Hwa 大华 coffee stall- good
                                                                               coffee at down to earth price

                                                                                Kreta Ayer people's theatre
                                                                                牛车水人民剧场

                                                                           Pearls Centre building 珠光大厦

                                                                               Pearl Bank condo at the back ground

                                                                               My seat K11, $9.00, 1.00 pm show
                                                                               Yangtze Cinema 2

                                                                                      Yangtze KTV

                                                                                  Former Lower Barracks later became
                                                                                  Central Narcotic police station

                                                                                  Now becomes student hostel