Chinese Coolie

The term coolie was derived from “kuli”, which is a Tamil word for “hire”.

The coolies were made up of Chinese immigrants who were in search of fortune in Singapore. In the early 1800s, they were driven by poverty in China to search for a better life.

Their journey to Singapore was usually a disheveled one, often ending up with hundreds of deaths due to the confined space and illnesses.

Upon arrival, it was thought that they were going to have a better life, but little did they know that the journey on land will be filled with the scorching sun and hard-labour. 

In this segment, the life of a Chinese coolie will be presented in three categories: necessities, hard labour and vices. You will also be accompanied by the stories of Mr Chew Hee Chuan while you view the artefacts.