Where can you see an outdoor sculpture that explains what Kovan was like before today’s shops and MRT station? At the junction of Simon Road and Upper Serangoon Road, near Kovan Residences, look for the Poultry Hawker bronze artwork, a market scene featuring a seller, a customer, baskets and poultry. The National Arts Council lists the sculpture as a permanent public artwork, while the National Heritage Board places the former Simon Road Market heritage location at 939 Upper Serangoon Road.
The original Upper Serangoon Market was built in 1948 and ceased operations in 1999. This is a historic site, not an operating poultry market. The market building no longer stands; NHB identifies a nearby surviving row of single-storey terraced units as the last remaining building group from the old market area. You can enjoy a short, free, self-guided heritage observation from permitted public pedestrian space without a ticket, guide or purchase. Use current crossing signs and avoid blocking residents or customers.
- Primary art landmark: Poultry Hawker cast-bronze figures outside Kovan Residences, near the Simon Road–Upper Serangoon Road intersection.
- Heritage listing: Former Simon Road Market, 939 Upper Serangoon Road, in the official NHB Hougang Heritage Trail.
- Historic market dates: constructed in 1948, ceased operations in 1999; it is no longer a place to shop.
- Artwork: bronze seller, customer, poultry and baskets illustrating the commercial past of the site.
- Surviving physical context: single-storey terrace units that once included shops, eateries and motoring workshops.
- Activity: observe the sculpture, compare the old marketplace with today’s intersection, then record three visible details and one verified historical fact.
- Do not confuse the site with today’s Kovan 209 Market & Food Centre, which is a different operating market.
Public art can preserve something a city no longer has. The former Simon Road Market is gone, but the bronze figures make an ordinary commercial interaction visible: somebody selling poultry, somebody deciding what to buy, and goods arranged for exchange. That scene opens a wider conversation about food supply, work, neighbourhood memory and how streets change. The best outing is not a hunt for a single photograph. It is a short visit that lets people connect an artwork to a real place and an accurately dated history.
Find the useful chapters
- Find the bronze sculpture
- Official artwork title
- Market history from 1948
- Why it closed in 1999
- Surviving shophouses
- Photography and safety
- FAQs
Chapters 1–5
Chapters 6–10
Chapters 11–15
Chapters 16–20
Chapters 21–25
Chapters 26–30
Chapters 31–35
1. Locate the sculpture near Simon Road and Upper Serangoon Road
The National Arts Council identifies the Poultry Hawker sculpture outside Kovan Residences, near the junction of Simon Road and Upper Serangoon Road. Its official public-art listing also gives the cast-bronze material, dimensions and a direct OneMap option.
The National Heritage Board’s historic-site listing uses 939 Upper Serangoon Road for the Former Simon Road Market marker. The heritage point and bronze sculpture are closely related, but a postal address for a marker is not always identical to the best place to stand to photograph the artwork.
Use the current map and on-street signs to choose a legal pedestrian approach. Do not cross the junction diagonally or stand in traffic for a photograph.
2. Understand why Kovan is a useful starting area
Kovan MRT is NE13 on the North East Line, near the older Upper Serangoon corridor and several modern shopping and residential developments. It is a convenient orientation point for the surrounding Simon Road heritage area.
However, a convenient station does not guarantee a particular walking time for every person. Check the exact exit, crossing and current sidewalk arrangement before heading toward Kovan Residences.
If travelling with older relatives or young children, keep the itinerary short and have a simple return route. A small street-side artwork does not require a half-day outdoor expedition.
3. Know what the artwork is actually called
The National Arts Council’s title is Poultry Hawker, and it records the work in its public-art register. It is described as a cast-bronze scene depicting a poultry hawker at the former Simon Road Market.
Calling it the ‘Simon Road Market statue’ is useful for casual directions, but the official artwork title helps readers find its specific record and learn the medium.
Do not invent an artist name or a commissioned date if they are not given in the authoritative listing you consult. An accurate description can rely on the named artwork and its location without filling every historical blank.
4. Read the bronze scene from a few steps away
The sculpture contains figures representing the seller and a customer, with objects associated with poultry trade. The National Arts Council gives dimensions for the individual figures and the overall concrete installation area.
Begin with a wide view. How are the figures arranged? Which objects tell the viewer what kind of market interaction is taking place? Do the figures face one another?
A useful exercise is to describe the observable scene before suggesting an interpretation. A viewer can see poultry and baskets; a claim about the exact price of a purchase or the identities of the people would require evidence not provided by the sculpture.
5. Understand the market’s 1948 opening
NHB records that Upper Serangoon Market, later widely remembered as Simon Road Market, was built in 1948 to serve residents in Singapore’s northeastern region.
At that time, modern Hougang New Town and the North East Line did not exist. Food trading depended on older roads, neighbourhood networks and different ways of carrying goods.
