Nearly half of 130 businesses in Yuhua Place linked to massage & beauty parlours

Yuhua Place in Jurong East, has seen a recent surge in beauty and wellness businesses, with massage parlours, spas, and hair salons making up nearly half of the shops around the market.

The phenomenon has raised concerns among residents and business owners, reported Shin Min Daily News.

Nearly half of shops linked to massage, beauty services

According to reports, Yuhua Place has around 130 shops, many of which occupy units on the second floor of shophouses.

Of these, close to half are involved in massage, beauty, or related services.

Retail shops make up about 15 per cent of businesses in the area, while around 10 per cent are food and beverage outlets, according to Shin Min. The remaining units include tuition centres and clinics.

The increase in massage parlours has been observed over the past few years.

Some businesses concerned about impact

Some business owners said they are worried about the high concentration of similar trades affecting footfall and the overall environment.

Massage workers were also commonly seen sitting outside shops early in the day to attract customers.

Liang (transliteration), a business owner who has been operating in Yuhua for 20 years, told Shin Min that after nightfall, massage workers can be seen along the streets, and some men loiter in the area.

"I don't like that there are massage parlours everywhere, but they're willing to pay higher rent, so landlords choose to rent to them," she lamented.

However, a landlord who requested to be anonymous shared that a massage business had offered to pay a higher monthly rental of S$10,000, which was higher than the market price.

He rejected it as they did not want to negatively impact the neighbourhood's image.

Another business owner noted that some landlords have been reluctant to rent out units to massage operators due to concerns about tenant mix and public perception.

Reports of disputes, disturbances

Li, the owner of a sundry shop in the area, told Shin Min that there have been occasional disputes between massage workers and housewives.

At night, drunken customers would often leave their litter around, making a mess of the neighbourhood, he added.

"Rent is expensive now, and more people have been shopping online in recent years. It's already tough enough for brick-and-mortar stores to survive, and these businesses only make it harder for us to operate," lamented another business owner in Yuhua Place.

Authorities monitoring situation

In February 2026, Jurong Central SMC Member of Parliament Xie Yaoquan posted on Facebook stating that authorities have been working on a suite of measures to "interdict and deter unlicensed massage services and suspected vice activities" in neighbourhoods.

"We are determined to restore neighbourhood centres like Yuhua Place into spaces that residents feel safe to move through and look forward to visiting," Xie added.

Top image via Shin Min