A storyteller tells a tale to his audience of labourers (aka coolies) and trishaw riders in an open space in Chinatown. Gathered under the dim glow of a candle or kerosene lamp, the men pay a few cents to listen to thrilling tales of righteousness and adventure after a hard day's labour. Chinese street storytelling was a popular form of entertainment in the colonial period. The storytellers would read aloud in dialect to their main customer base, who were usually illiterate.