A timeline makes the contrast easy to understand: the market came first, the modern estate and rail infrastructure arrived later, and the market was eventually replaced by different commercial arrangements.
6. Why poultry sellers became the subject
NHB specifically notes the market’s reputation for poultry sellers. The National Arts Council says the artwork depicts a poultry-hawker scene at that market, so the subject is rooted in local history rather than chosen at random.
Market trading was an everyday part of getting food to households, and poultry was a familiar category of provision in that environment.
Do not portray the sculpture as proof of a named seller’s personal life or a literal photograph of a particular transaction. It is a commemorative representation of a broader historical trade.
7. Learn why a market served more than one neighbourhood
Upper Serangoon Market attracted residents and traders from a wider northeastern catchment, according to the NHB heritage description. Markets bring together people who produce food, transport goods, sell items and purchase household necessities.
That creates a network: farmers and suppliers need buyers, residents need reliable provisions, and roads help people reach the market.
An older student can sketch this network using four simple points—supplier, transporter, market seller and household—and explain why a failure at one point might affect the rest.
8. Understand what a municipal market is
A municipal market is a market organised within a public civic and regulatory context rather than simply a collection of independent stalls without infrastructure.
Shared spaces need cleaning, drainage, access, waste disposal and arrangements for safe trading. Those supporting systems may be nearly invisible to a visitor who looks only at the goods.
Ask a child why a market needs more than sellers and customers. That question leads naturally to public health, town planning and the ordinary work required to keep a city functioning.
9. See the difference between art and archival evidence
A bronze sculpture gives a strong sense of the past, but it is an artwork: figures, composition and scale are chosen to communicate a story. A historic photograph or market record provides a different type of evidence.
Use the artwork to ask questions, then consult NHB’s trail booklet to verify dates, locations and the former building’s uses.
Do not describe a sculpted basket as a precise inventory of what one seller carried on a specific day in 1948. That would overstate what artistic representation can establish.
10. Understand why the market closed in 1999
The official NHB record says Simon Road Market ceased operations in 1999. That date marks the end of its use as the market local residents remembered.
However, the brief landmark description does not provide a complete economic or planning explanation for every decision behind its closure. Do not invent one.
You can explain that cities change through redevelopment, shifting population patterns and new facilities, while leaving the exact administrative history to sources that specifically document it.
11. Know what physical structures survived
NHB identifies a row of single-storey terraced units near the former market as the only building group that remains from the old market area.
These older units historically housed provision shops, eateries and motoring workshops. The tenants and uses may have changed, so a visitor should not assume an old trade continues there today.
A surviving terrace is meaningful because it preserves the approximate scale and form of one part of an earlier street even after the main market has disappeared.
12. Find the historical shophouse row without intruding
From a safe public footpath, compare the low terraced structures with the larger modern residential and commercial buildings nearby. The difference in height, frontage and visual rhythm is often immediately noticeable.
These are working properties, not an empty museum display. Do not enter a shop uninvited, photograph private interiors or block customers while discussing architecture.
A well-composed street photograph can include the facades and nearby modern buildings without exposing residents’ personal lives.
13. Compare market-scale buildings with modern housing
Single-storey terrace units answer different requirements from multi-storey apartment buildings. The old shops brought trading close to the road; modern developments organise residence, parking and commercial functions differently.
Neither era should be judged entirely by nostalgia. Older forms can be charming, while newer buildings may offer improved facilities and different accessibility or living arrangements.
Ask a student what changed in land use, population needs and transport. The differences become more informative when connected with specific observed features.
14. Learn why a landmark survives as a sculpture
When a market building is gone, its story can be difficult for a newcomer to imagine. A sculpture supplies a visible reminder that the street once supported a different kind of work.
Public art can preserve social memory without reconstructing the original building. The bronze scene represents a common activity rather than attempting to rebuild every stall or aisle.
This is an example of selective memory: the artwork makes one part of the past visible while other stories still need photographs, oral histories or official documents.
15. Explain the artwork’s material to children
The National Arts Council states that the Poultry Hawker scene is made of cast bronze. Bronze is a metal alloy commonly used in sculpture because it can be cast into detailed forms and has good durability.
An alloy is a material composed of metallic elements and sometimes other elements designed to achieve useful properties. For a primary-school child, simply saying ‘a metal mixture used to make statues’ may be sufficient.
Do not encourage children to scratch or strike the sculpture to test the material. The gallery’s official record is enough to identify it.
16. Why bronze colours can change outdoors
Bronze exposed to air and moisture can develop a surface patina over time. The appearance may vary with environmental conditions, maintenance and the particular alloy.
A visitor should not assume that a colour difference means someone has painted over the artwork or that an entire sculpture is corroding dangerously.
