In the past, hawkers largely sold meals from mobile pushcarts by the roadside. However, due to the unhygienic conditions and congestions caused by the stalls, the government started to resettle food hawkers since the 1960s.
One of the earliest dedicated food centres built to house itinerant hawkers in Singapore was Yung Sheng Food Centre, located at 3 Yung Sheng Road. Opened in July 1972, this food centred consisted of 60 permanent stalls, which led to the popular moniker "60 stalls".
Other markets and food centres were also located in Jurong. Perhaps the most well-known for the quality of its food was Jurong Market I, which remained popular even after a typhoid outbreak in 1975. Together with the old "Market I", Yung Sheng Food Centre was redeveloped to form today's Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre in 2005.
