They say that the last days are always the best.

Or so it was for the Sungei Road Thieves Market, whose last weekend before its closure on 10th July was undoubtedly its busiest.

Throngs of first-timers and frequent visitors paid homage to the 80-year old market in the only way they knew how: by putting on their best sweaty clothes, braving the humidity and squeezing with the crowds for one last hurrah.

If they weren’t there in person, they were there online. On Facebook, people shared sepia-toned photos with thoughtful captions, and felt Deeply Saddened.

In a way, it was almost like someone had died. Sungei Road has been around for 80 years, and for many Singaporeans, its closure meant the death of a unique place “unlike the many other homogenous places in Singapore,” and was now “destroyed for good”.

They lamented the government’s treatment of the vendors, now “stuck in limbo with no place to go”. To them, “another slice of Singapore’s history [had been] demolished in the name of progress”.

For regulars, hipsters, heritage lovers and those simply looking to exploit anti-government sentiment, Sungei Road was suddenly relevant to everyone.