Observe the surface without rubbing, polishing or applying substances. Maintenance decisions belong to the responsible owner, not visitors seeking a shinier photograph.
17. Observe scale without touching the artwork
The NAC listing records the hawker and customer as human-scale figures, with other objects arranged on a concrete setting.
Look at how the life-size quality changes your response. The work can feel like an everyday interaction occurring in the space rather than an object isolated on a high pedestal.
Keep a respectful distance; do not climb, sit on or place belongings on the bronze figures. An outdoor artwork is still public property requiring care.
18. Ask a five-minute question about buying and selling
The sculpture shows a buyer-seller interaction. Ask a child what each person might need to know for a fair exchange: the type of goods, the quantity, price and payment.
Explain that these are general market considerations, not proof of the exact dialogue depicted. Children can imagine an exchange but should label it as creative writing if they invent the words.
An ordinary historical artwork can therefore lead to a practical conversation about trade without needing a long classroom lesson.
19. Separate the poultry market from today’s Kovan 209
Modern Kovan 209 Market & Food Centre at Block 209 Hougang Street 21 is an operating market and hawker centre. The former Simon Road Market on Upper Serangoon Road closed in 1999.
The two belong to different commercial histories and locations. It is misleading to send readers to the statue expecting to buy fresh poultry from the old market.
If you want a functioning food-market outing, the separate Kovan 209 guide covers breakfast and groceries; this article is about art, memory and the former marketplace.
20. Read the NHB marker carefully
The official Hougang Heritage Trail identifies the site as the Former Simon Road Market and records the 1948 building and 1999 closure. It places the landmark at 939 Upper Serangoon Road.
Use the marker or the online NHB text to verify the basic chronology. If the physical marker is obscured, damaged or temporarily inaccessible, do not force access.
The online heritage source remains useful on a rainy day or for someone unable to reach the site.
21. Why the wider heritage trail includes this stop
NHB’s Landmarks of Hougang route follows Upper Serangoon Road and includes important community and commercial sites. The Simon Road location tells the story of food supply and work alongside religious and social landmarks.
This helps balance the trail. A town’s history is not only its major monuments; it also involves the everyday businesses that sustained residents.
A person with limited time can focus on this one site and still understand an important part of the whole route.
22. Choose a legal, safe photo position
The sculpture stands near a busy road junction. The need for a dramatic image does not justify stepping into moving traffic, standing on the road or blocking an accessible pedestrian route.
Use the permitted footpath and observe current crossing signals. Wait for a safe gap in pedestrian traffic rather than asking other people to change their route for your shot.
An honest photograph includes context; there is no need to hide every modern building to make the statue appear older than it is.
23. Try two photographs with different purposes
Make the first image a wide shot showing the bronze figures and nearby street. Make the second a closer view of a particular detail such as baskets or the seller-customer composition, as long as you can do so without touching or obstructing anyone.
Compare the images. Which communicates the historical setting better? Which makes the artwork easier to understand?
This simple exercise encourages thoughtful photography rather than merely collecting similar social-media pictures.
24. Do not photograph residents as background props
Kovan Residences and neighbouring businesses continue operating normally. People may be walking home, carrying shopping or taking children to school.
A visitor should avoid photographing identifiable strangers without permission and should not aim cameras into residential windows.
Public art is more enjoyable when its viewers remember that the surrounding street is still somebody else’s everyday environment.
25. Use the statues for a short social-history lesson
Ask what activities people needed to perform before a household meal could be prepared: producing food, bringing it to market, selecting and paying for it, transporting it home and cooking it.
Then ask which of those steps remain today and which technologies or places have changed. The comparison can include supermarkets, wet markets and online delivery without claiming that any one method is universally superior.
The sculpture creates a bridge between past and present because the underlying need—people obtaining food—has not disappeared.
26. Why a former market is a useful example of change
A place can retain its geographical importance while its function changes. The old market site now has a memorial artwork and modern developments nearby.
An older resident may recall the old market, while a child sees only the current buildings. Both perspectives can contribute to the story, but memories should be labelled as personal accounts and compared with documented dates where possible.
Learning local history means preserving what can be verified while listening respectfully to what people remember.
27. Understand the limits of a reconstructed market story
A sculpture cannot tell us the full price of food, every trader’s background, all the languages spoken or how the market functioned on a particular day.
To answer detailed questions, consult archival photographs, oral histories and official records rather than making assumptions from the bronze figures.
This matters when writing about local culture. A vivid fictional scene can be enjoyable, but it should not be mistaken for verified reportage.
28. Bring children without creating a street hazard
An outdoor street-side landmark offers no dedicated classroom, fenced play area or guarantee of sheltered seating. Keep younger children close and agree on where to stand.
Do not let children climb the figures or chase one another around road edges. Keep any discussion short enough that everyone remains comfortable.
