Singapore’s Last Street Barber Retires,
Ending a 30-Year Legacy

Singapore’s last street barber, then 77-year-old Tan Boon Kee, officially retired in 2022, marking the end of a nearly three-decade career spent cutting hair in a quiet alley off Aliwal Street. Working from a modest tent, Uncle Tan became a well-known figure among locals who appreciated his affordable services and old-school charm. His retirement quietly closes a nostalgic chapter in Singapore’s disappearing street trades, once a familiar part of the urban landscape.

Uncle Tan completed his final haircuts just before Chinese New Year in 2022. For years, he offered no-frills services at unbeatable prices — just S$6 for a haircut, shave, and trim — making his stall a humble but cherished fixture in the neighborhood. Despite his age, Uncle Tan had long expressed a desire to keep working for as long as possible, but time eventually caught up with him.

With no successor — as neither of his two sons planned to take over — Uncle Tan’s retirement marks not just the end of a personal journey, but also the conclusion of Singapore’s last remaining street barber. His departure underscores the fading presence of traditional trades in a fast-changing city, where the old is steadily giving way to the new.