A short safe stop with one good question can be more worthwhile than a long lecture beside a busy intersection.
29. Plan for older visitors and accessibility needs
A person using mobility aids may need a specific crossing, ramp and level approach to the public viewing area. A general heritage listing does not guarantee that every route to the sculpture is free of obstacles.
Use a current street map and avoid placing groups in the path of pedestrians, wheelchairs or strollers.
If the best viewing location is unsuitable, read the National Arts Council’s official photographs and description instead. Access to knowledge does not require an unsafe visit.
30. Choose daylight and check Singapore weather
Daylight makes the bronze details easier to inspect and the nearby crossing easier to navigate. Rain may create reflective surfaces, but an outdoor observation should not be treated as a photographic challenge during unsafe weather.
Check NEA forecasts and leave exposed areas when thunder or lightning threatens. Do not shelter under isolated trees or remain near the road while struggling with cameras and umbrellas.
The artwork is a permanent public installation, so there is no need to risk poor conditions to see it on one specific day.
31. Do not confuse a heritage location with a museum’s opening hours
The statue and public street do not operate as a staffed, ticketed museum with a fixed daily gallery schedule. But public access can still be affected by roadworks, construction or local restrictions.
Respect signs and barriers even if an online landmark directory shows the location as open at all hours.
If your group wants a structured guided tour, use NHB’s official heritage resources or a suitably organised programme rather than assuming a guide is stationed by the statues.
32. Create a ten-minute heritage exercise
Spend the opening minutes identifying the subject and location. Then describe three visible details: figures, goods and background buildings. Use the remaining time to read the official 1948–1999 history.
Ask one question: ‘What part of this street would someone who shopped here in 1950 recognise today?’ The answer may require evidence beyond what you can see.
End with one accurate sentence about the site, rather than a long list of unsupported claims.
33. Understand public art as a community memory device
Art can help people remember vanished structures because it provides a visual anchor. The sculpture does not recreate the market; it points to its importance.
The surviving terrace row adds a second kind of evidence: physical buildings that remain from the earlier environment.
Together, the artwork and buildings show how different forms of continuity can coexist. Some memories are represented; some survive in original structures; many require documents and conversation to recover.
34. Keep local memories distinct from verified history
If a family member remembers buying a particular dish or meeting friends near Simon Road, listen and record the story respectfully.
Then label the memory as their experience, while keeping NHB’s market-opening and closure dates as independently documented facts.
Neither type of information needs to erase the other. A strong local guide benefits from both, as long as it does not transform personal recollection into universal certainty.
35. Finish with a useful follow-up question
After the visit, ask what happened to people, shops and supplies when the market closed. Some businesses may have moved or changed, but an exact account requires evidence about individual traders.
Use the National Heritage Board’s trail booklet or other reliable archives for further reading.
The best result of a short art stop is curiosity grounded in accurate information: a market existed, it served the wider northeast, it was known for poultry and the city eventually changed around it.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the Simon Road Market bronze statues?
The Poultry Hawker bronze sculpture is outside Kovan Residences near the junction of Simon Road and Upper Serangoon Road.
What address does NHB give for the former market site?
939 Upper Serangoon Road, in the official Hougang Heritage Trail.
Is Simon Road Market still open?
No. The Upper Serangoon/Simon Road Market was built in 1948 and ceased operations in 1999.
What does the bronze sculpture depict?
A poultry seller and customer with poultry and baskets, commemorating a market once known for that trade.
Who lists the artwork officially?
Singapore’s National Arts Council, under the title Poultry Hawker.
What remains of the original market area?
NHB identifies the nearby row of single-storey terrace units as the surviving building group from the market area.
Is this the same as Kovan 209 Market?
No. Kovan 209 is a different operating market at Block 209 Hougang Street 21.
Is there an admission fee to see the statue?
It is a public outdoor artwork viewed from lawful public spaces, not a ticketed museum exhibition.
Is the sculpture part of the Hougang Heritage Trail?
Yes. NAC and NHB identify its connection with the former Simon Road Market and the official heritage trail.
Can children climb the bronze figures?
No. Respect the artwork and prevent climbing, damage or obstruction of pedestrians.
Official sources and public-access note
Checked 4 November 2026 against the National Arts Council and National Heritage Board. The former market is not operating and the sculpture is a public art site, not a staffed venue. Historic dates and location are based on official heritage descriptions; current footpaths and nearby business uses can change. Follow public access signs and treat the artwork and residents respectfully.
- National Arts Council — Poultry Hawker public artwork and exact location
- National Heritage Board — Former Simon Road Market, 939 Upper Serangoon Road
- National Heritage Board — Hougang Heritage Trail
- NHB — Hougang Heritage Trail companion guide and surviving terrace row
- National Environment Agency — weather